It's pretty clear that Hughes needs to find a replacement for Tugay. Opposition managers know that he is the focal point of our team but can easily be stifled into making mistakes. Does the team need a little freshening up for Everton? Not sure but Peter and Pongolle must have a strong chance.

Alright, I bow to public pressure! Gray is no longer a waster but I'm still not sure he's the long-term solution for the team but he's the best option we've got right now. Just to respond to Colin, I don't see why Rovers fans have to be so partizan about Souness. There's no need to detest him or conversely, love him. You're right, he did some good things for Blackburn. Just like Gerard Houllier did some good things for Liverpool (won stuff, bought some decent players). However, when you look at Souness' period in charge as a whole, I believe that you can only come to the conclusion that he is not a very good manager - not even a good manager. His stint at Newcastle has only reinforced that opinion I have of him.

Ferguson is so trying to deflect criticism/pressure from himself. Vidic and Evra may yet prove good signings (remember Stam was awful at the start) but Ferguson's transfers and failure to sign players is the reason for their fall from grace.

Crap. Now Newcastle might actually win matches. Hopefully, Shepherd gives Roeder the job permanent - or appoints John Gregory to maintain the high standards set by Souey.

I'm disappointed Bob. You missed the most important event in your review. Lorenzo Amoruso scores spectacular overhead kick from 30 yards. (Let's pretend it was Amoruso, swathed in bandages, who scored a stunner. It might make him feel like he's earning his money.) Quality preview otherwise, Bob.

5 live sports extra were saying it was a 50-50 and Savage made a meal of it. Good old Sav, eh? But what a result. The media will go into overdrive in analysing Man U's pathetic defending but who cares. The ROvers fans can savour the double, even if the media don't.

Come on, they'll have Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney in a make-shift midfield. Surely Tugay and Savage will stomp all over them and lead Rovers to success... I'm pessimistic about this one too. I think teams know that if they can pressure Tugay into giving the ball away in midfield, they will score goals. BTW: Henry Winter, in a recent article championing Martin O'Neill for the England job, cited the Rovers - Celtic second leg UEFA cup tie as a display of tactical mastery beyond measure from the Northern Irishman (or words to that effect). Is it me, or is getting Chris Sutton to kick Tugay not worthy of such effusion?

Imo, if a player can only play the holding role in midfield it reflects badly on their talent because that position is the easiest to play in football. For that reason, Phil Neville occasionally looked something like impressive playing there for Man U. Maybe that's where we went wrong with Darren Peacock - we didn't play him in the holding role in front of the back four. I agree that it is harsh to criticise a player when he comes in for his first game in aeons. The Axe probably needs more games but i still think he lacks the technical and passing ability to hack it (no pun intended) as a genuine midfielder. A holding midfielder? He did it well last season so maybe that will be his role from now on.

Of course, Mokoena should not be made a scapegoat for this result because he wasn't the only under-par player. However, a player who can only play the holding role in a 5-man midfield is not much use to a team who play 4-4-2 most of the time. You have to start questioning whether Mokoena was a bad signing by Hughes. He arrived as a central defender who can fill-in in midfield. A few horrendous performances in defence later (eg Norwich first half) and now he's considered a midfielder or perhaps after this game, a holding midfielder. Perhaps he needs games but I just can't see him turning out to be a player worth keeping.

So Mokoena can't play central defence, he can't play central midfield - where the hell can he play? Maybe the South African manager got it right. Does anyone know if Sergio Peter was injured. I would have thought that he would be on the bench at least because he is the sort of player that can make something out of nothing. Which is unlike a lot of our current first teamers/subs who are doing a jolly good job of getting nothing out of something. This match puts the quality of our team into perspective. We are wholly dependent on Ryan Nelsen, a 35 year old in Tugay and an injury prone forward in Bellamy. We need more than a striker if we want to finish around 6th place but a new forward would be somewhere to start.

link didn't work - so never mind!

Henry may play as a 'striker' these days but a lot of his good work comes from drifting out wide (usually the left) and taking advantage of space left by the opposition winger/full back, to collect the ball, turn and run at the defence. MGP is clinical in front of goal but he doesn't have exceptional skill or pace or body strength. I know there are strikers who have scored goals without those useful attributes but they are in the minority. I suppose the best example is Michael Owen. Nowadays, you see less of his blistering pace that brought him fame, but more of the predator in the box. MGP, conceivably, could be the 'fox in the box' but I'm still not sure after his disappointing attempts at playing up front earlier in his Rovers career. However, there's no doubt he has the shooting, a decent leap and the energy.

If Bellamy is out, I strongly suspect that Hughes will resist the temptation to put MGP up front, but rather opt for Bentley. It's a huge blow if bellamy isn't fit because Bentley just isn't posing anywhere near the threat that he should be when playing up front. Elsewhere, if Todd is fit, who will Hughes pick? The captain or Zurab?

Didn't see the sense in signing both Mendes and Davies when they already had a perfectly good central midfielder in O'Neil (unless he's going to leave). I think Redknapp can cope with the millions, despite a managerial lifetime of feeding on scraps, but will he have the time?

I am one of Souey's biggest critics but I can't bring myself to gloat about him losing his job after a controversial goal. I hope he keeps the job because with him in charge Newcastle aren't going to be competing with Rovers on the fringes of the UEFA cups spots. Well done, Rovers.

In which case we may have missed out on players like McEveley, Duff and Peter. Snatching youngsters from other clubs goes on and I don't think you can criticize Arsenal more than you can criticize Blackburn or any other club. I don't know the accuracy of reports but apparently a couple of years ago Rovers shelled out a huge amount, which could escalate into millions depending on first team appearances, for a 13/14 year old from Oldham called James Tarkowski. I haven't heard anything about him since but he's on this squad list. Tarkowski at the bottom of the page I agree, it is obscene but Arsenal and Man U aren't the only ones.

If you want to compare Pedersen to anyone in the Premiership it is his Scandinavian compatriot, Freddy Ljungberg. Neither are the old-fashioned type winger but players who sneak in goals. Anyone who thinks Rovers should sell Pedersen to the first club who offers real money are just not thinking straight. What message does that send out to the other players? That we're a selling club and if you're any good you should leave. Hughes will fight tooth and nail to keep him. Maybe if we had a right winger who could take some of the attacking responsibility of him, he would perform more consistently. Man U at their best had Beckham and Giggs on the wing, one who could dribble and one who'd look to get the ball in the box asap. We need a right winger who can run with the ball.

I think we really missed out when Souness turned down Tal Ben Haim. However, with Zurab, Todd and Nelsen, we're not exactly impoverished at the back.

Flopsy, that is one of the truest things I've read for a while. 'Wheel and deal' 'Arry can do no wrong in the eyes of the media.

Reid has power in those shots but his goal record will tell you that his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired.

Sergio Peter must start getting into contention to be on the bench because he offers a direct threat from midfield that we lack at the moment. 0-0 versus Bolton isn't a bad result, I guess, even if we were playing against 10 men for so long.

As mentioned in the transfer rumour thread, Andy Taylor's gone on loan to QPR. the details from the official site

Off the Trotters' official site. BOLTON WANDERERS Football Club have beaten off stiff competition from other Premiership Clubs to sign striker Matt Jansen until the end of the season. Jansen, 28, who was released by Blackburn Rovers earlier this week is Sam Allardyce's second signing of the transfer window. Commenting on the capture of Jansen, Allardyce said: "Matt has great potential, even though he hasn't been involved with Blackburn of late and I do believe he has the right qualities to resurrect his career here at the Reebok. I am looking forward to working with him between now and the end of the season and I hope he can recapture the form that made him one of England's best strikers a couple of seasons ago." Jansen made 182 appearances for Blackburn Rovers over a seven year period and scored 57 goals in all competitions. Jansen is available to face his former team at Ewood Park tomorrow and will wear the squad number 17.

Hughes' selection decisions will make interesting reading. I would agree with those more cautious folk who would go for the defensive strength of Reid over Tugay's maverick passing talents. Reid is in confident form at the moment and I think would keep Scholes and Co in check - although obviously he won't be making many incisive passes. Up front, I'd go for Kuqi and Bellamy, the orthodox little and large. Kuqi's technique might not be up to much but he has the physical attributes to worry the Man U backline - as long as the supply is good. I would be very interested to see if Sergio Peter makes it onto the bench. Bringing Bellamy off the bench in the last few matches has been such an effective tool because his pace exposes the opposition's tiredness. I wonder if Peter could perform a similar role in future.

Where is Saul Deeney, former Rovers trialist? Well I think we know the answer now. Keeping goal for Burton Albion!