AROUND six months ago, a well-known journalist, writing in a daily tabloid newspaper, described Blackburn Rovers as "a rich man's folly."

At the time, I dismissed his comments as another piece of propaganda from a "big city club" journalist, but now those words are coming back to haunt everyone who holds Blackburn Rovers dear to their hearts.

We are heading in one direction and that is Division Two (Division Three, to us more mature fans).

Forget talk of promotion or a revival.

We have a poor side that is relegation fodder.

The team is lacking in spirit, ideas, tactics and enthusiasm, not to mention skill and talent.

Brian Clough, recently said the most important employee in a football club is the manager. How right he is.

You can have all the infrastructure in the world - good stadium, good training facilities, good chairman, good directors, good owner and good tea lady even. But if your manager is not up to the job, as nice a guy as he may be, you will fail miserably.

Look no further than Leicester City for proof - poor stadium, no money, directors and chairman at each other's throats.

But the team is sixth in the Premiership, has international players worth millions bought for buttons, will give anyone a game and are one of the last teams you want to draw in the Cup.

The day their manager, Martin O'Neill, leaves Leicester is the day they will fall into decline.

Remember Kenny Dalglish?

Some people are meant to manage and be leaders, others are meant to be foot soldiers, valuable to any club but not meant for the top job.

We who hold Blackburn Rovers dear have a "foot soldier" for manager, not a general.

Martin O'Neill is a general.

C WHITESIDE (Mr), Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.