Khizanishvili tries to clear from inside the penalty box, but straight to the Angel's feet and he gets one-on-one with Friedel and 2-0.

Our pen claim was a bit weak. Pederson felt a hand on his back and took a dive. I wouldn't have given it.

Watching the game and have to agree. Woudn't have given a penalty from the Gamst situation. But not from Sutton's cross to Ooijer's ribs either.

Villa has been more dangerous and Hughes has to try to repeat last sunday's teamtalk to get the guys playing their best at second half. I don't think there's much to look forward from the bench.

Sutton crosses to Ooijer's (or Neill's) head inside the box and for some reason ref gives a penalty. Barry shoots to upper right corner and 1-0.

By way of a contrast, why is Pedersen still in the team?

Because he produces results in the games we have the possession of the ball? Just like Tugay, he just doesn't seem to fit in the counter attack style we're forced to play against the big clubs. Against weaker defencies he wreaks havoc especially in the set pieces, which we had yesterday in Liverpool's half like 1 or 2 total? Apart from Bentley and Savage, our front 6 was pretty anonymous the whole game - just because we're simply not good enough to keep possession against likes of Liverpool. Should MGP start against Bolton, I'm pretty confident he'll show his worth once again.

First away win, clean sheet, Burnley lose and have a player sent off and Stanley come from behind to rescue a point ... Not a bad day all round This must put us in the top half right?

If I'm not totally wrong, we're 10th now.

M'boro lineup looks really defensive, 4-5-1 or 5-4-1, where will Parnaby play? I guess Southgate fears the McCarthy-Nonda -duo too I'm guessing 2-2, both of our starting strikers scoring and Zurab-Ooijer -duo allowing two easy goals to Morrison and Yakubu.

That's actually 5 from the first 6, and 8 from the first 7.

True Well, then we need to win Citizens and Wigan

This caught my eye:

Manchester United 1 Blackburn 2

SEPTEMBER 24: Barclays Premiership at Old Trafford. (More)

Blackburn 0 Newcastle 3

SEPTEMBER 18: Barclays Premiership at Ewood Park. (More)

Bolton 0 Blackburn 0

SEPTEMBER 11: Barclays Premiership at the Reebok. (More)

Aston Villa 1 Blackburn 0

AUGUST 27: Barclays Premiership at Villa Park. (More)

Blackburn 0 Tottenham 0

AUGUST 24: Barclays Premiership at Ewood Park. (More)

Blackburn 2 Fulham 1

AUGUST 20: Barclays Premiership at Ewood Park. (More)

West Ham 3 Blackburn 1

AUGUST 13: Barclays Premiership at Upton Park.

5 points from the first 7 games last season. And the only win against the worst away team in the league (Fulham). If we can win either City or Wigan at home and lose the other 2 games, we'd on the exact same situation after 7 games as we did last year. And the last campaign wasn't that bad, was it?

Just watched the delayed broadcast here. My 50 cents:

Our penalty and Shef's second one were ridicilous, but Shef's first one was so-and-so - Zurab kept on hanging from Hulse's shirt, Dean warned him before the corner took off and as it didn't end, he awarded the penalty. Holding the shirt is one of the biggest problems in footy at the moment and hopefully the ref's have the guts to keep on awarding penalties on those.

Zurab-Ooijer was out of sync again and we're really running out of time to get them on sync, but I guess that's the duo Hughes has his faith on, as Todd was on the stands with Gray and Neill playing at left-back. I can't imagine Henchoz forcing his way to the starting line-up anytime soon. Neill and Emerton on their respective back positions were good again, atleast those positions are in order.

Midfield didn't do bad, but no help to the strikers thou. Tugay will get better once he gets a few games under his belt, Savage was his own self and Bentley had a few decent crosses. MGP is looking like 50% of last years version - is he still out of form or what the hell has happened to the guy? Lousy decisions and doesn't look dangerous at all - if you can't be dangerous against Shef U and David Sommeil, who then?

McCarthy was simply bad. Jeffers was lively, I just wish he'd have 10 games under his belt - he'd be 10 times more dangerous, now I doubt we have time to give him the games he needs on the first team. I guess Hughes will try to play him at reserves so he'd retain his form from 6 years ago Nonda was looking strong and athletic, but that's it.

Hughes needs to pull some tricks from his sleeve to get things turned around, hopefully in time for the ManC's game. Bring on few tactical and personell changes for the Salzburg-game.

Stupid tackle from Neill in the Kalou incident, should've been a penalty. He's playing a good game at left-back, but somehow it feels like he'll get a card or two with those wreckless tackles at the second half.

Somehow we should create a goal, because if we don't, Chelsea will score a fluke at 89min.

Swedish Anders Andersson is playing for Swedish Malmo FF, not ever-present, but a regular first team member anyways.

Norwegian Egil Ostenstad is currently employed as a director of football in Viking F.K in Norway.

Looking at the centre mid situation at chelsea for example how on earth can they accomodate Essien Makelele, Lampard and Ballack, unless they play 3 in the middle which means either a wide player or a striker is dropped and I can't see any of the numerous players they have in those positions being happy about being rested either. w of them over the years...

I wouldn't be suprised if Shevchenko would start as a lone striker in their last years 4-5-1 format. Drogba and Crespo haven't really made an impact .. and that's their whole strikeforce at the moment. Playing two up front with 3 senior strikers seems a bit questionnable, as Chelsea will probably get 60+ games this season. Summer isn't over yet and Italian situation might change this picture

Other thing is that Makelele is 33 already and they'll need to start introducing his cover plan sooner or later. As Mascherano hasn't yet signed from Chelsea's Brazil-money laundry-club Corinthians, Essien is most probably Makelele's prodigee atleast now. Dropping Essien to share (roration) the anchor-role with Makelele would allow Mourinho to play Ballack and Lampard as central midfielders with Cole and Robben on wing.

5 Live said "a serious looking injury from a horror challenge" :s

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Looking it live @ Finland. There was a small cut to which they sprayed some water, but didn't look serious. Well, I'm not a doctor

And Savage off injured. Little cut on his leg from Rio's challenge, didn't look that serious thou. 6 minutes of OT!

A quote from the official site

"Kuqi, his first touch is appalling"

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Bentley seems to be reluctant to even pass to him, he rather goes to the corner flag to play time. Perhaps FSP will be more up to Bentley's standard