His days have to be numbered. A vast amount of cash spent with very little gain so far. I want him to stay because otherwise they will be shooting up the table (Luque, Shearer, Owen, Emre, Parker, Dyer, Solano, Faye, Boumsong. That is quality) taking up space we want. There has to be a connection between Souness and hamstring injuries- it's f-ing unnatural.

I would take a home tie against anyone but Arsenal. Bolton, Borough, Arsenal, Man Yoo and Wigan away would all be tough. If we can get that then I would say we would be third favourites behind Man Utd and Arsenal as it is home and away in the semi. Hoping the big two go far in Europe as it will make them rest players.

After tonights sublime performance the formation has to be: 2-1 Rovers. (MGP, Bellamy) The big question is whether Hughes will drop Savage. He is Sparky's talisman but how can he stay in after that comeback? Are we going to see the Thompson of two years ago? I am baiting my breath! Such a goal threat when he is on form and just a better attacking player than Emerton all round. Deserves the start even if the Aussie wasn't bad as such. Todd was solid and Zurab actually sounded like he didn't have that good a game tonight, but why delay the inevitable? Give Zurab the spot in the middle and Nelsen the armband. Looking forward to people who actually went to the game slating this! Very happy!

Well, I just wish I was at that game, you lucky @#/?s! Amazing stuff. From the commentary sound like special mentions are needed for Kuiqi, Thompson, Reid, Bellamy and Bentley. This could actually mark a distinct shift in our side. Savage and Emerton dropped I would imagine. I will be amazed if Kuwi doesnt start on Saturday and it sounds like Bentley has a chance to force his way into the side from the bench.

BENTLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a beautiful performance. I wish we played Charlton ever week. Kuqi has apparently been the difference! The guy just tries and tries!

THOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Goal of the Seasoin contender!! I always had faith in the abster

At least newcastle are losing against wigan And KUQI SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thompson on for Savage. Might leave us a bit lightweight in central midfield but the blond has had a bad game

2-0 to Charlton. H'apparently Savage responsible along with Zurab Feeling a bit glum.

1-0 Charlton half time. Bentley sounds like he has been decent, as does Kishi. Savage and Gray both seem to have had a poor first half. Time for the fabled Sparky team talk!

Full side Friedel, Khizanishvili, Todd ©, Nelsen, Gray, Emerton, Reid, Savage, Pedersen, Bentley, Bellamy. Subs: Enckelman, Kuqi, Mokoena, Thompson, Matteo. Very interested to see what Bentley can do. Make or break for him? If he can add a bit of guile that would be smashing. Not holding my breath though.... Charlton Kiely, Young ©, Hreidarsson, Kishishev, Bent, Murphy, El Karkouri, Ambrose, Johansson, Powell, Smertin. Subs: Myhre, Thomas, Hughes, Spector, Bothroyd. Strong side with Murphy and Smertin in the centre. Suprised to see Thomas on the bench, I thought he was one of their best performers although to be fair I havn't caught too many of their games.

One of the best previews we've had! I feel this has got a draw written all over it but we need a win to set the tone for some 'easier' fixtures over the next couple of months. Also our form at home has been decent which is good. I will leave me prediction 'til closer to the game.

We have three (maybe four) players in that category. Nelsen, Pedersen, Bellamy and, with his current vein of form, Niell all will attract interest from the big clubs. It is just a fact of life, we need to get on with it and, in Hughes, we have a manager they all like playing for. If our hand is forced into letting them go we should make healthy profits plus we have the comfort of Sparky's record in the transfer market. Also out of those only Bellamy is utterly irreplaceable (the most talented striker we have had since Shearer? Causes far more problems for the oppositon than Cole or Jansen in their best periods imho), Nelsen is a fantastic defender and all round professional but we would not be completely at sea if Hughes could unearth another player of Zurab's quality to come in. We should do absolutely everything to hold on to him though. The one person we cannot afford to lose is Hughes himself. Everything at the club is becoming increasingly built around him.

I cant see why anyone would want Keane. Disruptive, a minimum of 50k a week (90k if he gets his way) and, I can guarantee you, he will only play half your games. And he is not even that good anymore and will get worse (and more injury prone) as the years pass by.

This should be an excellent game. Both Rovers and Charlton will fancy their chances not just in this game but also getting all the way to the final. We have to, and I am sure Huges will, put out our best side. My reckoning of the lineup: Having Toogs available (even if Charlton couldn't possibly give him as much room as last time) would be a real boost but I am guessing Hughes won't take any chances. I am also assuming Niell won't be fit. Thompson for Emerton might be a bit harsh, especially as the Aussie was so good against them last time, but Thommo really did look bright (if a little podgy) against arsenal. A real goal threat too if he is on form. Just less of those wayward cross field passes and corners please! I would expect Jansen to come on after the hour mark sometime. The only other very slight possibility of a change in lineup would be Gresko, if he has impressed in training, maybe getting a sniff. Can't really see it happening though. 2-1 Rovers AET Savage, Thompson ps. Can anybody see how Bently is going to get into the team? If Hughes was feeling outrageous then I suppose he could come in for Reid as Tugay replacement, but he seems a bit too soft to play in the middle of a 442, especially for Sparky's liking. What are the chances of him being packed off back to Arsenal in the January window?

I think you are going to be a disappointed man. Thats championsleague form!

If you read through the messageboard on the oatcake you will find frequent comments along the lines of "he isnt interested", "He goes missing" etc. And I think it is a fair thing to say that he never really looked like he was giving a hundred percent when he played for us- the games away at Burnley was particularly illustrative in this regard, he looked utterly disinterested. I really want him to do well, i think he would make not only a good player but also a highly entertaining one to watch, but he does appear to have a bit of an attitude problem. I am open to be corrected on this but some of his performances have been woeful for us (just as the Drog, he will wax lyrical about it) not as the result of any lack of talent.

Same old story- plenty of ability but lack of physical strength and commitment. Both these things are emminently achievable through hard work. Like it or lump it he is the most gifted player we have produced since the Duff and Dunn year and remains our best hope for the future out of the current lot. Nonetheless unless he sorts out these issues he will never feature again in a Mark Hughes team. The suspicion is that players of Dickov's and Kuqi's ilk actually cause more problems for a Premiership defence because they force mistakes and capitalise (sometimes...) upon them. Gally does not do this and can also be knocked off the ball easily. It is frustrating. Is a few hours a week in the gym and a little bit of determination too much to ask for a Premiership career with his childhood club and bucket and buckets of money? He has all the 'uncoachable' qualities- movement, finishing, passing.

Well I am extremely embarrassed and for that I apologise profusely. I made some major accusations where my factual basis was completely inaccurate. I will now shut up for a while and check my facts. I ballsed up in a major way. As for Zurab, to refer to him as an asylum seeker is, any which way you like it, an insult. So I am certainly against it and seems a bizarre way to treat one of our own players.

I think this is broadly aimed at my post. 1. I am not defending Kuqi for playing ok. I am defending him because, in my opinion, he was the best partner for Bellamy we had for that game yesterday and he does put in 100% effort. He is not a good striker and we need another one in but he is currently the best we have if we want to cause problems in the air, as we did yesterday. 2. All I was saying is why in god's name did AESF refer to him as a Kosovan? The only answer I came up with is because he wished to connect Kuqi to asylum seekers. Why? As far as I can see for only three reasons: a) because he has a strong fondness for that subject and brings it up all the time because of that player's dark skin c) he dislikes kosovans and dislikes Kuqi so he connects them. I am happy to listen to any other rational reasons he stuck it in there. ps. I don't think it would be unfair thing to say that AESF is prejudiced agianst pretty much everything that is foreign, but that was not what I was getting at.

Has gray's inclusion over the last two months only been a result of Matteo' absence? Personally, despite him having a torrid time yesterday, I think Gray's re-emergence as a first team starter has been key to us sorting out our attcking game. Defensively solid as he is I would think Matteo coming in at left back would be a backward step.

Wouldn't a better title for this thread be "why doesn't (super super clever) Jan just shut up"?

Kuqi is finnish, not kosovan. Can't you keep your racist overtones out of a match report AESF? It is hardly the place to put it. Anyway I thought Kuqi was okay. You have to rember he came to the club on a free, and he managed to win a decent amount in the air. We desperately need someone who can finish better and can link up with the ball at feet (preferably while also being decent in the air) but at present he was by far our best option for the game. Jansen would not of won anything, big sol would of forced him off the ball all the time. Dickov similar lack of height was a problem. We cannot 'get rid of savage' as some people suggest. He was one of our better players yesterday and there is the plain fact that we have nobody to replace him with. Our manager payed far too much for him, but in his defence he does have a galvanising effect on the team and makes some cracking tackles. Most importantly though Hughes likes him (obviously) and will not drop him. If we hold on to Hughes everybody will just have to get used to the fact he will be pulling on a rovers shirt week in week out for the next eighteen months at least. Judge the team when we play our equals rather than when we are away at one of the best sides in Europe. My personal opinion is that if we can replicate that performance with some btter finishing Everton should yield 3 points.

If I was going to pick out a single point of view which makes me weep then this has to be it. The government makes the whole bloody country work, without it the whole fabric of society would fall apart. If you feel strongly about it, join it. Become a civil servant or lobby to be an MP so you can improve things with your superior assessment of ideal governance.

Gallagher played the full ninety minutes on the wing in Stoke's 2-0 win at Wednesday.