I'm in agreement that Emerton certainly looked better at right back than right midfield on Wednesday, contrary to my expectations. If we are to keep Neill this season and have signed Oiijer, then I'd expect both to be ahead of him, but it is nice to have extra options and cover. However, I wouldn't get over excited just yet. It was one game and he didn't have a blinder.

Cocker, have you had a listen of that Roddy Woomble solo album yet? What were your thoughts?

First half Everton weren't even in the game. We were absolutely superb. Lovely flowing football that created at least four clear cut chances. Roberts missed two very simple chances and McCarthy another, while an out of this world last ditch tackle from an Everton defender prevented a certain goal. Our first chance came after just a few minutes when Bentley split open the defence with a sublime through ball to Roberts who hit the keeper when one on one. For the second Roberts chance, I think, McCarthy put him through with another quality ball. He cut back and had the goal at his mercy but mis-kicked his curling left footed shot. For the third chance, McCarthy arrived at the back post and only needed to volley it in, but mis-judged it and hit it over. McCarthy was top drawer, absolutely top drawer and showed some real glimpses of skill. His first touch is superb and he linked well with Roberts. Roberts played ok, but missed some very simple chances and didn't win enough in the air. As for Everton, people that call us a dirty team obviously haven't seen them play. Little niggly challanges, constant shirt pulling, pushing, tugging, holding back, late challanges, but Rennie, who was absolutely awful, seemed to award them decisions every time. Anyway, completely undeservedly, we went in to the break at 0 - 0. We were to rue our missed chances. Second half started much like the first with us on top and it wasn't long before a nice move saw McCarthy curl the ball into the bottom right corner from just outside the box. However, after this the balance of play changed. It was a mixture of our inability to string two passes together, a lack of bite in midfield, our inability to seemingly defend a lead and Everton's excellent ability to keep hold of the ball for long streches. A reversal of the first half, we didn't get a sniff for most of the half and it was only a matter of time before they started carving us open. Johnson was put through one on one with Freidel who produced a good save to stop a certain goal. Every cross into our box looked dangerous and we couldn't deal with them. That is where I though their goal would come from. But no, it came from nothing. We cleared our lines and the defence pushed up. The ball hit back in with very little pace and lots of height, over the centre backs and into the path of McFadden (I think). Todd and Zurab seemed to just stop and watch the ball go over them and McFadden easily outpaced Todd to tgo one on one. The goal was very fortunate as his effort hit the post anbd rebounded perfectly into the stride of Cahill. 1-1, a goal totally deserved from Everton. To think, if we had have taken just one of those first half chances, we'd have been laughing. In the first half I think the whole team, minus Emerton played pretty well. However, in the second half, I thought Emerton coped quite well down the right while we were on the back foot and that the rest of the team just couldn't string a few passes together or get the ball back. MOTM for us was MvcCarthy. He will be a real hit I think. Putting this into perspective, 1-1 against Everton isn't a bad result and with Oiijer coming in, we should be able to better sope with defensive injuries. I still think we desperately need a right midfielder, some central midfield cover and a new striker though.

Why can't the club keep Idlewild - You Held the World in Your Arms. Absolutely cracking song and really atmospheric. Otherwise, Hillbilly Rock, Hillbilly Roll by the Woolpackers!

Yeah, I mean, you have to be a rubbish player to win player of the season two years running...

Absolutely fantastic news!

1 -1

1. Chelsea 2. Liverpool 3. Manchester United 4. Arsenal 5. Tottenham Hotspur 6. Newcastle United 7. Everton 8. Blackburn Rovers 9. Charlton Athletic 10. Portsmouth 11. West Ham United 12. Bolton Wanderers 13. Aston Villa 14. MIddlesbrough 15. Watford 16. Fulham 17. Wigan 18. Reading 19. Manchester City 20. Sheffield United Gonna be incredibly tight at both the top and the bottom this season. I can see there being as little as 5 points between the top 3. At the bottom, I think Sheffield United will be rock bottom, but the gap between the rest in the relegation scrap will also be extremely tight. I can see Manchester City, Reading, Wigan, Fulham and Watford scrapping around there all season.

Have to agree with Modi. Completely apathetic over this one. He is a distinctly average player, at best, in this league, but we don't have another right midfielder. If 'Boro had have offered the 2 million speculated, then I'd have snapped their hand off, but for the bid reported, I'd rather we keep him. Him signing on, however, does not mean we don't badly need another right midfielder.

I would just like to highlight this post after the match tonight. I always thought it would be best to keep Beckham on the right and drop either Lampard or Gerrard. However, Gerrard showed tonight just how good he is on the right. Hargreaves was excellent and allowed Lampard to get forward and score. Furthermore, I would like to, once more, state just how highly I regard Downing and how much better we play with at least one traditional wide man. Downing is not only a quality player, who set up two goals tonight, he stretches the game and gives us more width than Cole. He has pace, skill, can beat his man and can deliver a quality ball. There is no reason why he shouldn't be in the team and I hope that McClaren, having coached him for years at 'Boro, will continue to play him and shut his critics up. I don't even understand why he has any critics!

What exactly do you base that on Greggy?

I'm sorry to keep going on about this, but Roddy Woombles album My Secret Is My Silence is the most beautiful, magnificent album that I have ever heard. Every track is heart warming and goose-pimpling. Absolutely wonderful.

From the various pictures I have seen, I like the new Rovers kits and will most likely buy both. However, I will be waiting until they drop in price. I remember this season gone that the shirts went down about £5 - £10 after a few weeks and then went to half price in November.

I'm going to wait until the day before the season starts to give my league prediction, but I cannot say that I agree with that Observer prediction at all. How the hell they can think that Man UTD will finish 5th, I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, there is no chance that Chelsea will be anything less than champions this year and I don't think that Arsenal are goingnto improve on last season when they're looking set to lose Cole and haven't brought in any new central defenders or a new left back. As for Rovers, well with our squad as it is, I cannot see us maintaining a European run as well as a good league position. If we get knocked out early on, then maybe. But otherwise I can see us slipping as low as tenth.

No probs Cocker Like you say, Idlewild are extremely underated and I cannot believe that so few people know of them. They were recently voted Scotland's third best band of all time though, so maybe they are getting some recognition. Saying that, I can't think of anything good that has come out of Scotland :ph34r: Roddy's solo album is very different to his work with Idlewild, I will warn you, but it is really beautiful. Nowhere near as rocky, more Scottish folk really. The track My Secret Is My Silence is absolutely magnificent. Anyways, I hope you enjoy your album!

If there are any Idlewild fans out there, then I strongly suggest you listen to the Idlewild front man, Roddy Woomble's, new solo album My Secret Is My Silence. The track of the same title is a real achievement. All in all, it's a magnificent album. I also suggest that anybody that can get their hands on 100 Broken Windows or The Remote Part, again by Idlewild, do so. Two of the finest albums I have ever heard. On the same subject, has anybody had a chance to listen to their latest album Warnings / Promises?

I'm glad that you agree with my arguement, and I agree with most of the names mentioned, but just for the record, I think that Downing is a very good player and I was wholeheartedly in support of him being in the world cup squad. I think that it is important to have two options down each flank, each providing something different. Cole and Beckham together is not the way to go as neither runs at their man or tries to beat him and both play narrower than modern day wingers. By the same token, Lennon and Downing together is a no-go as well as far as I'm concerned, unless we are chasing a game, as it leaves us quite open in the centre. When Downing came on in the world cup, immediately he got the ball, ran at his man, beat him and put in a peach of a cross. If he can do this on a regular basis then he should be a regular for the England squad.

So you'd rather sacrifice depth in one position for another? Maybe it would be more sensible to have a number of options in right midfield and maybe drop one of the many pointless central midfielders Eriksson has included in his squads? Right now, if you take two right midfielders, then Beckham and Lennon are certainly the best options.

Point taken about it only being a friendly. When I heard the news on SSN I didn't really think that the squad was being named for a friendly. Maybe Mclaren is trying new things and new players and making friendlys have some kind of meaning. I guess the real test will come when Mclaren comes to naming a competitive match squad. Beckham may not have the impact he once did, but he is definately still the second best English right midfielder and perhaps the best choice at this moment in time while Lennon gains experience. Who would people have in their squad instead?

Well it looks like Mclaren has dropped an injury free Beckham from the England squad. Cannot believe this myself, Beckham should definately be in the squad, and probably still in the starting 11. He is just too valuable-a-player to drop.

Rovers 2 - New Zealand 1

Hasn't Huth proved himself in the premiership at Chelsea, at international level, with Klinsman and Germany, and at under 21 international level? I understand that this doesn't prove Huth as a proven premiership or international player, but my girlfriends family are Chelsea fans and they hold him in extremely high regard. He is held in the same regard in Germany as well as by many managers in the premiership. Right now, if I were given Huth and cash for Nelsen, which looks a possibility, I would have to take it. However, there are no certainties that we will get Huth and I cannot think of any other player available that would improve upon Nelsen. I would also like to know more about huth's recent injury history and why he failed a medical with 'Boro before I get too excited about the possibility of him coming.

I don't think this interview changes that much. It looks as though he fancies the switch, but if we can match Pompey's offer or just simply reject all bids then I don't think he will be too unhappy here. Even still, let's get talking to Chelsea over Huth and let's do it before Gallas moves to Arsenal. There is no way that Chelsea will sell both Huth and Gallas as that will leave them with only Carvalho and Terry. Huth would be the only obvious player that could replace or improve upon what we have.

Could somebody please fill me in with what teams are under what categories? I loved the fact that I could get a relatively good seat at Ewood Park for between £15 - 20, but I would still be willing to pay the extra as a walk-on supporter as any other team in the top six last season would undoubtedly cost more to watch. What I cannot defend is having Everton as an A+ category game. Totally unacceptable.

Last night I had a horrible nightmare. I can't remember it particularly well but throughout it, I kept on desperately trying to wake up, thinking I had, but actually still being asleep. I would be grinding and overlapping my teeth, which hurt like hell, and would be seeing all sorts of dead people and things. It was really weird, it was as if I had the power to stop myself falling asleep in my dream, when I was already asleep in reality. I kept thinking that I had woken up, when in fact I hadn't. I as desperate for my dream to end, whilst being asleep. When I did finally wake up, I didn't believe it for a second and then thought about not going back to sleep, because I would no doubt have the same nightmare again. But then I remembered that I had only been waking up and then going back to sleep in my actual dream. So I went back to sleep and had a different dream, which I can't really remember now. The first dream was absolutely horrible and pretty bizare.