Many thanks to you guys for answering my questions on HNA. I also stuck the same questions on another Reading MB and nobody has responded- not even some abuse! How does it feel being one of the four teams to have won the Prem? Proud, fantastic, dreamland etc. Was sensational when it happened- beyond all our wildest fantasies that dear little old Rovers could win the big one again. Always nice to respond to uppety Newcastle, Liverpool, Spuds etc supporters with "Have you won the Premier League?" What do you think of Mark Hughes? Excellent manager. Has been very sound in the transfer market, seems to be a good man manager and has the technical side of running the playing staff as advanced as any. UEFA Cup – Heaven or Hell? Heaven. Been in Europe 6 times out of 12 Premiership seasons now but this is the first non-embarassment. Interesting that playing European sides now seems so much easier than the Premiership. We've beaten the league leaders of Austria and Poland and Basle and Feyernoord have reasonable European heritage as well. I fancy that beating Nancy before we play Reading is going to be important for Rovers' prospects of continued progress. Why has your season started so indifferently? When Charlton scored in the 94th minute last night we were missing Nelsen (detatched hamstring; one of the best in the Prem and responsible for at least 6 points with goal saving tackles last season), Reid (broken back; revelation second half of last season), Roberts (broken metatarsal; summer's most expensive signing), Kizanishvilli and Jeffers (both groin injuries), Emerton (hamstring gone), Pederson (finally out with broken rib) and Bentley (kicked to pieces by Fulham). Henchoz only played after a late fitness test and Neill and McCarthy are both well less than 100% fit. Some real muppet refereeing going against us and missing all three penalties we've been awarded hasn't helped either. However, the key factor is the loss of Bellamy- we know longer have anyone who scares the opposition and takes two opposing players to watch him creating space for everyone else. Injuries and suspensions have disrupted our usual high tempo accurate passing game. Who has performed above expectations for your team? And who not? Emerton has beaten all expectations. Ooijer has come good after a shaky start, Bentley continues to look great in patches, McCarthy slotting them reliably until missing some sitters in recent games. The two greats- Friedel and Tugay have been performing at or near their very best. Savage has not been as imposing as he can be, Pederson's confidence is shot to non-existant. Why do you not sell out the ground? Tell you what, halve the population of Reading, halve the income of the ones left, stick a Premiership club in Henley, another in Wokingham, move Man U and Man City to Maidenhead, Liverpool and Everton to Slough and promote Pangbourne into League 2 and tell me why Reading don't sell out the Madejski. What do you think of Reading? Delighted for you. I think you are in the Premiership to stay. Coppell coming good after a long and painful management apprenticeship. Score Prediction? I was there when you beat us 4-0 at Elm Park. You might repeat that scoreline. Any finally - tell me some Interesting fact about your club? The only club in the world still to have won major trophies in the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty first centuries.

When the deal was signed, the Rovers management were reported at being elated by the amount they were getting for the club from SWI. I wonder if SWI paid for a "non-interference" clause from Rovers? If that is the case, Rovers won't breathe a word of complaint/suggestion as I would imagine SWI are not exactly quids in on the deal and could be looking for any opportunity to break the contract legitimately.

Stevens asks for yet more time. It seems that a bust agency (they must have been bad!), Allardyce and the Earnshaw transfer are attracting a lot of attention.

You are right Roverite. Year in year out we went to the Valley, played well, they played badly and we lost. Sparky has cut out some of the stupid defeats but we are going to have to fight very very hard to win this one.

This is a huge challenge now- Charlton welcome three players back from injury and a look at the table this morning tells us all we need to know about Les Read's team talks. - Charlton's most important game this decade etc etc. Rovers with 6 out through injury. Even so a line-up of Friedel, Emerton, Ooijer, Neill, Gray, Bentley, Tugay, Savage, MGP, McCarthy, Nonda; subs Brown, Todd, Gally, Peter, Mokoena doesn't look too bad. Derbyshire and McEveley still don't make the bench.

The biggest beneficiary under the scheme I suggested would be Rovers fans as we already have the cheapest tickets.

So a rumour on the Kop is serious is it? Don't be daft. I am being serious- Liverpool are being sold to DIC. I have plenty of contacts there so I can find out whether they are going to keep Rafa or not with far more chance of reality than the gossips of the Kop. Quite honestly, my guess is that Rafa is safe. He only won the European Cup for you and Liverpool are sitting pretty in the PL league table for a second half push for 3rd or 4th.

My gut feel is that with the foreign money men having come into the game to make money, there will be much tighter control over wages than in the past- this is happening with recent surveys showing a dramatic reduction in wage increases. The PL is already the most powerful league financially so apart from Chelsea, Arsenal and Mancs going toe-to-toe with AC, Barca and Real there isn't any external competitive push on wages. If the PL is sensible, the smaller clubs will get a modest change to distribution favouring themselves and particularly the relegated clubs. The PL has a 14 vote one club one vote rule so this should be possible. A move like this will hopefully take away some of the massive fear factor that exists within the Premiership now and hopefully reverse the current collapse in goal scoring. Secondly, all except the London and CL-type clubs should take advantage of the new broadcasting windfall next season and seriously cut ticket prices. A PL initiative to reduce prices by 25% or more has to be the way forwards to offset the massive disincentive of games no longer being habituated on Saturdays at 3pm. Next season, BT will be broadcasting the Setanta rights as well as 75% of all other games on delay. The balance has got to be tipped back to the fan in the stadium, particularly the travelling fans who create the atmosphere in all seater stadia. The PL has to incentivise away fans. Perhaps a rule should be introduced whereby the tickets for visiting fans should be made available at the price those fans pay for home matches if distributed by the visiting club on a membership or season ticket basis.

They are being sold to Dubai so they'll probably get a camel trainer.

When we had been relegated back in 1966, Everton away was the only first division draw we ever seemed to get in the FA Cup. Certainly remember a 3-0 defeat and a 2-0 defeat at Goodison.

This campaign against Mokoena is sheer sturrocking stupid. The guy will not be on a fortune, he does have physical presence, he can disrupt the opposition, passes don't go forwards but he usually plays a good out ball along the line, the pace of the Prem doesn't phase him, he seems to be a very professional individual, he doesn't cause problems when he is displaced, he has got big match international experience - in short he is ideal material to have at a club of Rovers size and means. No doubt if Sparky signs the players he is targetting, the Axe will be 20th in a 24 man squad but a player like Aaron is needed. It is a squad game these days.

Well they seem to have started...

Just out of interest, anyone know why the draw was not allowed to be broadcast on the internet? Real toss-up as to who will progress from Everton v Rovers. Some oter tasty ties around as well.

The only thing that is falling faster than the number of bums on seats is the balls in nets.

To keep them both happy- rover6 actually wants MGP in the Axe role.

If we'd lost today, we could have said good bye to pretensions about European football next season. As it is we are 9 points off fourth with two games in hand. If we beat Charlton and Newcastle, we can sleep easy with regards to relegation worries.

Henchoz replaces Zura. Neill to RB Emerton back to RW Bentley to centre mid. Fulham are big so and sos - bit concerned that Bentley and MGP might get squashed.

So you reckon the Mancs will move for Dunn then 'drogy? Got a feeling that Larsson could be new Cantona for the Mancs. Bit old for drop kicking Palace supporters but could be as talismatic.

Probably get a nightmare draw like Pompey away- no money and little chance of progress. One or two fizzy pop league away fixtures could be uncomfortable- Norwich or Derby away for instance.

What's with all these squiggles these days? 1 home and 3 away for me.

It seems that Zurab and Jeffers are out, not doubts. Suspect Hughes will go for Henchoz replacing Zurab and Neill to replace Gray and no changes elsewhere. Gally to be on the bench and to get at least 20 minutes in place of Nonda if we are not winning by then.

I feel sorry for decent Feyernoord fans like SCF08 but UEFA have to act. The prospect of a Feternoord v Krakow game deciding which of those two qualify sounds like a recipe for a disaster in terms of crowd problems. Even more credit is due to the Rovers' travelling support for not getting into any trouble in either Krakow or Rotterdam. With one round of games to go, Rovers' opponents in the round of 32 will be: If we beat Nancy, the following are in 3rd place in the UEFA Groups- Auxerre (Livorno or Partizan Belgrade could go 3rd) Besiktas (Leverkusen a long shot to overtake them) Liberec (Braga also a long shot for 3rd) Osasuna (or Lens or Odense if someone else gets a stuffing) Ajax (or Zulte-Waregem if Ajax beat them in the decider in Amsterdam) Rapid Bucarest (this one is wide open as Hapoel, Mlada or PSG could come 3rd) Fenerbahce (another day of destiny as Celta, Palermo or Frankfurt could come 3rd) If we don't beat Nancy, the following are in 3rd place in the CL Groups- Barcelona (Werder will drop to 3rd only if beaten by Barca in their last game) Sporting Lisbon (Spartak Moscow a long shot to overtake them) Bordeaux (an exceptional scoring feat needed from Galatasaray to dislodge them) Shakhtar Donetsk (Olypiacos hanging on by a thread) Steau Bucharest (again all but certain to prevail over Dynamo Kiev) CSKA Moscow (will probably overtake either Porto or Arsenal and Rovers cannot be drawn against the Arsenal) Lille (or Anderlecht or AEK) Benfica (or possibly Man U whom we cannot play or a long shot Copenhagen)

If that is true SCF, Nancy broke UEFA rules and could be in hot water as well. Is there any footage of who was lobbing the tear gas? Questions will be asked if Nancy did not communicate with the UEFA officials before the police started tear gassing the crowd. However, Feyernoord are looking at a massive fine and ban: - history of trouble - previous bans - Pedersen incident to be considered - Pre-match riot in Nancy - events during the game. The Nancy supporters all behaving themselves makes it even tougher for Feyernoord because there was zero provocation apart from being on the wrong end of a right thrashing on the pitch.

Damn, we could have done with that penalty going in. Unfortunately, the Feyernoord fans rioted in Nancy before the game as well. If the jumpy Gendarmerie fired the teargas whilst the game was in progress, it might be less clearcut about what will happen. However, as they are playing again, I guess what the score is when they finish is what will stand.

I was referring to the round of 32 as I was answering a point about Rovers coming 2nd being OK. You are right that the CL clubs got wiped out in later rounds but in the 2nd place v CL exiled games in the round of 32, only Levski prevailed against Artmedia. Anyway, Nancy's game has been abandonned. No doubt Feyernoord will be entertaining Krakow in an empty stadium on 13 December but the 3-0 scoreline will be allowed to stand from tonight. The official table is showing Rovers top and Nancy as having only played two games at the moment. Barca have to beat Werder Bremen next week to avoid dropping into the UEFA. Werder were good enough to beat a determined decent strength Chelsea whilst Barca will still be injury-hit.