OK, I have to be jealous when I look at your fixture list and read your worries, but I'll try not to let any such feelings creep into my write-ups. October looks exciting to me, given that you should be in double figures by the end of September - at least 10 points from 9 games - and then you have the home game vs. Burnley in the midst of the big guns & Gunners. Burnley's first home game is Man U after visiting Stoke, so you should be able to stay above them all season...

Whereas the Rams no longer have a site here, and start with promoted Posh at home - Clough vs. Ferguson - Rotherham in the Carling Cup then Scunthorpe away, with the joys of Newcastle, Middlesbrough & West Brom to come. We plan to get closer to you this season, no more than that, perhaps the highest achievement hope would be top 6 failing in the play-offs.

We've already pushed out £300,000 for Dean Moxey from Exeter, who has to be compared with your South Africa international midfielder Elrio van Heerden on a free transfer from Belgian side Club Brugge. Sam says he's relaxed about your wage bill, he's hoping to tie up a permanent deal for £3.5million-rated full-back Gael Givet and "looking to build a squad here, rather than dismantle one. So no-one will be leaving this summer unless I feel it is in the best interests of this football club." Seems to me - I'm trying to keep the jealousy under control - seems to me he's making slightly different noises from Chairman John Williams: "We budgeted for a wage rise this year but that wasn't enough when you change manager and buy players in January. Sam understands the financial position and a lot depends on whether Roque (Santa Cruz) goes. We have already spent a substantial amount of money going forward by converting the option we negotiated with Gael Givet."

Nigel Clough: "Peterborough are a fantastic side who have been together for some time and are used to winning football matches... likewise our second game, away to Scunthorpe... both these teams will have their tails up..." I guess he's working on the principle of lowering, then exceeding, our expectations. What's different is that the Chairman's making the same noises. Adam Pearson: "I think if you asked any team in the division they would have wanted to avoid the newly promoted clubs early on. They are always packed with enthusiasm and carry a momentum with them that comes from winning games. Darren Ferguson & Barry Fry have done an outstanding job at London Road and I'm certain they will present a challenge for teams not just on opening day but all season." He goes on about them being as strong as Doncaster, who gave us our first shock last season, and Swansea.. "best footballing sides in the division last season". Hardly Man. City, but there you go, he then emphasises his support for Son of Clough to "take us forward in what is undoubtedly the most competitive Championship I have seen." H'mmm, a bit over-egged, fall comes before a Pride is the way they're trying to present it. We're a long way from the joy of beating Newcastle at home in the Premier with a Kenny Miller goal on 37 minutes on September 17th 2007 to go 19th. Hell, we were 7th after the opening game, a home draw vs. Pompey, and then lost only 1-0 at Man City. Look forward to more compare and contrast opportunities. We need 17 points from our first 10 games by the end of September to make a fist of it, Last season we had 10 points from the first 9 games, the very total I'm predicting for Blackburn this season. Discuss.

Any fan wants to do the Blackburn blog, even on a guest basis, I can arrange it. Any comments you make, I have to read first, and extract anything obscene, so yes, you can get at me that way. For me, it's good to hang on to your coat-tails while we try to edge closer, and I campaigned for Newcastle to come down to us last season. For next season - 2011-2012 - I would like Burnley back, along with Hull & Stoke, but as we all know, prediction's impossible, especially about the future. Have a great summer first, get some free vitamin D in the sun ready for the swine flu season. Cheers Rod