Short deal set to go through

Ewood chief executive John Williams confirmed today what manager Brian Kidd had said after Saturday's final pre-season friendly with Liverpool.

"There are certain medical records we have not yet received from Everton," he said.

"Once we have those we would expect the transfer to be completed."

Williams stressed that there had not been any problems with the medicals that Short has already taken.

The player does have a slight calf strain which might make him doubtful for Saturday's opening League clash with Port Vale but that did not affect him passing his medical.

Known for the stringency of their medical tests, however, Rovers cannot wrap up the deal until they have seen the paperwork covering his previous history.

While that move looks set to go through, there has not yet been any movement on Rovers' bid to sign striker Robbie Blake from Bradford City.

Valley Parade chairman Geoffrey Richmond said that, as far as he was concerned, the Ewood bid - believed to be a package totalling around £2.5 million - had been rejected because it did not meet their valuation of the player.

Rovers are unlikely to increase that offer for a player unproven at the highest level so it is stalemate for the moment.

But Bradford may have to compromise eventually and drop their original demands for a fee of between £4-5 million.

They have an unsettled player on their hands, Blake has refused to sign a new contract and they will be reluctant to allow his present terms to run out at the end of the season.

The player has also fallen foul of the fans, who booed him during Bradford's friendly defeat by Barnsley on Saturday for wanting to leave.

Rovers got away with a draw against a very strong Liverpool side at Ewood, staging a spirited fightback after going 2-0 down.

But their problems, with so many key players absent, are obvious and they looked a poor side in the first half before the revival.

Kidd, concerned that too many people think Rovers are going to walk away with promotion, warned against complacency and stressed that it was a matter of overhauling the club from top to bottom after the disastrous plunge from the dizzy heights of being champions.

"It's time a lot of people wised up on what has been going on here in the past. It's a rebuilding job and it's going to be a long, hard job," he said.

"We are just covering cracks at the moment. We have eight senior players out, the spine of the team. It's been unbelievable.

"But I know how we have to build and develop the squad.

"Everybody seems to think it (promotion) is going to be a foregone conclusion because we have just come down. But I knew when I took the job what it would take.

"The three teams who went down the previous season didn't come back up. It isn't a foregone conclusion.

"I'm not kidding myself, I'm a realist. We have to work hard, that's the only way we can try to get back into contention.

"When I was at United, AC Milan beat us in the semi-final of the European Cup in 69. Five years later we were in the Second Division. These things can happen.

"I've been there and we have to earn the right (to get promotion). I don't take anything for granted."

Meanwhile Kidd confirmed that Jeff Kenna would not be fit to start the new season on Saturday, even though he had an hour against Liverpool.

Kenna, who has recovered from Achilles surgery, can't be too far away but the manager said: "Players have to be right, they have to do their remedial work, their conditioning work and then their football work with us.

"That's the way I want them, not coming back and breaking down. We want them fit and lasting the 10 months of the season, not 10 days."

Several clubs are showing interest in Rovers keeper Alan Fettis, who finds himself third in line again after Alan Kelly's signing.

Bristol City are believed to be one of them but, so far, have not made a bid.

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