Wow, Jay-Jay and Diouf are Bolton's best players! Faye is quite important to them too. On that basis, along with home advatage, we should be able to beat them. On the other hand Noblot will be fresher and Sparky will have one eye on the Worthington Cup... Could see a bit of an odd side- Maybe starts for Peter, Reid, Kuq, Axe and Thompson to give some key players a rest in advance of the trip to Old Trafford. 2-1 Rovers.

Things have been nothing short of incredible in the last couple of weeks. Win after win after win! This is the big tester. Personally I think we will probably go out over the two legs but very narrowly. If we are to cause an upset i can see it entirely coming down to the four players who can hurt United: Bellamy, Tugay, Pedersen and Savage. Realistically Man Utds first team squad should be able to contain our other players easily but those above have the ability to do something special or, in Savs case, inspire the side. If all four have a stormer over the two legs we could get to Cardiff. The likely team (if all are fit): The only real possibility for something different I suppose is that Reid could come in for Tugay for a more driving and defensively solid midfield. However I would personally, and I think MH will too, stick the Turk in as United will give him the space he needs to prosper. First Leg: 1-1

I would imagine the opportunity to manage players of the quality of Owen, Shearer, Parker, Emre, Luque, Solano and Dyer would be more than a small drawing factor. Plus if he manages to make them perform he has a team that can realistically expect to qualify for the CL regularly.

Not sure I agree with that. Niell was one of the best right backs in the league in 2002/2003 so you could say he has just refound his form. And I would say that Bleeamy is a very skillful player, as is Tugay. One more would be nice though. Hughes will turn out to be a much more successful manager than Souness. Not quite Ferguson or Wenger or Clough perhaps but definately seems to have resolve, a refined approach and an open mind.

Thats pretty much the team I would go for. The only difference for me would be a recall for Gallagher and give him a run out up top. With Jansen gone I would expect the lad from shad to be winging his way back.

Welwyn Garden CIty? Lovely place that, my mum and dad live aboiut five minutes from there. Well I say lovely, but to be fair it is more like a horrible chav infested hellhole rammed full of disgusting chain shops and cockneys that fancied a change from Essex. The fountains nice though, when they turn it on.

He does seem to be extrodinarily patchy the big man. When I have seen him, which admittedly is rarely, there seems to be a very simple rule. If you deliver the ball at shoulder height or above there doesn't really seem to be anyone better in the business. His wins the ball consistently and put flickons in dangerous areas with an awareness of where his partner is. Below that altitude and he is completley stimied. If only we could have someone with his heading ability, strength and work ethic plus a bit of technique and guile. That would be awesome. And, unfortunately, is unlikely to happen.

I will certainly pity him as he brought the majority of the problems at Newcastle (and other clubs) upon himself. A man who does not admit his mistakes and learn from them. That is utterly pitiful.

It would be interesting if us (or any other 'small' club) get into the champions league. Everton's example shows you cannot spend big on the idea that you will qualify for the group stages, and if you do wait until you have qualified many of the best players are inelidgable to play in the CL. We would have to treat it as very much a second priority behind the Prem just out of sensibleness. Our players we need to be rotated so we would see a weekend team in Europe. Sad, isn't it? But such is the awesomeness of the financial inequality that is tearing the game apart.

Legend!

My rovers world account is playing up so if any body can supply a link I would be very pleased!

We have the neccesary fan base when we are performing exceedingly well. Unfortunately in football it is impossible to perform fantastically well all the time. We will have lean periods and the fans will walk away as they are now. Indeed we are playing decent footie at the moment, being entertaining and have (i think) the cheapest season tickets in the league. We absolutely must maximise what we have and try to build on it, but we are swimming against a heavy current. There is an inevitability about relegation in the long term just in a purely economic sense. The same goes for Fulham and Wigan. The main reason all three of us are up in the upper reaches is financial support from businessmen.

The consensus was that we needed around twelve points from these games. So really we have to be hoping to win the next two. That would be excellent! Things progressing nicely!

First rate performance! Hopeflly we can continue the good work against the Mackems and then give Wigan, who are in sensational form, a game. Kuiq and Bellamy could be quite a combination!

The guys on rovers world said that while Pedersen was carrying a knock his absence is more of a case of Hughes wishinng to rest MGP, rather than the injury making it impossible for him to play.

I would say there is absolutely no indication that Hughes is looking to sell Pedersen, or indeed any club is really looking to buy him. Pedersen has been below par since the Man U game so Sparky is giving him a rest and showing him that his place is not assured in the side.

Kuqi is becoming a legend! If Bellamy is fit enough it will be interesting to see what he can do on the break as Borough come forward.

Good to see Peter and Bellamy on the bench. No Jansen, has to be the end of the road for him. Come on Thommo, make an impression! I will stick with my 2-2 prediction.

Unless Bellamy is fit to start, which I doubt, I reckon there are two possible combinations for midfield: Emerton Tugay Savage Thompson or, Peter Tugay Savage Emerton/Thompson Either way it looks like Peter is going to get a shot either starting or as a sub. Lets hope he grabs the chance. Of course I might be totally wrong.... Our paucity of strikers means that Bentley will certainly start with Kuqi up front. If Bellamy doesn't even make the bench then pehaps Johnson will get to warm it. Edit- Just remebered that we have Reid as well. So Peter could actually quite easily not feature. Well, I would still like to see him given a shot.

I am with the Drog on this one. We simply do not have the attendance base to last in the top division over the next decade. On the other hand I cannot see a merger happenin because the supporters will not stand for it. Plus I am not sure it has ever been done before within the league so there would be no exisiting framework for it to happen. Eventually we will drop out of the top league only to enjoy periods in the premiership when we are blessed with a particulalry good manager or a number of good young players coming through the ranks. I for one am not particularly horrified by that prospect, it is all part of supporting a relatively small club in terms of fans. Nonetheless the work of the club, BRISA and the like to get more fans through the turnstiles is absolutley laudable and long may it continue! Also with Hughes at the helm and the continued support of the Walker trust means we are not in a crisis and won't be in one for a while. But I don't think anyones should kid themselves that one day we will cease to be financially competitive with the likes of Charlton, Birmingham CIty (I know, I said it...), Everton, Villa etc.

No Neill or Dickov plus the uncertainty over Bellers puts us in a bit of posish. Maybe a 2-2 draw?

I think that would be something Stoke would find very satisfactory. Maybe let them have a look at Peter, Taylor, Nolan et al too. It would be good to get a consistent partner for loans in the lower divisions.

Emerton runs quickly but dribbles slowly. Why? Haven't got a scooby.

Well, if he continues scoring and we still look weak up front come January then we pretty much have to have him back. The leagues are worlds apart in terms of standard, but a scorer is a scorer. Bellamy and Gallagher could work, although a little lightweight, but then Bentley is hardly a beast himself.

Gallagher got MOM in 'The Oatcake' review of the Leicester game (finely written articles I have to say). Very encouraging! Comments here say that he is looking to come home back and that Rovers have been in touch telling him he has done well. Even more impressive are the fan commentshere "This guy was bloody superb again tonight IMHO. He ran his heart out for the team. He covered as much ground as Ade Akinbiyi did for us but the main differance being that just about everything Gallagher did was just pure quality . What a bloody shame we cant afford to keep him permo though" "How the hell does Paul Dickov get in ahead of him, Gallagher is a hell of a lot better!" "He's too good for this division." "Class player and definitely deserves a song or two" Maybe someone should drop them an e-mail about the agadoo chant..... A new year return?