Tyrone Shoelaces

Apart from injury I think Phil Jones marred his United career. He never developed the mental side of the game. He was still making the same mistakes at Utd that he was making as a lad at Rovers.

There’s also gaining football intelligence. Where to pass and when to pass. Some players just lend you the ball. They pass it to you just to get rid of it. Anywhere will do. Good players pass it to you so you’re on your better foot etc I remember listening to Malcolm Alison talking about what a clever player Alan Ball was. He showed an incident were Ball was in possession in the old inside right channel about 30 yards from goal. The right full back broke on his outside and was looking for a pass. Ball could have easily passed the ball into his stride. He didn’t do that, he played the ball up towards the byeline so that when the full back sprinted to the ball his only option was to cross the ball. Allison said that was “ Bally pulling the strings, he knew the full back would dither if he passed it directly to him, so he played a pass that only gave him the option of crossing the ball. “ Clever.

Yes there’s a big difference in playing a 17 year old striker and a 17 year old centre half.

I just noticed Bill Ashurst has died. What a player he was, he could do it all, run, kick, pass, tackle. He was a natural who could beat teams on his own. They don’t make forwards like Bill nowadays. He was also no stranger to the early bath. In his RL Express obituary it mentions he was also a very good soccer player who had a trial at Blackburn Rovers.

Rooney was a once in a generation player as well. He had it all at 17.

You needed a bed with a softer headboard !

If somebody does spot a promising young player by time the owners have got their act together the player will have been picked up by somebody else.

I think it helps when your opponents play the right way also.

Edun I suppose. Let’s hope that JDT knows a left back when he sees one. I don’t think Mowbray did.

I wouldn’t have fancied playing in shorts so long. Flapping around you knees as you run. If you’re bringing a pass down on your thigh I’d like to be able to see my thigh. Jimmy Hill was the only one I can remember with a beard. Then Trevor Hockey.

Burnley must need 18 new players then. Get the cheque book Mr Pace.

It does have some relevance. We won the World Cup wearing shorter shorts !

It means his hairline is receding. He’ll be needing the Rooney treatment soon.

Maybe you haven’t got the legs for them Chaddy.

Looks like “ the tides going out “ for Dack.

Everything style wise comes around if you wait long enough. As I said Stanley Mathews in the 1940’s was wearing the same sort of shorts as players are wearing now.

Diana Ross struggling somewhat on the BBC Glasto coverage. I’ll persist with it though.

You mean like Bradley Dack or Joe Rothwell ? Of course there are always the Edun’s of this world.

Items that aren’t in my wardrobe.

Oh dear. You don’t let your wife buy your clothes do you by any chance ?

Exactly. Style victim. Just missing the knotted hankie.

I haven’t seen Twine play but lots of clubs were watching him. I haven’t seen Ballard play either. We got Dack from that level of football and he was a real class act before his injuries. There are players out there but it’s a 50/50 chance of them making the step up my estimation..

Wow.

There’s a photograph of Bill Eckersley , Rovers and England left back of the 1950’s, taken after training at Ewood. Bill was a notorious practical joker apparently. He sat amongst a group of players on the boundary wall In front of the old main stand. I’ve seen this photo loads of times over the years and I never saw anything unusual previously . Then I saw what must be the uncensored original version on the internet. Bill is wearing loose floppy black shorts and he’s pulled one leg of the shorts up a bit and you can clearly see his todger. You can tell he did it deliberately. On all the other photos it’s blacked out to blend in with his shorts.

That makes your legs look very short. I’m only 5’ 8” so I need to look taller any way I can.