The old Rochdale Cricket Club at Dane Street in the centre of town had a similar order placed on it. It was given to the club and the town years ago on the understanding that it would always be used for sporting events. Of course it was in a prime location. There's an ASDA and a Curry's on it now.

Those with long memories will remember when players were injured on account of it costing too much to play them. The Bank Manager had final say on who played then. Are we back in that boat ?

Better still, inside the town hall.

You, or anyone else for that matter, couldn't pick a Rovers starting eleven I couldn't find several problems with. Not your fault, we've signed some real dross over the last few years. Could I pick a better team ? Probably not because these are the cards that Mowbray has dealt us. What's the lad from City done to get a game ? I wonder how he'll go on against Murray ? Dolan is better coming off the bench in my opinion. Elliot is better on the wing. Brereton seems to have regressed back to the nonentity we signed originally. I can't paint a picture were we get anything today, much as I'd like to be able to. Forest are on a par with QPR and Barnsley but both of those were too good for us. Two pretty average teams. One organised, one not. That usually only ends one way. Lets see if we can dredge up some commitment from somewhere for once.

" Well organised " is exactly what we aren't. In my opinion, barring the very occasional game, we've never looked to be a well organised team all the time Mowbray has been here. That's why I wanted him out after his first full season.

I wanted Mowbray out long ago but I've never wanted us to lose, no matter what the circumstances are.

I'd take 14th now.

I'm not so sure. We've got plenty of players who look good on paper as individuals but as a collective we're all over the place. I honestly can't see what Mowbray has been trying to create over the last four years.

We got lucky with Souey and the Barcodes, I can't see lightning striking twice in the same place.

I was invited to watch a Rovers game at a pals house a while ago. We started the game on cans of Stella but at one point my pal came in with a can for me that I'd never heard of before. He said " I'm sorry Tyrone, but we're on the 99p cans now ". I said " 99p isn't that bad ". He replied " That's for six cans " !

The training pitch is the place for trying out new systems of play.

Lenihan still hasn't learnt not to be drawn to the ball un-necessarily. What can be a positive for a midfield player is a negative for a defender. Jones at Utd is another one with that failing in his game.

Err, the play-off spot is out of the question already.

I thought it stood for - There Is No Alternative, for a minute !

Two goalie's wouldn't have kept that out. Great free kick.

Then the first thing he says at the start of the new season is - " Let's give the lads who got us up a chance first ". The bloke's a crack pot.

Looking at the players on an individual basis only takes you so far. I can't see how his signings have been made with a view to creating a team. Unless you're planning to play with 6 in midfield that is

What makes it worse is we had a good look at him at Rovers. Then he had a really indifferent spell at Big Club before doing nothing back Southampton. There was no need to take the risk, for £5 million other options were available.

I was texting my son after last nights game but he wouldn't reply. I could guess why. He's just replied now - " That first half was as bad an half as I've ever seen, anywhere, not just Rovers ".

You'd have to be a masochist to pay to watch the tripe on offer at the moment.

Seasons for me. The way we huffed and puffed to get promoted spoke volumes. I lost count of the number of games were all we had was a good 20-25 minutes. Usually that was enough, given the talent we had in the team. Even then I couldn't see a well coached or well organised team. We just had better players. Now we haven't got better players than most teams we play we are crying out for a way of playing that highlights what strengths we may have. Given the totally random collection of players Mowbray has signed that's not going to be easy.

The chances of being able to continually bump along in mid table are nil. The minute you stand still in football you are actually going backwards.

Nobody goes out there deliberately trying to lose. Well I can only think of one player in the past I could point that finger at. No names, no pack drill - as my dad used to say. I think we all know who I mean. It's like any other line of work. If you think the management don't know what they're doing and they're holding the company back you still keep battling on in your own individual role but your level of effort and commitment to the greater cause is bound to suffer. People who should know better equate team spirit with high fives, knee slides, holidays snap out in the sun. That's all bollocks. Team spirit is coming from behind when you're up against it. Team spirit is geeing each other up when things are tough. I don't see that at Rovers. The stat of how many games we've gone on to win from a losing position in the last few years is damning.

My experience is of watching several Rovers teams that went out of the division at the wrong end. The one thing they had in common was players getting injured on a regular basis. I didn't know JRC and Johnson were back in training. Call me a cynic but I'll be delighted if one of them doesn't go missing again before the end of the season.

Then you get the ones that don't fancy it, the ones that the Manager has pissed off.