Bentley is 22 now. However I thought as he was 21 or under at the start of qualifying for this tournament, he was definately eligible for this tournament. I cant believe he's been dropped considering he's in the best form so far for Rovers. Looking at the list low down on that page I see Nigel Reo Coker is 22 and captained the team tonight, but dont think any others in the first column played.

Having watched the Under 21's tonight, fair play to Theo Walcott. 2 goals in a terrific cameo last 15 minutes away in Germany. First goal very well taken and the second a great run from out wide near the half way line. The hype surrounding him in the summer wasnt his fault and I'm sure he felt like he was elevaetd up and then dropped into semi obscurity at times since his call up. He'll probably feel a bit better tonight though.

Anybody who has been in the Upper seats at MEN care to comment on the view to see a gig. I'm going in December and seats are block 202 , row J. Looking at the seating plan I'm concerned I'm side on to the stage and will see bugger all.

Having now read all four of Dan Browns books I have to say the Da Vinci code was my least favourite. In order they'd be Digital Fortress , Deception Point , Angels and Demons then Da Vinci code. Out of interest I've been recomended to read Orson Scott Card's series The Tales of Alvin Maker. If anyone has read them could they tell me if they thought they were any good and if they were 'deep'. books (I can't do deep fiction, I like my reading to move at a fast pace.)

Chesterfield 2-1 Man City Fulham 1-2 Wycombe Middleboro 0-1 Notts County A few shocks tonight although the boro game is still underway.

BBC have spent 12 months undercover looking into this. Are you actually saying that last nights programme was all they could show legally (i.e no evidence at all) and that all the film they have of managers and club officials taking the brown envelopes is not being shown so that it can secretly be given to the FA. If they had it, they'd have shown it.

I always argue against Blake as being one of the worst purchases we made. He managed 16 goals 45 appearances at a goal every 2.8 games. Dickov was only 15 goals in 44. Yes I know he cost us 4.25million but, unlike Grabbi and Davies, at least we got some sort of return for our money. I'm not saying he was good but theres no way he's the worst.

Typical Panorama journalism that will have most people who don't think about the program taking everything naratted as gospel and jumping up and down.The only solid evidence of anything on that program was an unknown 16 year old being illegally offered to both Chelsea and Liverpool. Even then there's no guarantee the meetngs were even set up to discuss the young lad. The meeting could have had another agenda and the agent just brought it up. I always thought there were bungs and corruption going on. The fact Mike Newell had nothing really to gain and everthing to lose by saying so convinced me. Panorama did not.

According to a report on radio Lancs Steve Cotterill has been rumoured to be the front runner for the West Brom job and his odds have been slashed all day. I believe he is doing a decent job keeping Burnleys head bobbing at Championship level and, were he to leave, one wrong appointment could not only stop the gap from closing ( ) but make it widen much much further. Edit - sorry, just seen the baggies thread. Should have been in there.

Isn't it amazing how much completely trivial stuff lurks on Wkipedia.

Having got it on Sunday and played it through several times I actually like it a lot. There's nothing that jumps off as 'catchy singles' like during their 80's heyday but it is very good, notably The Legacy, These Colours don't run and Out of the Shadows. Having been a huge fan since the late eighties one of my biggest regrets when Dickinson left was that I never saw them live whilst he was at the helm. I've not got tickets for MEN in December. Can't wait. If only I could persuade them to play The Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner.

The Good McCarthy scored. His volley just after they equalised also showed great technique. First look I think he'll do OK. His partnership with Roberts looks like it could trouble a lot of defences provided the refs let them get away with a bit. They got away with a hell of a lot more of backing and tussling tonight than Bellers or Dickov would have. Zurab, having just returned from injury, looked our best defender out there by a fair way. Emerton can do a job at right back if needed. Not sure what he'd be like up against Lennon, Robben or Ronaldo though The Bad Under pressure, we sat back and wilted like the bygone days of Souey. You could see the goal coming long before it did. Todd was lucky with the penalty and lets himslef down with silly blocks or tackles. MGP was anonymous. He redeems himself with a high goalscoring rate but he gets very few crosses in from the left, has little pace and contributes nothing. However he does score goals which, one game apart, is more than David Bentley. He was woeful. The Ugly Kevin Kilbane. The worst player to make a consistant living in the Premier League. Probably.

I'm not saying he's bad, hes a good player but once again his price is over-inflated due to his nationality.

£6.2mill. IMO that is too big a fee for someone who, whilst being fast and direct, lacks cutting edge and an end product to his talent.

Powerage - ACDC

I was wondering if bitterness at our own downfall was clouding our judgement with us all labelling Portugal the cheating enemy of football. Good to see tonight proved our judgement was correct. Sure other team do it but not to the extent of what we saw tonight. More or less any contact led to a player going down. When the BBC highlighted the 5 or 6 dives in the box at the end of the program it showed it for the disgrace it was.

Firstly I wouldnt actually play my suggestion. I'd drop Lampard. I was merely pointing out there were far better ways to accomidate Gerrard and Lampard. Lennon obviously looks now like he should be first choice but had Lennon not arrived on the scene in the last few months Gerrard on the right was a logical choice. Doing this would have been a way in which they could have both played in the side. Gerrard plays there at times for Liverpool, can do what Beckham does and has more chance of getting past the full back. I muted Lennon on the left only as a possibility. Gerrard and Joe Cole have obviously proved innefective as left midfielders. If Lennon proved (which he hasnt) that he could play effectively on the left would it not be better to have an effective player on either wing than a very effective player on the right and nothing on the left.

Fair points herbergeehh but I'd rather have a blood and thunder premier league game where chances are created due to both teams going forward and chances caused pressure on the defneces and mistakes. A half of football littered with misplaced pasess and long hoofs up front which generates 10 shots on goal will always appear more exciting to me than 45 minutes of playing the ball around (very skillfully may I point out) up to and around the area but very little goalmouth action. On another point did any else think that when Lehamnn tried to 'do a schumacher' (© David Pleat 2006), that he did actually try to knobble the italian after he'd punched the ball.

Sven should never, after nearly 6 years in charge, have ended up changing right at the end to 3-5-1 purely because he didnt take another striker except one he was obviously unprepared to use. When you think about it that really sums the turkey of a manager up. To insist that he knows what he's doing all the way through 6 whole years and then at the last minutes have to change his entire formation. Why. Because he didnt bother to take any strrikers apart from ones he didnt trust enough to use. Most people with a football brain know that putting you eleven best players on the pitch isnt enough. Some have to be sacrificed for the good of the team. Getting the balance right is far more important. I know that may mean with injuries we end up playing players who arent first choice or who fall short of the level we are playing at. But if the system is right, and the other players are good enough, it gives a better chance of winning than changing everything around just to get your buddies on the pitch. Had Sven gambled on Bent, Beattie or even Ashton in the 4th striker role people would have just looked at them as fodder in the squad. Yet at least they would have had the experience to have come on and done a role alongside Rooney. Of course now Sven had realised after god knows how many years that Gerrard and Lampard couldnt play together in the centre this would have meant dropping goldenbollocks on the right wing so it was a no-brainer from the start. Foreign managers are fine if they are more or less the best man for the job. Sven was nowhere near that. Thank god this tool is finally gone.

If you mean when Lennon went through Eddie then Nuno Valente played the ball. Brilliant tackle under the circumstances.

Knock the commentary off so you don't have to put up with David Pleats semi-orgasmic statements and the game was pretty average in 90 minutes. Sure, plenty of nice passing around the middle of the park but a lack of final ball and hardly any shots on target. My Dad, who's practically deaf, commented that it was hardly a classic just seconds after David Pleat said it was one of the classic 0-0's of all time. If England had performed for 90 minutes like Germany had there'd be people saying we were uncreative, dreadful etc... Having said that in extra time both teams really went for it to create a brilliant 30 additional minutes with Italy scoring two great (for different reasons) goals. Classic exciting extra time certainly (just as on Saturday) but let's not go overboard about the 90 minutes because both them teams were nothing special, especially up front.

Although I agree they dont work playing together in midfield, I do feel that moving Gerrard out to the right might solve the problem. (Unless the last 4 years have given significant evidence that this wouldnt work). I'd also look at seeing how Lennon can cope on the left wing. Joe Cole is the best solution weve found so far but I still don't think it works brilliantly and he does disappear for spells in games.

It hurts nothing like when Rovers get knocked out of the FA Cup or lose a high profile game such as the Mancs.

Good to see there are more rabbit movies available now. Angry Alien Rabbit Films