Stockport next up

Anyone else noticed that every team we play begins with the letter 's': Scunthorpe, Swindon, Stoke, Sheffield Wednesday and now Stockport. Typical Palarse to ruin it on Saturday.

I'm not going tomorrow, but I will be interested to see what sort of side we field. Will we try to build a side that knows each other inside out, and start with the same or very similar eleven? Or will we use the cup as an opportunity to rest key players and blood youngsters?

Meanwhile, rumours that Bent may go to Wigan or one of the promoted sides (likely), and Earnshaw might come to Charlton (ridiculous) persist. Reasons to doubt the Earnshaw rumour ? The lad has only just got off the train at Derby, and would surely be reluctant to move straight back to a Championship side; we are already well stocked with strikers, even if Bent leaves; Pards has bemoaned our side's lack of height, so seems unlikely to be on the lookout for another titch; and apparently the money that Derby receive for the transfer would be spent on Nugent, who recently moved to Portsmouth, and probably wouldn't fancy the move to a club already fated to relegation. No one links us with the kind of tough and commanding centre back that we really -- desperately -- need. Pards moves in mysterious ways ...