Here’s how we’re looking: Robinson, Brown, Jacobsen, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Olsson, Diouf, Hoilett, van Heerden, Doran, Nzonzi, Andrews, Pedersen, McCarthy, Roberts, Di Santo.

Look at that list and remember who’s out and doubtful and try and build a solid starting XI. Our midfield can’t even be completed let alone compete. Very worried about what we could see if Nelson and Samba don’t make the cut.

Citeh will be probably fielding a 1-0-9 formation, with a team looking like this according to SkySports:
Given, Richards, Dunne, Toure, Bridge; Wright-Phillips, Barry, Ireland, Bellamy; Robinho, Tevez.

Let me just say, I am looking forward to a win. But if we draw or even lose I can not say I’ll be surprised. I just hope the boys are ready to get the season going the right way.

Now the invitation. I invite all Rovers fan in the NYC area to make the trek into the NYC and come watch the game with me and a bunch of other Rovers fans at Nevada Smiths. We’ll be there a little before kick off and through out the match so please come by if you are able to.

Hopefully the next post will be a victory review. Until then, come on new season AND UP THE ROVERS!

It means we now have 4 quality strikers on the books with Di Santo, Benni, Jason Roberts, and Dioufy. With Gally probably going to be sold but Nikola Kalinic a possible singing it means our striking woes are gone for the start of this season.

We haven’t even dropped near half of the RSC sale, and we have all this money to spend of Kalinic and another midfielder. So this gives us this week and next to bolster and strengthen our starting squad in the middle of the park. Exciting times, and things are looking promising.

We do need these reinforecemnts though, as N’zonzi and van Heerden will probably need ressie time before even being considered for the starting XI. A new, quality midfielder who will walk right into the team and start is still pretty necessary in my opinion. However, with this striker situation having been resolved, things are looking up for the start of this term. As always, UP THE ROVERS!

Big Sam has come out and said he would like to sign Ruud van Nistelrooy from Real Madrid. Seriously? Maybe. A declaration of our intent this season and transfer market? Definitely. Maybe seriously for him though.

“The sort of salary he would be on at Real Madrid may be beyond us. But maybe he wants to come and play in England again and take less of a salary – then we’d be interested.”

Yeah, I’d be interested to, so interested I’d get him name right on my shirt. A name like Ruud’s would fill seats, sell jerseys, and be like a Becks for the Galaxy, only hopefully not a tool.

His injuries would be an issue though. We just got rid of RSC with a “bum knee.” We wouldn’t even talk to Owen (unlike ManUre) because Sam said:

“I need a striker that’s going to be available for 30 games next season. That’s not happened for Michael over the last four years.”

So would Ruud be able to meet that demand? The jury is still out.

What this does do though, is let all of Europe know we’re in it. We have some cash, but we’re not gonna over pay, not even for Ruud van Nistelrooy. So we’ve brought in some people, we have some people coming back, which are kind of like new signings too. I still stand by the fact that we need a big na,e goal scorer, but hopefully we’ll still have some cash to get a decent name midfielder.

The 4-4-2 is the way to be, and Doiuf could play right with MGP on the left. So a winger isn’t top priority in my book, especially with Elrio around for depth.

Sure we just signed N’zonzi but he’s unproven at this level, and everyone knows we have super injury problems with our CM so if we could have a decent level starter walk into our CM and start for us, that’d be huge.

We saw the results of our last poll, and it sounds like most people agree with me, so for the poll this time, we’ll simply just go with a Ruud question. Yay? Nay? Let me know, and as always; UP THE ROVERS!

Would you like to see Ruud here?(poll)

EL RIOOOOO makes his first comments about the club to a paper in S.A. – Link/click

Big Sam says…”He’s got lots of pace, lots of ability, he can play both sides of the field, wide right, wide left.” Sounds good to me. – Offish site click

But he’s being cautious over new boy. – SkyClick

And El Rio also has to “Beef Up” – FoxSportsclick

Greeks tabling new bid for Derbs? – Lancashire Teleiclick

That’s all she wrote…

That’s right boys and girls,wasting no time at all hitting our trouble spots, Big Sam took the issue of right wing into consideration and signed the South African 25 year old multi purpose winger. The Rovers website has him touted as a speedy midfielder who can play on both sides but looking at Soccernet, he only made 4 Starts: and 14 sub appearances. But he comes on a free and looks decent enough to give a shot, so we’ll see what Big Sam has in store for him and welcome him into the fold. UP THE ROVERS!