A fan's-eye view from Ewood Park, with Phil Lloyd

'HE'S A good little player, but you'll never get a full season out of him. Too injury-prone.'

That was the verdict of a friend of mine (and Coventry supporter, but we all have our crosses to bear), when Kevin Gallacher signed for Rovers from the Sky Blues.

I guess, overall, that he was right. And, for what it's worth, I happen to think the club was right too, in pocketing Newcastle's money (that's another 5 per cent on top of the Shearer fee) and declining to offer Gally another contract.

The reason that many Rovers fans may disagree is a simple one: Gally was always a trier.

Sure, it didn't always come off for him and he could look lightweight, even innocuous at times.

But when it did, he was a sniper, a poacher, a 'snapper-up of unconsider'd trifles' - an ideal foil for a big, strong number nine.

In short (an apt word for the man), Gally always had and never lost the respect of the Ewood faithful.

Interesting word, 'respect'. After Saturday's bore draw at Loftus Road, Brian Kidd seemed to think that we need to carry on showing respect to our Division One opponents.

On the evidence of the past week, I suggest (respectfully, of course) that our manager needs to get out in the real world a bit more. Peter Reid's Sunderland haven't reached their lofty perch in the Premiership by showing respect - quite the reverse in fact.

And we all saw at the weekend how poor, managerless, Frandsenless Bolton set about Swindon. Not by 'respecting' them and suffering a two-goal half-time deficit as Rovers had done five days earlier, but by disrespectfully battering them into submission with four goals in the first 45 minutes.

Despite our much-vaunted strike force, only Grimsby, Stockport and West Brom of the teams above us have scored fewer goals.

We are in the bottom half of the table, and haven't yet played any of the best teams (with 'respect' to Huddersfield).

Are you getting the drift of my argument, Mr Kidd? Let's stop giving respect in this League and start earning some.

Now!

'Nuff respect!

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