HAVING read Jason Whalley's column, and also having had the misfortune of sitting through 90 dreary minutes of footballat Ewood last Saturday, I feel compelled, for only the third time in my life, in over 50 years of watching Rovers, to take up the invitation to respond to your comments.

I agree whole-heartedlywith your observations, both about the game, and about our perplexing manager's so-called tactics, for taking on a team (Kanu excepted) of honest grafters, still used to winning matches from their first division days - a team, which incidentally, could quite easily have gone away with three points had they taken advantage of Amoruso's horrendous short backpass early in the second half.

Last season was probably the most depressing time of recent years in my opinion, and Mr Souness should, I feel, have been replaced during the close season.

I think maybethat the reason this did nothappen was the cost thatthiswould have incurredon the club, havingto pay the manager up for the remainder of his contract.

His signings have been nothing short of disastrous, his handling of the younger players has left much to be desired, the latest example being the public comments regarding Paul Gallacher's potential attitude problem. He did the same with David Dunn, which failed completely to have the desired effect. Surely such matters should be kept within the confines of the club.

In short, I feel that the alarm bells have been sounding at Ewood Park for some time, and I am puzzled at the apparentdeafness of the long sufferig fans,or their reluctance either to believe their ears, or their eyes as to theseriousness of the situation.

Please dont think that this letter is a result of just one sub-standard performance against West Brom. My fears are based on the awful signings that Mr Souness has made since we regained our place in the Premership, the prohibitive amount of money that has been poured down the drain, and the players he has allowed to leave the club, who have generally been replaced by players inferior to the ones he has parted with.

KENNETH HOUGHTON (address supplied)

WELL done to Jason Whalley (LET, August 17) for at last saying what many of us have been suggesting for years.

The Rovers' manager's bizarre tactics relate more to hallucinations than to creative and positive thinking. As reporter Nick Smith said (LET, 16 August) the West Brom game mirrored everything that was wrong with the team last year and suggested only another relegation dogfight with dire consequences.

It's great to know that nothing has changed and we can all look forward to another season of unbridled stress and nervous anxiety.

PAUL YATES, Haslingden

THANK goodness someone else was amazed at Saturday's line-up (Whalley column) - people out of position, no width, and worst of all no real skill in that first half side.

In my opinion, the first few games of the season should be used to send a clear message to the rest of the teams that we are not just about survival and 40 points. So I say: Come on Graeme, light a fire under that team and aim for European football.

PETER SCHAFFEL, Rishton

WHAT a shame Jason Whalley is not the Rovers manager - and how refreshing it would be if Graeme Souness would give his response to the questions you have asked!

JODIE (via email)

I FEEL the need to write and jolt Burnley fans out of their nostalgic ways.

Tuesday's Testimonial for former Burnley manager Stan Ternent was, admittedly a night he will never forget.

But the man I felt sorry for was sitting just a few yards away in the home dug out.

What new manager Steve Cotterill must have thought as the supporters chanted "Stan Ternent's Claret and Blue Army" is anyone's guess.

All I know is that if I was Cotterill, I would rather have been anywhere in the world at that particular moment.

So now, let's finally put Ternent out to grass and concentrate on the real manager that matters.

Cotterill has impressed everyone since his appointment, both with his upbeat nature and the all-important results gained on the field.

The team is now looking a whole lot stronger than the one Ternent left us with and optimism abounds that we can still have a successful season, relatively speaking.

So well done Steve for putting on a brave face and taking a difficult evening on the chin.

Now it's up to those same Burnley fans who cheered Ternent on Tuesday to make even more noise on Saturday and show we're all right behind the revolution.

The King is dead. Long live the King!

KEITH TEMPEST, Accrington