Thanks as usual Tony. Your marking system is very revealing as to who played well and who didn’t.

Nyambe or Buckley ? I know who I’d rather play against if I was playing on the left wing for Fulham. Fair play to the lad for being prepared to play there in a crisis but he’s not a natural defender.

Schopp gets the chop ?

It was a strange appointment in the first place.

Derby bet the ranch on him when he signed. As you say he seems not to have progressed since then.

Yeah, I was mixing up two different players. I blame the extra hour in bed.

Sorry, yes you’re dead right. My mistake.

I remember watching him when he was playing at Charlton with Bauer who went to Preston. He looked to be head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. Twice the player that Bauer was. Maybe he’s had a lot of injuries.

With Nyambe and Ayala in I’d fancy a draw, without them it’s going to be a struggle. A 0-0 it won’t be.

Don’t forget the clocks go back at 2-00 am Sunday morning. Will that have a bearing on the calculation ?

Carter,Lenihan,Van Hecke.

If Mowbray was thinking of playing 5 at the back with Nyambe and Ayala out today would be a good a time as any.

I wonder when we’ll see Ayala again ?

In other words - run Blackburn Rovers like a normal football club ! After 10 years, in our hearts, we all know it isn’t going to happen.

I’ve had that feeling for the last ten years. It’s getting a bit wearing by now.

I agree. I’d be really surprised if we see a penny of this money spent out on the pitch.

“ Discretion is the better part of valour “ ?

When I did my back 35 odd years ago the osteopath/physio I consulted had been doing some work for Rovers in the mid 1960’s on a consultancy basis. He had rooms in Blackburn and Rochdale. We got to talking about the Sheffield Wed game. He told me that Ronnie had been suffering back trouble in the week before the game and he’d been having traction every day in an attempt to get him fit. Traction, for those who don’t know, is were you get put in a rack like device and your body is pulled in two directions in an attempt to correct a disc problem. I speak from experience. I don’t think they do it now.

There’s a great Bryan Douglas goal in the other game on show v Spurs away.

Both teams have changed from their normal strip. Wasn’t that the rule in the FA Cup at that time ? I’d like to see our current team play on that pitch !

I’ve worked with several guys who’d emigrated to South Africa and then came back home. It was the racism that was too much for them and I wouldn’t have said any of them were particularly politically correct. I’ve also met a few white South Africans/ Rhodesians over here and I didn’t like any of them.

Given the state of the ball, boots and pitch the individual ball control in the old days was excellent. Especially from the forwards. Players could beat their opponents with ball skills in those days. Nothing like as much square passing, players were looking to get the ball forward ASAP. Lots of hours spent playing on the old cobbled streets with a tennis ball !

That’s better reading Tony. That’s as good as being there and a good bit cheaper ! Thanks as always.

Ken Taylor was playing right back in the Stoke game.

Mm, don’t mention the heading. That’s not so easy to practice on your own.