I don't watch enough Irish League to tell you categorically if he's the best ... maybe Rover_groo has a more informed opinion. What i can tell is that he's top of the scoring charts and making the all headlines this season for footballing reasons and IMO is the only Irish league player with a chance of a call up to the national team.

He went back to his and my hometown club ... Portadown, banged them in for fun there and now he's playing for the Irish League champions Glentoran ... he's scored 29 goals so far this season including about 3 hatricks (top scorer by a fair margin). He's a notoriously bad trainer and thus is on a contract at Glentoran whereby he only gets paid if he makes all the weeks training sessions. He loves the booze in a big way too and was more or less booted out of Portadown after a fallout with the manager who had enough of his poor training/attitude. Having said that he looks a new player this season and has been linked with, wait for it, Burnley in last weeks local press. A superb eye for goal but admitted to me himself on a stag weekend last year that he lacks the fitness, enthusiasm and determination to succeed in the prem. He remains good friends with Duffer and told me that when the opportunity came up for the chelsea move, he didn't have to think twice .. he was off like a rocket ... which is contrary to some reports we heard at the time.

Oh Dear .... terrible news. Good luck in your recovery Reidy ... lets hope the scan is favourable. As someone said earlier, a lot off players fail to fully recover from a bad cruciate tear. One of my favourite players and is/will be sorely missed. crap start to a crap hungover day in work on a bloody sunday

Pretty sure he wasn't a regular after 94/95 though ... only before. And yes ... he was sheeeeeeeeeeeyite!

Philip Senderos tops Arsene as he speaks 6 languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese) Not bad!

The above is pure pie in the sky obviously, but for the sake of arguement ... I'd have Bentley in that side over Milner and Duff in for Pedersen.

not confident 2-1 'pool

The guy on BBC radio said the BBC website would have that info. half an hour so after the draw ended. Nancy have a 100% home record this season according to the BBC, so we'll have them at ewood thankyou very much.

Delighted after last night ... great performance from everyone! Can't get over Emerton's form and the strike pairing looks good too. If that doesn't inspire some great european nights at Ewood this season nothing will. Does anyone know if the knock Nonda took on the knee towards the end has ruled him out for sunday? He didn't look to be moving very freely after it.

2-1 Rovers

I'll go 2-1 Rovers.

Plenty!!

We're on British Eurosport http://www.eurosport.com/football/uefa-cup...sto962576.shtml

I'm getting over for this one so we better win. 2-0 Rovers. Ooijer with a header from a corner for the first goal.

Apologies if it's been mentioned before, but is there any tv coverage of this tie?

Jonny Topley is a good mate of mine ... I'm marrying his cousin in April ... he remembers his time at Rovers fondly. Good player ... just lacks that extra bit of motivation you need to make it at a higher level. Plus he's very fond of a full days beveraging on occasion.

2-1 Chelsea. We'll turn the preverbial corner after this one.

Is right!! That's two excellent front pairings to talk about on this thread.

Looks like Franny Jeffers will be starting instead of the injured Roberts tonight. Anyone know how bad Roberts' knee injury is? 1-1

Struggling greatly with injuries and ban for tugay. I think the team, without Reid, will look like this: Friedel Neill Todd Zurab Gray Gally Bentley Savage Gamst Benni Roberts Very lightweight in midfield without Reid, a big test for Gally and Bentley ... their performances are key. Still sticking with my 2-1 to Rovers prediction though ... I think Benni and Roberts will be too much for them. Bring it on

Great news!! Ok Lucas, Mr. Williams will see you now, if you'd like to go on in...

I'm glad to see Benni's been Given no. 10 ... I always prefer it when you're front pairing wear 9 and 10 .. pity Roberts has opted for his 'preferred' no. 30 instead of asking Kuqi politely for no. 9

http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/New...~882703,00.html

Going for an optimistic 2-1 to Rovers. McCarthy and Roberts.

Rovers 2 - 0 NZ Attendance: 16