I hope they throw the book at the thug. He's been doing it for years looking at the evidence at hand. I've now read that players are coming out and saying that he is a nice lad. I've also read stuff in the past saying that he's the biggest nutcase in the dressing room. There is obviously something wrong with the lad, but given that he can play football all will be forgiven.

This game is on tape delay (2:15pm EST) on Fox Soccer in the USA . Hopefully this time we can show the world that we aren't relegation fodder, which is what everyone will start saying on here if we don't win.

Pass the rope please. I know how this messageboard can overreact so I'm not surprised by some of the comments posted. The ever predictable cries of "Useless", "Championship here we come", and "Overpaid primadonnas" only seem to materialise after a defeat. It was the first game of the season, we were not at the races. There will be other games this season when this will happen, will we get the same prophecies then too? We are one game in to a 38 game season. We ahve plenty of time to put it right, Wednesday will be a different tale. Calm down.

I don't think so. I think Hughes wanted him to stay all along.

I don't know if this one counts but Paul Dalglish has just signed for the Houston Dynamos of the MLS. He played for our reserves a few times when his dad was in charge.

I agree with Den and Dave. Fans' always have a pantomime villain. We've had a few in past seasons now only Emerton fits the bill. Wilcox used to get slated for the exact same things I'm reading about Emerton; now he's a hero. Dave's right about the fans; we have no idea what goes on. I'll wager that it is far easier for Hughes to keep Emerton who knows the training, knows the system and knows the players, making it easy for the manager to stick with him rather than getting a new player in who is supposed to be better but has no idea of how Rovers are. Familiarity really helps football teams, managers would rather keep their players for as long as they can as it makes preparation much easier. I think the topic headline is absurd. How can a current player signing a new deal hurt our team? Myopic and stupid are words I would use.

I like the salary cap being % of revenue idea with a "luxury tax" for offenders. I'm still mulling over revenue sharing. Big teams will do better but it would eliminate some disparities. The luxury tax revenue should be split between non-offenders and grass roots projects. Each non-offender gets an even % of the share and all clubs get a sliding scale piece from the grass roots fund with low revenue clubs getting more. Shillito, could you not trade players for cash?

This rant is a bit strange. You might as well have a go at the whole board.

How would that team have done at the world cup? Crouch? No thanks.

I think that if Pompey offer us a decent amount (£6 million+) we should sell Nelsen. Ooijer is coming in, Todd is fit, as is Zurab. Neill hasn't gone yet, he can cover the mddle very well and Emerton can be lodged at right back. It would make sense for the club. We have one thread whining about attendances and the unloyal local public. We have a chance to offset the gates with this without damaging the team, but many want us to spend silly money trying for something we will never achieve. The Jack Walker days are long gone, we have to sustain ourselves and if that is retooling now and again to stay solvent so be it.

Rover6, do you spout tripe on purpose to get a rise or do you really believe the rubbish you write?

Cue another discussion between two old friends. Plastic v. cash.

Cletus, there is a picture in the article. Is yours not loading?

Very interesting. He apparently turned down many of the top jobs in England over the last couple of years and now decides that he is ready for a comeback. So he goes to Villa. Do they have a Russian billionaire lined up? Is Sven Eriksson splashing some of his FA booty on the Villains? I'm sure this saga is just beginning.

In my experience away fans normally make more noise than the home end, especially at Ewood. The opposite occurs away from home.

Slimmer of the year gets himself a new Burnley shirt; Porker at last gets a shirt big enough. They'll do anything for publicity won't they? Even advertising the fact that they have obese fans.

I agree wholehearedly that Arena has no idea. As far as US Soccer goes they are indeed stuck with underdeveloped coaches, an indifferent media, and a lack of a youth set up. Our failures in my eyes are much greater. England is expected to win every tournament they enter and haven't for 40+ years now. Our youth set up is going well but we still don't have it working properly as our players still get rumbled in the big games for being technically deficient. I get so tired of defending England. What can I say to defend us? Americans can say "it's not our sport". We can't. Our overinflated expectations ruin us every time. It won't be as apparent to you as you live in England where the majority feel the same way but I get it every day. Does this need a separate topic? "World Football: compare and discuss" Where is Left foot Lee Richardson these days?

I'll not bother with this one. It's not as if we have any room talk; our team of "world class" stars limped to a quarter final exit, the powers that be appointed the man they didn't want for the England job, and Wembley Stadium is currently aeons late. It makes me cry, it really does.

I don't think he got a contract. I didn't hear anything. Plus Mo Johnston, the manager who took him on trial, got fired and replaced by clueless Bruce Arena. EDIT: Ex-scholarship/YTS player David Schofield is plying his trade for the Harrisburg City Islanders in the USL Divison 2 (American 3rd division sort of)

I'm with AESF and Rover6 on this one. We had a month of positive party line talk from every England player before the World Cup, then they performed like donkey's and blame someone other than themselves afterwards. Very annoying. Lampard was pants, Eriksson was pants. England were pants. Alan Shearer has also turned down McClaren, preferring to sign a 4 year deal with the BBC. I'm not doubting Shearer's knowldege of football but am I correct in thinkng that he doesn't have his UEFA pro licence yet? If so, why is it a requirement for top level managers in England? Roeder, Southgate, and now Shearer have been offered top jobs without having the necessary qualifications. Sam Allardyce was complaining about this around the time he was being snubbed for the England job. It's no wonder that English players still can't control a ball as comfortably as the rest of the world when the FA and its member clubs consistently bend the rules to allow for the court of popular opinion to succeed.

Top site Cocker. I've never heard of it. This one had me laughing: Newcastle Hospital FC

Why does Red Rom need to trim wages? He's got very deep pockets. Chelski do not operate like the rest. They could afford to keep Duff on his wages and buy all of the Juventus side without flinching. i think Champs League vistory will be hard to come by.

This link from The Sun sums up why I started this topic. Genius. Pure comedy

The UK is currently experiencing one of its famed heatwaves and has been since the World Cup started. As an exiled Brit, this phoenomenon is now but a marvellous memory to me as whenever I venture home it is either the dead of winter or the ususal rain. I was in London in 2005 for their "hottest May day in 50 years". My memories of "silly season" give me a smile every time I think about it. I've been kept abreast of the weather by a host of bragging friends and relatives who regail me with soundbites such as: "It's too hot to work". You can also insert sleep/cook/eat/think and any other everyday habit here. "It's hotter than ..... today" Insert exotic locale here Add to this news bulletins on hosepipe bans, stay cool tips, rumours of pubs runnning out of beer, supermarkets out of sausages and you have the makings of a very British comedy. pg got me onto this topic with his musings. Does anyone have any other observations/anecdotes on the British summer.

Is the Grey Horse still open? It's closer the the Greyhound.