On hindsight, it would probably been to Rovers advantage if Saturday's game against the Hammers had have fallen victim to the nuclear Winter we are all experiencing. Apart from surprise, my first reaction when I heard the pitch had been passed fit was that it was an excellent opportunity for the owners to show the football world that their decision to relieve Allardyce from his duties was vindicated. The sole surviving 3PM Premier League fixture would be shown round the globe giving Rovers further publicity (if they needed any).

Instead the two teams provided the hardy souls who attended with as much excitement as eating a cold turkey sandwich on Boxing Day. Indeed, if any of our feathered friends had been put through the torture of watching the first half, they would probably have decided Christmas Lunch was a better option to end the agony! Rovers were very poor. I commend Steve Kean for trying to stamp his authority on the game and being more adventurous but the 90 minutes magnified the problem that we don't have the personnel to be able to play a different brand of football to the one we have been accustomed to.

The irony is that we would have defeated West Ham under Allardyce. It would not have been pretty and there would have been moans and groans from the stands but Rovers would have grinded the Hammers down into submission. The londoners were hesitant at the back and needed the ariel bombardment to break them down. Instead, Rovers were fortunate to escape with a point after a West Ham revivial in the latter stages of the game.

The owners have apparently reiterated that there will only be £5 million to spend in the January window and Steve Kean believes that with an injury free squad and with some new editions, the club can climb to fifth position. Steve Kean bares an uncanny resemblence to Ricky Gervais's bumbling fool of a friend, Karl Pilkington. I am certainly not suggesting that the comparison goes further than a purely physical one but surely the suggestion of a Europa League spot is fanciful without substantial investment.

Club Captain Ryan Nelsen yesterday added to the aire uncertainty when he publicly questioned the intentions of the owners. The Kiwi is a highly respected and intelligent figure and would not make comments without first assessing the impact that his views would have.

Christmas is said to be a time for forgiving and forgetting. I think all Rovers fans need time off for a few days to forget about a week in which the club has gone from being viewed as a pillar of respectability and common sense to that of the back end of pantomine horse.

A merry Christmas to you all.