The UEFA Cup is a hugely prestigious tournament. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. (Until we go out, that is).

I'd agree with that Philip, if Emerton was on squad player wages. However, he arrived with a great fanfare and supposedly a host of top clubs chasing his signature and he'd just been included in UEFA's team of the season. He must be a very high earner and it would be a waste of resources when you can have someone a lot cheaper to warm the bench and come on for 15 minutes at the end of games. Problem is, such has been Emerton's fall from grace, I can't see anyone in England wanting him on the wages he'll demand.

Does the Axe have a position? Holding midfield, I know that's what he'd claim but he's hardly 'proved' he can play there. Hughes is obviously persevering with him because he is one of his signings but if he doesn't have the confidence to play him as second choice right back or second choice centre half, I really can't see him staying for too long. But aside from that issue, Hughes and the players deserve massive respect getting Rovers back into the big time...... Okay UEFA cup football is hardly the big time but you know what I mean. Right, now we can look forward to a horrendous season next year - if our last UEFA cup seasons are anything to go by.....

Well, if he can't get on the bench, then I'd say yes. His wages aren't going to be low.

I find it sad that Steven Gerrard thinks winning the World Cup will be impossible without Rooney. Gerrard himself is meant to be a world beater, as is Lampard. Surely, they should have the capacity to take over the mantle from Rooney as the team's inspiration. I think the corollary of Gerrard's negativity is not that our alternative forwards are not good enough but he has no confidence in Sven coming up with a plan B.

Take the points gratefully but we must be wary of getting over-excited about the performance. It sounds like Charlton were totally shell-shocked and basically abysmal.

I don't see why the process has been a joke. An England friendly defeat sends the media into a frenzy, so the selection process for a new manager was bound to create a near riot, regardless of how well/badly it was conducted. The FA should ignore the unwanted opines of has-beens like Peter Reid and Graham Taylor, interpret the criticisms of current managers dismissively - ie motivated by the old pals act and appoint the most qualified manager. Be he English or foreign. BTW: There is not a hope in hell that Wenger, Mourinho, Benitez etc would take the England job. It's not worth the bother. To put it frankly, only an idiot or an extreme patriot would give up a job at a prestigious club to become England manager. i.e Sven (who falls into the former category if you weren't sure).

In the end, we'll get the manager we deserve. In which case it'll probably Steve McClaren and he'll go and recall Michael Ricketts.

David Gold thinks it's a betrayal of the English football fraternity. What an imbecile. England need a good manager now, never mind sending out 'messages' to British managers - and if it was possible, I'd have Scolari in tomorrow. Sorry but do these anti-Scolari people want Alan Curbishley in charge? The guy deserves respect for what he's achieved but his cup record is poor.

Shefki Kuqi to whip in the late free kick to get us into Europe in the final game....

Whilst we're flogging our most effective wide midfielder, why not get rid of Nelsen for £1.5 million. A spell on the sidelines might be what's needed to get Pedersen performing again. Not selling him.

Was Gray injured or was he replaced by Neill, being deemed more capable of handling Pennant? I still think that if you look at our team objectively we are punching well above our weight. To maintain it in Everton-esque fashion was probably too much to ask for. When Pedersen isn't performing and TUgay isn't playing/performing our midfield is devoid of any ingenuity.

I know you guys are really frustrated but in the end we're only finding our level. The team has been over-performing and now were suffering a dip because our team is not good enough to be the favourites on a regular basis. Our strength is going into matches as under-dogs and surprising people. The fact we've got into this position without a right winger who can play two consecutive average games (or should that be one average game!) is impressive in its self. Creativity should be Hughes' watchword when he's searching for new recruits this summer.

That was what John Williams was suggesting in the LET. He'll either be leaving permanently or starting pre-season at Rovers but is unlikely to be going on loan.

Sorry for repeating myself but we really needed Sergio Peter in the team - at least as a sub when we needed a goal. We just seem to be lacking that bit of flair to our midfield. Emerton would be the other option but imo not first choice. Against a solid defence, we just didn't have enough guile.

Lucas Neill's one yellow from a ban, i think, so Hughes has some thinking to do. Kane? Reid? Mokoena? Emerton? I'm a big supporter of MGP but a spell on the bench might be necessary. But who to replace him? Emerton is never going to be good enough, he's had his chances. Hughes is intoducing Peter very gradually. Therefore, i reckon MGP would have to play disastrously to be dropped.

Don't diss. Mokoena is world class in the holding role. Our Champs Leagues aspirations might be over but im quite pleased with a point considering how well it sounds like Pompey played.

I guess the idea behind playing him on the left is to enable him to cut inside and hit long range shots. I agree, can't see him playing left in the Prem.

Interesting to see Boskamp considers Gallagher to be a left sided player...

i mentioned it before but I think it's worth reiterating how much we need a winger. Bentley, MGP, Reid and Bentley can all play on the flanks but none of them are your genuine winger who will provide width to the midfield. I cannot understand why Hughes has dropped Sergio Peter from the bench after one mediocre performance against Arsenal. He is exactly the sort of midfielder we need, at least coming off the bench (albeit an inexperienced player). Prior to the Arsenal game he had made a number of impressive cameo appearances - West Brom and Sunderland for example. Spurs won the game against us when Aaron Lennon came off the bench and provided Spurs with pace and width in midfield. At the moment, we severely lack that extra edge to our attack.

It is so clear that we lack a skilful winger who can run with the ball. Imo Sergio Peter, the nearest we have to that, should be on the bench. Wigan are doing well to negate our threat but we seem one-dimensional with the ball for Bellamy.

The fact that Derbyshire has gone to Wrexham and had such a great start is very impressive considering the fact that the football is a lot more frantic and 'direct' lower down and a young player has to adapt to that kind of football before he can show his talent. I think Lee Osman of Everton was loaned out to Carlisle a few years back and he didn't really impress, yet now he's a Premiership regular. The style of football makes it tough for young skilful players to make an immediate impact. Add the expectation that is heaped on anybody farmed out from a Premiership club and you begin to appreciate Derbyshire's impact more.

I've always thought Jim Beglin was one of the better ones.

Is lack of experience a major draw-back for an England manager? I mean, apart from the media pressures to deal with, you have the best English players to choose from and a heck of a lot of time to think about tactics in between 'thrilling' friendlies. Stuart Pearce would do a good job and I don't think the comparisons with Keegan are fair. Pearce has shown that he's a lot more measured than KK. I have to say, all the names mentioned so far are a darn sight better than Ms Sven Beckham.

Martin O'Neil or Stuart Pearce. Might not be the most tactically astute managers but you know that when England do go out it won't be with a whimper.