But enough with this witchcraft bogey side. I think we have a chance come Saturday. Hell, more than a chance, I think we’ll walk away from this one with all three points.

West ham have a win and loss, and that win came against Prem noobs Wolves. They were beaten by Spuds most recently, and sit only a few table places above us on 3 points.

We all know the beginning of the season is no time to make any calls about any team and what they’re outcome will be. But you can never argue against getting points early and often, and this is the game ot get our first ones after dominating in our last two showings. Hopefully the team worked on just shooting the ball into the net this past week and are ready for tomorrow.

Fans in the USofA, this one won’t be on TV until a replay of it on Setanta US at 6:45pm EST. Feel free to leave any comments or predictions about the game below. Personally, I think it will be 2-0 Rovers. We’ll see tomorrow!

John Williams: Taking Names and Cutting Wages – Setanta (but how much longer will they be around?)

Signing number 2!! Nikos Giannakopoulos from Asteras Tripolis. Try saying that Three times fast. – SkySports (Post on him coming soon.)

Zurab to Gala? – Mirror

VILLANUEVA SAD IT’S ALL ROVER (I swear I didn’t write that, it was too good to change) – Daily Star

Hunting Zigic?? – SkySports

Striker Jason Roberts is hopeful about retuning to this starting XI this term while battling a stress fracture affecting his third metatarsal. He remains optimistic and will helpfully be ready for the Wigan game.

The Stoke game is this Saturday and Vince Grella is hoping to play apart. Hvaing played for the reserves this week, the midfielder is anxious to get a run out and prove himself. He told the official website, “I still have six games where I want to give my contribution, whether it is big or small, to Blackburn.” Promising to hear. A little added depth never hurt anyone.

Stoke’s form has been quite good in the last 6 matches. D W L W W D go the order of their last results, taking 11 points from a possible 18. Rovers will hopefully bring the same fighting spirit they had against Spuds (and didn’t have against L’pool) to the Britannia. My optimism is high though as the the news of the traveling fans making the trip will mean the Rovers will have some great support. From the O-site:

Rovers will have the backing of almost 3000 supporters from Lancashire down for the game, the offer of free away travel combined with a game of huge importance means all of the tickets allocated to the club have sold out.

Exciting.

Benni Mac will hopefully get the start and Samba will hopefully play defense as Rovers look tp climb the ladder up from 16th and add to the 4 point safety they cling onto. UP THE ROVERS!

Well Rovers took a break for international duty last week and I used that time to catch up on some work and keep my GPA game up. But the lads are back and so am I, but I’m not the one stopping The Spuds’ six-match unbeaten league run.

Rovers started off strong with a chance in the 11th from MGP to El Hadj but he failed to convert. Things started going down hill from there though with our rock solid new man Gael Givet was called for a handball in the box. You can judge that one for yourself, but when the commentator takes Rovers side, you KNOW it’s not a penalty. (Which it wasn’t, the ball hit inside shoulder) Keane converts although the ball wasn’t on the spot. Clearly, you can see it in the highlights. The balls off the spot. I don’t get how that works either, but whatever. Rovers down 1 nil. MGP gets a knock and heads off with Dunny coming on. Jase Robs gets a knock and holds on till halftime, then he comes off. So what does Big Sam do when his hand is forced?

PUTS CHRISTOPHER SAMBA UP FRONT!!!

Yes that’s right the big man playing up next to Benni Mac and being an all around nuisance for the Spuds players. Rovers make some chances, Spuds don’t do too much. Then they started doing stuff and the game looked pretty much over. Then, Wilson Palacios winds up being sent off after collecting two yellow cards in the space of two minutes. Fantastic. Finally a little bit of luck heading our way. Then Robbie Keane knocks the ball away in the box with his hand but the ref closes his eyes and skips away pretending all is just and well in the world. No matter though because then Samba showed up, and went hardbody all over Corluka and worked the ball to Benni Mac who fired it home from 10 yards out. Then Rovers took the lead when Gomes misjudged a corner and and ball fell to Ooijer who, from barely a yard out, directed it calmly home. Amazing.

14th on 34pts. Lets ride this momentum to liverpool.

Highlights:

I don’t know how you are all dealing with this. Confusion, frustration, random little bits of anger, and the repetition of a single one worded question: “How?” How did we lose today? Again? How are we in 18th? And that all leads to one bigger question: What do we do now to fix this? Is Ince the problem? Is it the squad, coaching staff, players? John Williams? I don’t know. But the blue and white tinted glasses I wear have gone from protecting me under some blissful ignorance to confusing me so that I really don’t know what should be changed. But the fact remains that something has to. In a league with the likes of some pretty poor teams this year, there is no reason I should be worried about a relegation battle when not too long ago we were in the UEFA Cup.

Anyone any ideas? Need to vent? Just talk about it? Well I’m here for you and the comment section is too. Together maybe we can just come up with a plan to make this all right.

Maybe we should just file a petiton to play the rest of our games away from Home, I don’t think any one would mind. And while Rovers would lose some ticket revenue, it would save the fans from watching their team crumble at home. Lets think back a few posts ago, when I vocalized that internal struggle I was having between watching Rovers play “pretty” football and watching Rovers win. I’ve decided. I don’t care how they win, just as long as they do. Losing to mid/bottom table teams at home is just wrong. And shouldn’t be happening. At all. Everrrr.

Oh and we drew United in the cup. Shocked? Yeah me neither who didn’t see that one coming? So this is a defining moment in our season as well as Ince’s career. Spuds coming up and we need to put the revolution down. And Betnely. He needs to be just plain put down. Highlights after the jump. UP THE ROVERS!!!!

Rovers really started off poorly, allowing Chelsea a ton of chances in the first 30 minutes. Paul Robinson really is back to great form as the game would have ended 12-0 had he not been there making some great saves. Rovers were dealt their first blow off of, what can be a described as a freak accident, deflection off of Anelka’s knee. Robinson was extremely wrong footed and helpless, he desperately called for an offside as the ball trickled in over the line. If you haven’t seen it, it is in the highlights, and you can’t help but feel for the guy. Having the game of his life and something like that goes and happens.

Rovers had some great chances as well, notably King Carlos’ strike that was clocked at one thousand miles per hour. Well, not really. But seriously, it was. How Cech saved it I’ll never know, but that’s why he’s one of the top 3 keepers in the world.

Anelka’s second goal was class. Again, the highlight reel will show it, but you can’t take anything away from that calm and collected chip finish. Also, no fault really to Robbo charging to save it, just unlucky. The Rovers still took the game to Chelsea most of the second half and were unlucky to not get something when Roberts had his chance on goal that Cech immediately got huge for and parried.

Sitting in 15th now we are, and Warnock will be missing out of the next league game after picking up his 5th yellow of the season. Hopefully we can stop these revitalized Spuds and get back on winning ways. Highlights after the jump.

Highlights:

Watch Blackburn v Chelsea in News Online  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Sadly, this will be the beginning of the end for the time of Big Brad. The stipulation with Rovers before he could sign with Villa is that Rovers needed a replacement. Robinson was their first choice and now that he has put pen to paper, the departure of the American will not be long to follow. Let me be the first to thank Brad for his many years of professional and exceptional service to this proud club, though a more fitting goodbye will be drawn up when the time comes.

That Brad stuff is bringing me down, so members of Ince’s Blue and White Army, how do we feel about this, our first official signing?? 3.5m isn’t a terrible price for a keeper as young as that, and I’m very excited. “Oh but what about his spell as the England keeper?”I can hear some whine already. Rovers are notorious for turning bad apples of clubs (RSC and Samba just right off the top of my head) and re instilling in them the confidence they need to perform at their best. Hell, name two people you know who thought Friedel was better than Flowers when we signed them. You can’t? Right. Me neither.

This is a new period at Ewood Park, and if Robbo is any indication of the type of signing we’ll be expecting, Ince will be a loved Gaffer by all. Now, contrary to popular belief (or just mine and my mother’s) my word opinion isn’t always perfect and right? So what do you think about Robinson between the sticks?

•Ecuadorian international Segundo Castillo is linked heavily with Rovers right now. There’s the standard problems with that however as usual; work permits, transfer fees, wages etc etc. Watch this space.

• Robbie Fowler. Remember him? Well he’s been invited to train with us (and by us I mean the first team squad….stay with me)over seas. This is just a “trail” to see if Robbie is “match fit.” Yeah, okay. i was kind of shocked at first, then appalled, then angry…and in that order. But imagine Matty Derbs coming on in the 76th and Robbie in the 80th. We shall see.

• There’s been confirmed interest from Man City and Aston Villa for our Big American Brad Friedel. Man City might not have enough cash though.

• Staying with the Brad story, it is rumored that if it goes through, Paul Robinson will be first in line as the replacement for him, possibly in a move with Robinson and a ton of money coming to us and Bentley going to Spuds.

You really can’t make this stuff up. Tons to comment on, debate and discuss; readers: the floor is yours. (and mine too when I comment back.)…(And David’s too, cause he’s been known to comment.)

Alongside this there have been a few indications of who might be coming in and out of Ewood this summer. Enckleman and Henchoz I’m sure are out on free’s (anyone see Enckleman in the Cup final – oh dear. I’m from Cardiff btw). However talk of Bentley leaving has died down recently. Liverpool look like the only really big team who would buy him and they seem more interested in other players at the moment, such as Albert Riera of Espanyol, who considering his nationality looks like Benitez material (more on the Catalans later). Apart from that news of interest from Tottenham keeps cropping up, and if we are going to sell him, Spurs could be the perfect place. This is the club that paid £8mil for Zakora, £9mil for Kaboul, a couple of million for an unfit Brazillian left back (Gilberto) and £16mil for Darren Bent. We could end up selling him for a ridiculous amount of money if Spurs and their sporting director Damien Comolli act in their usual ridiculous fashion. Around £12mil I think would be acceptable for Bentley (thoughts?), but I could see Spurs spending well over £15mil if they want him.

Other rumours are concerning Roque “goal machine” Santa Cruz, who allegedly will be a target for Arsenal if Emmanuel Adebayor leaves. However this seems unlikely for several reasons:

1. It’s unlikely any top clubs will want Adebayor (Barcalona have been linked). He’s too inconsistent and lazy and has had one good season. If a club does try for him Wenger will want big money because of the monster season he has had.

2. Roque seems to like it here and has suffered all of the worst things that can happen when playing for a top club. I think he likes keeping a low profile here, at the most low profile of top EPL clubs.

3. Hence Hughes has no real reason to let him go. If the player wants to stay Sparky will only want really big money, since he’s only one year into a four year contract.

So fear not Rovers fans, Bentley (hopefully) and Santa (almost definitely) will stay. Speaking of which, he’s talking of scoring even more goals next season. This sounds fantastic, though lets hope he doesn’t suffer from “McCarthy syndrome”.

So who may be coming in? Well despite my [pathetic] attempts at persuading Sparkey to bring in Arshavin, there have been no related newspaper rumours.

Still, we are being linked with American young starlet Michael Bradley of Heerenveen (home of Boro’s Afonso Alves). This has excited me for a few reasons. Firstly, the kid looks good. He’s been playing very well in Holland and already has 14 international caps at the age of 20 (so work permit should not be a problem). He can play attacking and defensive midfield (positions that both need strengthening), and in the attacking role has scored quite a few goals for Heerenveen. Apparently we were linked with him in January, when Heerenveen told us to come back in the summer with around E6mil (ie. not that much). Finally, it would be great to have a young, exciting American (key word) playing for us – the attention and comercial benefits would be nice. I think I’m right in saying that a few of you from across the pond read this – what do you think of Bradley?

Finally, we have been sending scouts to the little brother of Barcalona, RCD Espanyol. We are apparently being linked with a few players: Torrejon (a central defender) and Coro (a striker/attacking midfielder). I don’t know much about Espanyol, but I like their coach Valverde, who seems to have done very well with a young squad. The two players mentioned seem to be less prominent than some of their other rising stars (Luis Garcia and Jarque), so if anyone knows anything please say.

Until next time – enjoy the summer….