Over the next few days, I’ll be posting write ups or podcast episodes of a review of the month I missed. With this new feature, I to invite anyone and everyone to be as involved as possible. If you have a question a comment or anything at all, email it to me and we’ll get it talked about on any future episode. Feeling bold? Even if you just have a simple built in mic or a whole studio, record a comment or question and I’ll throw it in the episode myself.

As always, discussion starts in the comments where I hope to see some of the posters return. Sorry again for the month long hiatus, but we’re back baby.

(EDIT:This next paragraph was added after initial posting)However, I am really tired of players thinking that it is so bad here at Rovers. To be fair, in interviews since the move Warnock has not slated the team or club, and has actually been pretty classy. But when the fan’s player of the year jumps ship for “European football” (which villa were eliminated from today) you really have to wonder. It wasn’t too long ago Rovers were in Europe. And we all know what happens when individuals feel too big for the club: See Bellamy, Bentley, Santa Cruz, etc. I like Warnock, the guy always gave his all and usually I like Villa too, only rooting against them when they play us. But the sad truth is Warnock will probably be one of those to see the hard way that the grass isn’t always greener. All the same, I dont wish him bad, but if Villa finish 16th, I won’t be shedding a tear.

What I didn’t expect though, was this move for Chimbonda right away. Now, some people have been concerned that this gives us a million Right backs and no leftbacks up to par and still hasn’t addressed the midfield situation. However, I think Salgado was brought in to play a holding midfield in front of the back four as a transition guy and first line of defense. I see Chimbonda playing the RB off and on with Jacobsen until one of them lock up the spot with Samb and Nelsen at CB and Givet on the left. Not too shabby if you ask me.

Plus, this is pretty shrewd money wise as well. The deal is reportedly in the £1.5m-£2m pound range and the 30 year-old defender has signed for two years while the Warnock sale is speculated at around £7m.

For the sake of sanity, I will keep my blue and white Spectacles on, and not get into the reasoning behind letting a player like Warnock leave.

Also, we beat Gillingham to advance to the Carling Cup third round. Goals from Dunn, Junior Hoilett and MGP secured our passage through. No highlights available for posting, will update when I’ve got my hands on them.

West Ham preview up tomorrow and as always, UP THE ROVERS!

Here’s whats been going on:

First off, Sunderland stole three points from us. With more corners, shots, and two disallowed goals, stole is the only word to use.

Sam comments on the Rovers’ luck and even about Stephen Warnock here…click BBC Sport.

But Sam is resigned to him leaving with Villa still putting bids in…..click FoxSports.

And on top of All that….Injuries out the arse.

Cup tie against League One side Gillingham tomorrow. Really hope we don’t slip and bow it here; the lads really need the morale boost. Highlights from the Black Cats game after the jump.

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!

So what does this mean for our striker force?

It means we have a ton of strikers again. Paul Gallagher, Benni Mac, Jason Robers, Di Santo, Dioufy, and now Niko. I believe we’ll see a good healthy mix of Benni, Jason, Di Santo and Niko with Diouf probably playing on the right wing as a RM.

So what’s everyone’s take on this new boy? Yay or Nay? And how do we feel about the start of this season? Let me know! UP THE ROVERS!!

Excited for the league to start this weekend? Can’t wait to sit down and turn on your Rovers, after waking up early to make sure you catch them on TV? Well, you wont be turning on Fox Soccer Channel, at least not till after September.

Setanta isn’t showing us much love either, with only 2 matches being shown in August, and only one of those 2 is live. To quote the wise words of Mr. Rodney Dangerfield, “I get no respect!”

However, a new option has emerged. Just a few days ago, The Offside’s very own Daryl wrote a piece talking about ESPN showing 2 premier league matches a week on ESPN2. Read that blog here. That would be exciting stuff indeed, and would offer more chances to watch our Rovers.

In this edition of “Did I Miss Something?!” I play the fool as I clearly have missed the official signing of Nikola Kalinic. I had referenced it a few posts ago, but it wasn’t until I checked my fantasy team that I realized he had been officially signed. (Click the picture for full size)

Now that’s all well and good. Celebrate a new striker right? Yeah, hold the champagne, because he hasn’t been given a squad number. Curious.

Last but not least at all, Rovers are facing a small injury scare. Big Sam was quoted as saying “Unfortunately I think from our point of view that the game was over when Gally, Ryan and Chris got injuries, and they are looking pretty serious as well for next week.” AKA all three are doubtful. Awesome…not. Basically no midfield, a weakened defense, and a strike force that can’t score goals? I went from kinda hopefully optimistic to straight up afraid of this game against Citeh this weekend.

I won’t be talking about the friendlies for two reasons.
1. They’re friendlies.
2. We lost or tied them.

So, coming up this week you can look forward to a preview and some big hype leading up to the kickoff of the 09-10 season. As always, 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!

21 year old Croatian International Nikola Kalinic is the leading contender to be signed at Ewood Park now. Reports coming from The Mirror and the Lancashire Telegraph have both confirmed the striker talking to Rovers today, with Rovers looking to steal the deal from Portsmouth, who couldn’t come up with the transfer money Hajduk Split wanted in the first installment. So what’s the CV of this Kalinic guy?

First off, the guy’s tall. Like 6 ft 11⁄2 in tall. Nice to have up front. Internationally he played U 17, U19, U21 and now has made two appearances in the Senior Squad for Croatia. Between 2005 and 2009, Kalinic scored 32 times in 58 appearances for Split in the Croatian top flight, the Prva HNL. So he’s young, tall, and knows how to score. Sounds exactly like the profile for a striker the Rovers need right now. Having said that, before today I have never heard of him. So has anyone else? What’s your thoughts on this sudden development? Let me know! UP THE ROVERS!!!

We’ve looked at a ton of strikers and have graced the football hot sheets’ back pages many times this summer. Lets take a look at some of the strikers we’ve been linked to this summer shall we…..
We were in for Ruud, but that quickly fell through. Then we were out of the race for Crouch before the race even started. Then it was crafty old vet Vieri’s turn for a chance to shine at Ewood. But he pulled a no show and is now playing poker. Some one wanted a move for Bent, so of course we were linked to him straight away, for a hefty £13million sum no less. Glad we missed that one. Then we inquired about Benjani, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to lure Niko Zigic from Valencia.

More recently, the signing of Algerian international Kamel Ghilas fell through before it became serious as the striker from Celta Vigo failed his medical.

Now we play a waiting game. After writing on a report in the Mirror, Rovers are still waiting on the arrival of Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo on season long loan. Even Benni Mac, who is working on his fitness all summer, would love to see the strike force bolstered, even if it means a cut in his own playing time.

So everyone from Big Sam right down to myself is eager to see who we can bring in to increase our goal count for next season. With a little more than 2 weeks till kickoff, who can we hope to see walking out onto the pitch in the famous Blue and White Halves? I might not know exactly who right now, but I have faith that it will be someone who can do a job for us up front, and move us back up the table where we belong.

Alright, I know I’ve been absent for a couple of days and there has been a lot of stuff going on. I made the trip to Baltimore Friday night to see the Chelski v AC Milan game and have been readjusting my sleep and time schedule all weekend while traveling up and down the East Coast. So, here’s some links to some stories I’ll be talking about this week, as alot is going on in the world of BRFC.

In Squad news: Keith Andrews has signed a new 4 year deal, while winger Keith Treacy has been loaned out to Sheffield United till the end of the year.

Also, a nice article on Brett Emerton and his desire for a healthy return from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Jason Roberts has hailed new arrival N’zonzi as “one to watch,” while Warnock has announced that Rovers need “a flying start” to the new Premier League campaign.

In transfer news, Zigic has said he is happy to stay with Valencia, while in today’s People, Alan Nixon has reported that Big Sam is in Russia scouting and pricing Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Finally for today, you can read the report on the 1-1 draw against Leeds yesterday where Gally equalized from the penalty spot after a poor first half from Rovers.

All these stories and more in detail to come this week, including and new transfer news. As always UP THE ROVERS!