They’ve got more of a chance if they bring a good midfield player in as well. Should be able to do it on £25 million plus . When they sold a player in the the past they always had a player ready and waiting to step in. What they’d give now for a Brian O’Neil and a Willie Irvine now. Wingers were a speciality. I remember them selling Connelly to bring in Willie Morgan, when he went Coates came in, then Thomas, Kindon, James, the winger who went to Everton. It was a never ending supply until the scouting system fell down.

If you could bring back one player in that team at the height of their powers to play for us now, who would it be ? I think I’d have to go for Garner but Sellers and Barker will have their fans.

There’ll still be a long way to go. I read somewhere the Burnley play Newcastle in the final game of the season, it could go down to that.

How many of them has Ayala played in ?

Yeah, my go to pin up in the 1960’s. I used to be in the Phil Spector Appreciation Society. I’ve still my “ Back To Mono “ badge somewhere.

That’s not too bad if you Ayala in the team.

2-2 27th July 1986. Rovers Team O’Keefe Branagan, Keeley, Fazackerly, Rathbone Miller, Barker, Sellers, Patterson Quinn, Garner. subs not used Gennoe, Mail, Ainscow, Brotherston, Diamond Scorers Quinn 2.

Yeah, get that striker from Fulham at the same time and the job’s a good ‘un.

We dodged a bullet with Obafemi.

Sounds like there’s a lot of good work going on with the young players.

I thought we bought Duncan Shearer as a replacement when Mike Newall broke his leg.

And a few we wouldn’t want. I would have thought £25 million could get you two out field players good enough to make a difference if it’s spent wisely. If we’re talking strikers it may take £25 million to get a good striker in. I think Newcastle paid well over the odds for Wood but that might now be the going rate. Keep signing Championship players and ultimately you end up with a good team - in the Championship.

Paul Downing - remember him ? Supposed to be signing on loan at Rochdale from Portsmouth. Making way for Carter going there on loan ?

I can’t see that happening, they couldn’t afford the fee now. It’d be a hard decision to make though - the Dingle dome or the Nou Camp ?

Get in the queue behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. That’s what the papers say.

We’ll have to get a bit further on in the season before I feel the need to pray at a football match.

Lawrenson had pace to burn, not many beat him in a foot race.

They could buy Wood to play in the reserves just to get him away from Burnley. I reckon the Dingles did well to get their money back, to get a bit more is a good result.

Why’s that Chaddy ? We didn’t.

Say what you want about Lawrenson but he was a class act as a defender.

All part of Tony’s master plan.

If they don’t back us now they never will. It’s as simple as that really.

We used to have a saying - “ You need to win at United to get a draw “.

Maybe we need a plan B for the strikers when the “ false centre forward “:plan isn’t working.

Not a position we’re looking to strengthen unfortunately. When you’ve got Ayala on the bench.