Just to up the temperature a bit more, here is Kevin Pezzoni scoring for Cologne as they press for promotion to the Bundesliga.

I guess he proves both sides right- he is undoubtedly a talent but given the way he turns, he would have been disposessed before he got to 90 degrees round in his pirouette if he tried that in the EPL, never mind having time to get an unclosed down lob/shot away.

I understand the Rovers received transfer fees and have sell-on clauses for both Pezzoni and Keitel.

I'm not getting involved in any argument involving 6. This seems a long standing matter and I don't think anyone is going to change anyone else's views!

Pezzoni looks like the first player in a while that I've seen from the youth system that actually looks like a grown bloke who could handle the Prem. That said I've seen milk turn quicker!

Why did he leave?

His temper's still evident under the radar IMO.

Do you see the look on his face when Redknapp disagreed with him that Shevchenko was the strangest substitution of the night?

Redknapp said that the Torres substitution was the strangest substitution and then the interview moved on. Souness was clearly displeased and when they next asked him something he went straight back to the substitution issue, even though they'd moved on to a different issue!

I agree with that. Much prefer MOTD2 with Chiles, Peacock and Dixon than with Lineker, Hansen and Shearer bleating on about the you-know-who. I cancelled my Sky Sports sub because of the Top 4 love fest, there's only so much I can take.

Chiles and Dixon are interesting and are pretty fair.

Peacock is very anti Rovers...

Capello is just letting Beckham have his day when it doesn't matter. Let him start and have his ovation as he's subbed after 60 minutes. The Beckham circus will then have officially left town.

England can get on with winning games rather than hype. I think Capello knows where the future lies. I hope so, anyway!

So where did you end up Paal?

The truth is that for the size of the city, the food isn't great. CheshireBlue lists some of the better places. I would add Petit Blanc, in terms of its fixed price menu. Not spectacular, but good value. Lounge ten gets good reviews, but there are too many chains, serving only very average stuff at top prices.

A case in point is the lack of decent Italian restaurants: I haven't been impressed with San Carlo, Piccolino is better. In Whalley Range you can check out Palmiro. Great when they get it right, but my wife complains that the food's cold!

Also away from the city centre, there's the Lime Tree (Service a bit lax in my experience) Rhubarb, and Jem and I, all in Didsbury.

Not been impressed with Le Petit Blanc, or whatever it styles itself as at the moment. Similarly, Lounge 10 is pretentious and poor value, IMO.

Been to Piccolino's once and it was alright.

Choice gets a bit of a slating, but has always seemed pretty good to me.

I think that there's lots of good places to eat in Manchester. Maybe I'm a glass half full kinda chap?

We went to Chaophraya, absolutely amazing food. Well worth a visit if you like Thai food!

I'm pleased you liked it PKS. I thought my recommendation had been missed!

I went again tonight. It's always top notch. Service is great, as well as the food!

It's the wife's fave in Manchester and we eat out A LOT!

I've been saying for months that MGP has been playing deeper than he used to and not making the ame runs to the back post.

From the off on Sunday MGP (and Bentley) both played further forward. As result Bolton had to worry about MGP rather than the other way around.

If MGP keeps making those far post runs and pushing forward in the same manner he'll get back to making the impact he did a while ago.

But Matt, dads with daughters have one job - keep them off of the pole....

Why does it always boil down to the immigrants?

Chaophraya is superb if you like Thai food.

It's not far from the Arndale in Manchester.

Very please with him signing a new deal.

For a club of a our stature, we're very lucky that we have someone of his quality who's happy to be 4th choice and not moan and disrupt at not being selected.

Spot on.

What a few days for Mark King!

Born to be a defender with that name. Same is Nicky Marker.

If the academy was about developing players to make money and I was a coach, I'd sign every striker around. However, most of them would end up pants as they couldn't all play up front every game; then I'd get the sack.

LOL!

You're a clearly a very shrewd chap, Speeeeeds.

Pedersen gets half way round his man , the full back leans on him and he just gives up the battle.

He needs to toughen up physically and mentally, he seems to have a sunny disposition that prevents him getting nasty, he needs to get mad a few times.

You might be right Tyrone.

MGP was unimpressive last season, but he turned it around (I seem to recall) after having a barny with Dickov against City and then playing with a bit of fire in his belly

From Philipl's Daily Mail article.......

After comments on Axe and Sav "Hughes, who also now has Steven Reid's pace and power available after long-term injury, as well as fans' favourites Tugay and David Dunn, suddenly has an embarrassment of midfield riches."

Not really the phrase that I would have chosen. They are a lot of flawed diamonds at the moment.

I think 'embarrassment' fits the bill quite neatly, though...;-)

Pregnancy blocks Nelsen from All Whites

Bad news for NZ then against the mighty Vanuatu...

I have been there. I have been there when Ped and other famous people have been in. I have had my pic taken with Ped in there and asked the staff first if they/he minded me going over. They said its not a problem, he is a regular who goes there all the time.

Sven manages a team in Manchester. The restaurant is very popular.

See where I am going

Yep, MGP is often in there from what I've heard.

Sven has also been known to frequent it.

I think Rooney had a birthday meal there, too.

It is very popular. I've not been in yet, but I plan to. It's supposed to be excellent, although the waiters do try to ply you with drinks and then charge you for the extra bottles that you've got through, allegedly!

And Owen as his Henrik Pedersen

Nah, he played Pedersen at left back...

I think Big Sam wanted rid of Owen before the start of the season. Why else would he go the press shouting about Owen's releases clauses and how he didn't want him to leave but if the clause was activated what could he do? That was a clear 'come and get him' to the rest of the footballing world.

I can see him going after Anelka and maybe even Kevin Davies again, TBH. Probably when Bolton go down for Davies, though.

With the Big Sam 'way of playing' you can get in journeymen footballers and plug them into the system and it'll work. At the moment it's still not really his squad and the players listed don't fit his system (Owen certainly doesn't)

If he fancies emptying any of them out on the cheap I'd take a few of them like a shot. Hughesy would turn them into stars...

This might be a bit of a reach, but might Benni have cut a deal with the SA coach to not go to the African nations as it might harm his chances of leaving in January?

just read that too...this is great, but how we go from "suspected broken leg" to "could be fit tomorrow" is strange.

It isn't that strange really as neither comment is actually saying anything! They're both 'maybe' this and 'possibly' that.

the villa game i was living in morecambe with the WIFE,did not go home for 4 days,wondered why it only lasted 6 months

'Cos you went home?

So has anyone got any further thoughts on formations and things?

I'm Accy Syanley in the Chamionship. I got promoted twice using 4-1-4-1 and 4-3-3, but the bottom seems to have fallen out of that formation. Had to go back to 4-1-3-2 to try to scrape out results...

Just uploaded

Rovers v Barnsley 1989 - Simon Garner hat trick

Thanks, Whittle Blue! That was bloody brilliant!

The article states something along the lines of 'fans prefer a dodgy goal to a dogy offside because they pay to see goals."

Not sure about everyone else, but I prefer a correct decision. I'm dreaming right?

You're right, of course. It's like it's reasonable for a wrong decision to be made.

As for paying to see goals...I pay to see a game of football. A game of football includes lots of elements that i want to see. Good tackles, good saves, good goals, good dribbles - all part of the rich footballing stew.

In the alternative, if 'fans' prefer to see goals why shouldn't 'fans' also expect to see good goals. Let's scrap offsides (as they are clearly problematic - even after decades of them being reasonably OK...) and you can only score from outside the box.

Tough to call offsides to favour the attacker. This should help Benni, marginally.

No, it won't Benni's usually so far offside that there's never any doubt as to whether he is or isn't!

If they've brought in a rule that 'dodgy goals' count it'll just mean that the big boys (mainly Man United) score 20 more goals this season that would otherwise be allowed. We'll find that the rule hasn't changed at all for us.

It possible that they've only said this so that the awful 'John Terry blocking the keepers vision' incident is somehow justified. They did something similar when RVN was wandering offside all over the shop for Man U and still getting goals allowed, if you recall. Allardyce and Strachan started having players offside 'not affecting play' outside of the keepers vision and things of that ilk, which I thought was genius. It made a mockery of a stupid 'rule' (interpretation?) that had just been brought it to cover up refereeing inadequacies.

does anyone know what kind of animal dunny is?

predator pehaps?

He used to be a kind of three toed sloth, apparently. Good for getting curve of long range shots.

I'm not sure what he is now. Some sort of mastodon?