Football is a team game, but it’s amazing how much of an effect one individual can have on his ten team-mates. Witness Jimmy Bullard’s match-winning performance for Fulham against Aston Villa at Craven Cottage yesterday afternoon. His return from a long-term injury has lifted everyone at the club; it’s no coincidence that Fulham struggled in Bullard’s absence.

As nominated by Pies stalwart Cole – mate, the resemblence is striking; Cheetara could be Robbie’s twin sister. Any more Thundercats who look like footballers? If there’s a Snarf double out there, I’d love to know who it is.

Derby County have agreed a fee with Blackburn Rovers for Robbie Savage. The Welshman, no longer assured of first-team football at Ewood, is a good signing for Derby, but he won’t save them from the drop. He is due to have talks with Derby to agree personal terms later today.

He has been dubbed football’s answer to Billy Elliott and a Napoleon Dynamite lookalike. Blackburn’s mystery male cheerleader is known only as ‘Andrew’. He has developed a cult internet following after his appearance on Match of the Day at the weekend. Here he is dancing his socks off during Rovers’ match against Aston Villa.

No.1 Fine performances from Gareth Barry, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Scott Carson are a plus point for Villa – but that can be a double-edged sword for any Prem side not in the Big Four. Man Utd and co. will be looking more closely at Villa’s star performers (maybe not Arsenal, who don’t generally [...]

Blackburn Rovers 0-4 Aston Villa (Carew 29, Barry 53pen, Young 81, Harewood 89) These days, Blackburn just don’t ship four goals at home. They’re so tough to beat under Mark Hughes and yet Villa hammered them; Blackburn’s cause wasn’t helped when skipper Ryan Nelson was sent off, rather unfairly, for tugging Gabriel Agbonlahor’s shirt, but [...]

There’s only one David Betnley – you can be sure of that. Blackburn Rovers’ kit man caused a bit of a chuckle yesterday when he got his ‘n’ and his ‘t’ mixed up in David Bentley’s name. The Rovers winger played with the incorrect spelling on the back of his shirt. The only time I [...]

HEROES Rob Green Saved a last-gasp penalty (pictured) to snatch a point for West Ham at Pompey. Surely Green now has to be taken seriously for England’s No.1 shirt instead of Paul Robinson? Cesc Fabregas Showed off the full extent of his freakish maturity and talent with a wonderfully authoritative performance at Anfield. Stevie G [...]

Today’s most interesting/ridiculous/made-up in the pub football stories: Spurs have lined up Blackburn boss Mark Hughes to replace Martin Jol, if the struggling North Londoners fail to win at home against Rovers on Sunday. Will it happen? Not a chance. There’s no way Rovers will let Sparky go to Spurs – and I’m confident Hughes [...]

With Chelsea struggling to keep their stars happy while they supposedly attempt to change their style of play with an unproven manager, there’s a chance that another club could make it into the Big Four.

A pilot who let scaredycat Robbie Savage on to the flight deck has been sacked for breaking anti-terrorism rules. Ex-RAF pilot Pablo Mason, who sports a tremendous handlebar moustache, was shown the door by Mytravel after letting Savage near the controls in an attempy to ease his fear of flying. Savage had been travelling with [...]

Aston Villa 1-0 West Ham
Craig Gardner won the match for Villa, but Dean Ashton is now a doubt for England after picking up a knee injury.

Birmingham 0-1 Manchester United
Crissy Ronaldo (© Pies) pounced early in the second-half to give United victory and keep up with Arsenal.

Arsenal 5-0 Derby
Emmanuel Adebayor scored a hat-trick and Cesc Fabregas stole the show as the Gunners hit top gear.

Against Blackburn at the weekend, Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou had a perfectly fair goal disallowed by a linesman (Peter Kirkup) who didn’t seem to realise you can’t be offside if you are behind the ball.

There was a lot to frighten a football fan at Stamford Bridge this weekend. Flying boots leaving players hospitalised? Check! Ranting Portugueser? Check! Shocking linesman? Check! Shevchenko playing like a Rushden & Diamonds part timer? Check check check!
All frightening, but what the hell spooked Robbie Savage here? Let us know what you think, and we’ll post some kind of answer just as soon as Mr Savage’s agent picks up his phone…

Goals by David Bentley (pictured) and Jason Roberts helped Blackburn overcome a resilient MyPa to reach the first round of the Uefa Cup. MyPa keeper Janne Korhonen played a blinder, otherwise Rovers might have won by four or five.
‘We have got the job done and I am delighted we have progressed,’ said Rovers manager Mark Hughes. ‘That was the aim but fair play to MyPa they worked extremely hard and kept going until the end.’

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
Cesc Fabregas finally found a breakthrough, despite an excellent performance from Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The young Dane made a string of saves, including Robin van Persie’s 65th minute penalty.

David Bentley is paying the price for refusing to play in the U-21 European Championships by being omitted from Steve McLaren’s England squad to face Germany next week.

What the flip? Just when you think you have seen it all, you find a video of Blackburn Rovers duo David Bentley and David Dunn enjoying a camp-as-you-like nightclub dance-off. The footage comes from Squires Nightclub in Preston – classy looking establishment – and shows the two Davids getting down and dirty as Benni McCarthy watches on.

The big kick-off is nigh and we don’t have a thing to wear. Well, we do now. This is part one of a bumper Kit Parade Special from Pies.
Arsenal
This looks a little familiar… wait a cotton picking minute! Yes, Arsenal have retained last season’s home kit for a further season. It makes my job a bit harder because you have all seen it before, but I’d be delighted if I was a Gooner. Comiserations to the parents of young Arsenal fans who will have to think a bit harder about birthday presents this year! Click here to buy it from Kitbag.

Looking forward to the new season? Who isn’t?! Well, in the name of looking forward let’s carry on from where we left off (a look at Aston Villa’s season,) and look to the North with Blackburn Rovers. Dreams of an FA Cup final against Burnley…

Despite fielding a pretty strong side, Blackburn went down to Huddersfield in their pre-seaon friendly which saw Morten Gamst Pedersen missing an open goal (spectacularly) from a matter of yards out. Huddersfield 2-1 BlackburnUploaded by super-goal

We all know which footballers can rap, but Blackburn’s new signing Roque Santa Cruz is capable of rocking out with the best of them. The Paraguayan striker scored a top 40 hit in Germany and Austria with his collaboration with German band Sportfreunde Stiller. Here is the video for the song, entitled Ich Roque.

Mark Hughes wanted to sign Roque Santa Cruz and now he has his man, signed for a relatively modest £3.5m from Bayern Munich – it’s a good move for the popular Paraguayan striker, who would probably have spent much of this season at Bayern sat on his ass, watching the likes of Luca Toni, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose score goals in the Bundesliga.