I'm not getting involved in any argument involving 6. This seems a long standing matter and I don't think anyone is going to change anyone else's views! Pezzoni looks like the first player in a while that I've seen from the youth system that actually looks like a grown bloke who could handle the Prem. That said I've seen milk turn quicker! Why did he leave?

His temper's still evident under the radar IMO. Do you see the look on his face when Redknapp disagreed with him that Shevchenko was the strangest substitution of the night? Redknapp said that the Torres substitution was the strangest substitution and then the interview moved on. Souness was clearly displeased and when they next asked him something he went straight back to the substitution issue, even though they'd moved on to a different issue!

Chiles and Dixon are interesting and are pretty fair. Peacock is very anti Rovers...

Capello is just letting Beckham have his day when it doesn't matter. Let him start and have his ovation as he's subbed after 60 minutes. The Beckham circus will then have officially left town. England can get on with winning games rather than hype. I think Capello knows where the future lies. I hope so, anyway!

Not been impressed with Le Petit Blanc, or whatever it styles itself as at the moment. Similarly, Lounge 10 is pretentious and poor value, IMO. Been to Piccolino's once and it was alright. Choice gets a bit of a slating, but has always seemed pretty good to me. I think that there's lots of good places to eat in Manchester. Maybe I'm a glass half full kinda chap?

I'm pleased you liked it PKS. I thought my recommendation had been missed! I went again tonight. It's always top notch. Service is great, as well as the food! It's the wife's fave in Manchester and we eat out A LOT!

I've been saying for months that MGP has been playing deeper than he used to and not making the ame runs to the back post. From the off on Sunday MGP (and Bentley) both played further forward. As result Bolton had to worry about MGP rather than the other way around. If MGP keeps making those far post runs and pushing forward in the same manner he'll get back to making the impact he did a while ago.

Why does it always boil down to the immigrants?

Chaophraya is superb if you like Thai food. It's not far from the Arndale in Manchester.

Spot on.

Born to be a defender with that name. Same is Nicky Marker.

LOL! You're a clearly a very shrewd chap, Speeeeeds.

You might be right Tyrone. MGP was unimpressive last season, but he turned it around (I seem to recall) after having a barny with Dickov against City and then playing with a bit of fire in his belly

I think 'embarrassment' fits the bill quite neatly, though...;-)

Bad news for NZ then against the mighty Vanuatu...

Yep, MGP is often in there from what I've heard. Sven has also been known to frequent it. I think Rooney had a birthday meal there, too. It is very popular. I've not been in yet, but I plan to. It's supposed to be excellent, although the waiters do try to ply you with drinks and then charge you for the extra bottles that you've got through, allegedly!

Nah, he played Pedersen at left back... I think Big Sam wanted rid of Owen before the start of the season. Why else would he go the press shouting about Owen's releases clauses and how he didn't want him to leave but if the clause was activated what could he do? That was a clear 'come and get him' to the rest of the footballing world. I can see him going after Anelka and maybe even Kevin Davies again, TBH. Probably when Bolton go down for Davies, though. With the Big Sam 'way of playing' you can get in journeymen footballers and plug them into the system and it'll work. At the moment it's still not really his squad and the players listed don't fit his system (Owen certainly doesn't) If he fancies emptying any of them out on the cheap I'd take a few of them like a shot. Hughesy would turn them into stars...

This might be a bit of a reach, but might Benni have cut a deal with the SA coach to not go to the African nations as it might harm his chances of leaving in January?

It isn't that strange really as neither comment is actually saying anything! They're both 'maybe' this and 'possibly' that.

'Cos you went home?

So has anyone got any further thoughts on formations and things? I'm Accy Syanley in the Chamionship. I got promoted twice using 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-3, but the bottom seems to have fallen out of that formation. Had to go back to 4-1-3-2 to try to scrape out results...

Thanks, Whittle Blue! That was bloody brilliant!

You're right, of course. It's like it's reasonable for a wrong decision to be made. As for paying to see goals...I pay to see a game of football. A game of football includes lots of elements that i want to see. Good tackles, good saves, good goals, good dribbles - all part of the rich footballing stew. In the alternative, if 'fans' prefer to see goals why shouldn't 'fans' also expect to see good goals. Let's scrap offsides (as they are clearly problematic - even after decades of them being reasonably OK...) and you can only score from outside the box.

No, it won't Benni's usually so far offside that there's never any doubt as to whether he is or isn't! If they've brought in a rule that 'dodgy goals' count it'll just mean that the big boys (mainly Man United) score 20 more goals this season that would otherwise be allowed. We'll find that the rule hasn't changed at all for us. It possible that they've only said this so that the awful 'John Terry blocking the keepers vision' incident is somehow justified. They did something similar when RVN was wandering offside all over the shop for Man U and still getting goals allowed, if you recall. Allardyce and Strachan started having players offside 'not affecting play' outside of the keepers vision and things of that ilk, which I thought was genius. It made a mockery of a stupid 'rule' (interpretation?) that had just been brought it to cover up refereeing inadequacies.

He used to be a kind of three toed sloth, apparently. Good for getting curve of long range shots. I'm not sure what he is now. Some sort of mastodon?