From what little I've seen Whiteman is what Holtby could be if he could manage more than 1 good game in 6. Ditto Rothwell. Both of those two blow very hot and cold. One week they look top class, the next week you don't know they're playing. The pre injury Travis is another story but I don't see him as competing for the same place in the team. Downing is another one who Whiteman could have been preferred to.

That's because we've signed a lot of very average midfield players. None of whom seem to do enough to hold down a place for long. We've gone for quantity over quality. With the exception of Travis I'd gladly swap any of our other midfield players for Whiteman. In some cases I'd swap two ! Of course you need to come up with a way of playing that would suit Whiteman's skill set. You'd have to build a team around him. I wouldn't trust Mowbray to be able to do that.

Looks like Preston have signed Whiteman.

Stoke are trying to sign another left back called Norrington- Davis ( I think that name is correct ) on loan from Sheff Utd. He was at Rochdale on loan and their fans rate him according to a Dale following pal of mine. I don't think I've ever seen him play.

I like the lad, he tries to do things all the time. He just needs to learn when to stick and when to twist. Like there are things you can do in your opponents half that you can't in your own half. Or like when your full back goes past you outside on an overlap on no account must you now lose the ball.

Step overs are meaningless if you watch the ball like " an hungry dog watching it's food bowl arriving ". Don't look at the feet concentrate, 110% on what the ball is doing.

Any update won't make easy writing, or reading ! I hope I live long enough to read it, and I hope it doesn't pull any punches.

I'd have still sent Douglas back. We have Bell and Downing for the moment.

I'm past being judgemental about it because it's pretty mainstream, especially in the under 45 age group now. I wouldn't reject someone for a job etc if they had tattoos. I've had some pretty un-inspiring youths dropped on me as apprentices and it's always a pleasant surprise to see them thrive as they gained experience. Working in a school taught me the younger generation has loads to offer and they are certainly no worse than my generation at a similar age. They're just different.

My point of view is that tattoos are a fashion statement. Like all fashion statements it will die the usual death. When I was a kid lots of blokes were walking around in drape jackets, boot lace ties, drainpipes and beetle crusher shoes. Later on we all had shoulder length hair etc. Look at some of the old interviews of footballers in the 1970's, ties were about 5 inches wide as were the lapels on the suits. They all look ridiculous now. The thing about those fashions is when they went past their sell by date we ditched them. With Tattoos it won't be so easy. It's no skin off my nose as long as I'm not expected to get one. Just as an aside- when I used to go to Rovers in the early 1960's stepping off the bus at the Boulevard was like going back about 18 months in terms of fashion. That's how far Blackburn was behind Manchester in terms of style. The kids in Blackburn only caught up when national TV music shows like " Top Of The Pops " and " Ready, Steady, Go " etc brought mass styles to the youth market.

My latest edition is the 2009 Edition.

I think data had MGP covering more ground than any other player, I can't remember him actually putting a tackle in on anybody but he would run along side them ok.

I'm looking for a defender first and foremost at left back, not another " wing back " who hasn't got a clue how to bottle up a winger. We've had enough of those.

I would have expected Mowbray's information on Douglas's current playing ability to be a bit better than yours, or mine.

I don't think he's made the progress he should have done though.

Nor me really but would he be an improvement on Mowbray ?

A bloke once told me - " You can try to fool other people if you like but never try to fool yourself ". Looking at Coyle's " achievements " after he left the Dingle Dome only pointed us in one direction.

Yes, not one example of him going up against a winger in his own half or a contested header etc, I find it more revealing to look at what's not on these videos than what is. Brererton's is a classic example.

Most places in the GM area have some nice places to live amongst the rougher areas Bury is on the Tram line and probably nearer to Manchester centre. Rochdale isn't great at the moment but it's really trying to improve. Of course it's cheaper than other areas because of that. Lots of South Manchester is nice but pricey.

Anybody who was " cautiously optimistic " about the Coyle appointment must have been seriously deluded. I couldn't bring myself to do it but backing Rovers to go down after that would have been " a licence to print money " !

About 45 minutes. The train takes around 20 minutes but that's if a train actually arrives on time and you can get on it. The trams are always there waiting to leave. Plus it takes me 10 minutes to walk from the tram stop in town to the railway station and another 10 minutes from Manchester Victoria to the centre of Manchester.

We have trams now on the route from Rochdale to Manchester. I love them, they're great. They're not as fast as the train but they're every 10 minutes and they take you straight into central Manchester. I never bother getting the train anymore unless I'm in a hurry.

My cut off point was when they appointed Coyle, I knew then we were due for another spell in the old Div 3. I stopped coming on here, didn't go to games, didn't read the match reports in the paper. I just looked for the scores on a Saturday and that was it. I only got interested again when they sacked Coyle and appointed Lambert, Irvine and co.

The Rochdale Corporation buses were just like that only navy blue where the red is on that bus.

You and me might be normal but the Chicken Chokers can't possibly be. That's why it's impossible to predict what they'll do next.