Tyrone Shoelaces

It’s like he went away on holiday in summer and his twin brother came back in his place. To try and lighten the mood this morning. A story about my Rugby League team. The directors had gone scouting a rugby union player in deepest Gloucestershire after the last war. As was things in those days it was all cloak and dagger, rugby league directors were poison to union officials. The centre they were scouting had a great game and the directors decided to sign him. They spotted the guy come into the club house after the game for a pint and took him to one side. “ Would you like to sign a contract with us and play professional rugby ?” They asked him. The guy said “ I’d love to sign for you gentlemen but what about this ? “ With that he lifted his trousers bottoms slightly to reveal an artificial leg ! He’d been wounded in the war and he was the twin brother of the lad they had been scouting.

You had to watch the strikers I played with. They’d be fighting over who had the ball !

I things don’t pick up between now and then and the worst happens at the dingledome it could be taxi for Tomasson. He needs to wake up and smell the roses, he’s not here for a holiday..

If you’re not going to press 100% you might as well not bother at all. Being half hearted about it is the worst of all worlds.

It’s a good job we’re at home, I wouldn’t fancy us away for a minute. We get “ travel sick” too easily at the moment.

Like I said Tony, we’re really easy to play against. We were like that when Hughes came in, and Big Sam for that matter. The first thing they did was make us hard to play against. The expansive football can come later.

What’s the captain doing to prevent that situation ? Your job as captain is to ensue whatever orders that have been given prior to KO are adhered to.

You’ve played football. Which is hardest ? Trying to play your way out of trouble as a back four player or trying to press the ball when the defender has it ? I could get young lads out of the Sunday League who can press the ball all day as long as they are good athletes. No real skill required.

The bottom line is we’re too easy to play against. Until that changes expect more repeats of last nights results.

It’s worth watching for Didi alone. The Tugay of his day.

Is his way of playing different to Mowbray’s ? I remember that season when Mowbray tried playing “ Keep Ball “ and we got nowhere with it. Expecting high class possession football with average players is a recipe for disaster. It’ll get more lower level managers the sack than ever it will a trophy. The lad at my local club, Rochdale, tried it and it got them relegated and he lost his job. He’s coaching City’s kids now, maybe it will work with them.

He’s skating on very thin ice for me. If things carry on in this vein up to the dingles game and we lose that I think the fans will turn. The football is dogshit.

I’ll take that now.

Add that to the very, very long list of games we’ve lost after going behind. That tells me all I need to know. I said I wasn’t happy with the line up before KO and I’m even less happy now ! Watch it all change again on Saturday. Tomasson is skating on very thin ice for me. If he can’t see the “ play it around at the back until we lose it “ style gets team relegated he’s nothing like as smart as he thinks he is. Get a style of play that suits the players, don’t try and do it the other way around. That’s what smart managers do.

It looks like 4 at the back. What happens to the other 6, anybody knows.

I’d say no. Would you have Brittain in a back three instead of Wharton or even Carter ?

If I was going to rest a centre back it would be Ayala not Wharton. Another change in the way we’re playing. If we get a result I’ll hold my hand up. If we lose I’ll not be a happy guy with that team.

That was a mistake - Slater was a better player.

I don’t remember those, the ones we had were white.

Sometimes 6 minutes is enough. Some times it’s more than enough.

It’s not summer now and the bills need paying ?

I agree playing Ayala in every game will only end one way.

Edit - make that three cars.

A lot of so so strikers haven’t got a great first touch. I remember hearing Tommy Docherty talking about signing Ted MacDougall who was a prolific striker when he was managing Man Utd. He said he couldn’t believe how bad he was when he first saw him in training. He could put the ball in the back of the net though.

Great photos. Just two parked cars in the first one !