Tyrone Shoelaces

“ Lamped “ . That’s an old Lancashire expression. Anybody know where it comes from ? I heard an explanation years ago.

Their centre half missed a complete sitter when he ran through our defence first half. It was harder to miss that it was to score.

Well spotted. I’d forgotten about him. I played Left Back at times. That’s definitely a full backs tackle back in the day. Now it would be a card, then it was “ play on “.

I know a good optician, I can send you his phone number if you like.

I agree with all of that. It’s great to have a recognisable team shape and a coherent and successful way of getting the ball from our end to their end. It’s about time but it’s great to see. The only fly in the ointment is we have to make a lot of chances to score a goal. When you watch the finishing in yesterdays Liverpool game you see what big money brings you in terms of goalscoring. It put me in mind of that Rovers v Forest 7-0 years ago. I think we had 8 shots on goal and 7 went in !

Here’s your choices - the team for that game. Arnold Branagan , Keeley, Fazackerley, De Vries Brotherston, Kendall, Speight, McKenzie Garner, Stonehouse No subs. DeVries was a left back we signed from Hull. He played 16 games for us in the 1980-81 season. He lost his place to Mick Rathbone. Looking at photos of him I’d say he’s a likely candidate.

You can’t play it any other way. How else can you maintain competition for places ? We’re all equal but some are more equal than others ?

Were they winning today Gav ?

Kaminski was below par for a few games before he dropped out. Maybe the injury was affecting him for a while.

I thought that also but there’s an old saying in football “ You never get tired when you’re winning “.

Me too. You can’t leave anyone out unless it’s a fitness issue.

Pears has got the shirt for me.

Go on most championship clubs forums and you’ll read similar stories . “ Yoofs “ out of control on drugs etc behaving like bell ends. Especially at away games. Having said that Burnley seem to have a bigger problem with it than most other teams at the moment.

Me too. I’m just going back to the Leicester game. He needed 3 good chances to score 1 goal. On Saturday in the spell were they were on top he gave the ball away more than I’d like. As you say mainly because he was overly ambitious in the passes he tried to make. He wasn’t on his own in that respect, there was a spell were we couldn’t put two passes together. Whatever was said at halftime sorted that problem out. Our passing improved massively and we never looked back. Szmodics played his part in that and he was desperately unlucky with a finely controlled shot the just hit the bar. That would have a good goal.

No, but it’s getting better. I prefer the view from the Jack Walker Upper.

This time we won’t be taking a knife to a gun fight.

A very busy and enthusiastic little player but he gives the ball away a lot for me. He was playing at Peterborough for a reason. Should he be starting for Rovers at the movement - definitely, his work rate is important to the way we play.

The Easybeats - Friday On my Mind Is that an omen for this Friday ?

Sometimes players who aren’t quite as skilful have the abilities to fit into the game plan better. A bit like Alf Ramsey playing Roger Hunt when there were better strikers around but not with Hunt’s work rate. Szmodics fits into the current game plan to JDT’s satisfaction. He’s more mobile than Dack and probably more of a pain to play against. He looks to be an irritating opponent. Nothing wrong with that. Dack will get his chance when he’s fit again but there’s no need to rush him back.

When Spurs won the old European Cup Winners Cup Rovers played them shortly afterwards. We gave them a guard of honour and allowed them to parade the trophy around the ground. I was there and I saw it. Then our young team played them off the park and cruised to a 3-0 win.

When we were going for promotion back in those days there wasn’t much incentive for players to leave clubs. With the ” Maximum Wage “ wages were the same everywhere. So that meant the likes of up and coming international players like Clayton, Douglas, Vernon, and Dobing could be kept at the club for seasons on end. Today all of those would have been lured away after a season or so. Look at Brentford and all the players they’ve had lured away. The difference is they have been smart enough to find replacements every bit as good.

The Eagles - New Kid In Town

Not Mowbray.

Markanday didn’t get on again today. A complete waste of time him going there so far.

The Beatles - I Call Your Name