Tyrone Shoelaces

Just reading a quote from Mick McCarthy - " If anybody says one of my teams is nice to play against I'd be so annoyed and insulted. The best teams are horrible to play against for whatever reason. So if anybody comes off and says " That was a nice game Mick, you are really pleasant to play ", well I might be packing it in and playing golf somewhere I think ". That's Rovers to a tee - " Nice to play against ". Just caught Mowbray's interview on Radio Lancashire - ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

That's what I read yesterday. 4 to 6 weeks was mentioned. I'm perplexed by the number of injuries we are getting with no obvious cause.

But not far enough. I like Johnny Marr though.

Out for weeks again.

The way we are playing there are no easy winnable games. We couldn't even beat a team from a lower league in the FA Cup at home.

Bell End.

Not enough people these days have actually played the game at any level beyond " jumpers for goals " on their local Rec. Even playing for a youth club side or a pub team gives you a reasonable idea of what's required to win games of football. Most of those posting haven't had that experience these days. Where I live, even before the pandemic, the number of amateur teams has fallen massively in the last 25 years. That's how they're kidded so easily.

I used to know a chief exec at a Rugby League club. He told me his main role was to remove all the reasons the players gave for losing so at the end of the day the players had no more excuses.

My advice would be work a bit less in that case. I used to work daft hours until I realised it wasn't doing me any good mentally.

We don't do nils. I reckon the players reckon he's a dead man walking so minimum effort and commitment until he's gone. I can't see that being enough, even against teams that normally we'd beat at Ewood. I'd spread a rumour that the new manager is watching the game, watch the buggers run then !

Not unless Nyambe isn't fit and Lenihan is.

I wasn't a fan either, mainly for the reasons you've mentioned. Not fit to lace David Batty's boots.

I don't think clubs did medicals then. I read somewhere that it was after the Gilliver fiasco that the Football League made medicals an essential part of any transfer deal.

Didn't we also have another goal keeper in Fisher who is currently playing for MK Dons ?

I'm not sure about Mark Hughes, he was great first time around but I think maybe his day has gone.

That's what happens when you expect forwards to be able to defend.

Too many were expecting to get out before they took strike. You can't allow slow bowlers to pin you to the crease. We didn't make their bowlers have to think about anything other than bowling line and length. Supine performance.

Martin Britt was destined for the top. He'd scored a hat trick in the youth cup final playing against Livepool when Tommy Smith was his direct opponent. He'd done his knee before he came to Rovers otherwise West Ham would have never let him go. Apparently it was so bad he could only jump for headers off one leg. There's a very sad photo of Britt stood with a walking stick in Blackburn Town centre looking completely lost. It must have been a soul destroying experience for a young bloke. Gilliver had a disc problem that eventually needed a disc fusion. Not really recommended for an athlete but it was a last resort. Even after that he always gave 100% and compared with the two strikers Mowbray has bought he was another Marco Van Basten.

The lack of fight is what upsets me the most. Lack of skill I can forgive, lack of effort I can't.

I would imagine we'll open with Root and Leech bowling. They should get 40 odd without a massive amount of troble. There's preparing a wicket help your bowlers and then there's the last two test wickets. That was a smart move playing with Andeson, Broad, Archer and Stokes and one regular spinner. I suspect we misjudged the wicket a bit there !

No, I agree, the ball shouldn't dominate the bat to that degree !

Years of not producing top class spin bowlers at home has led to a complete inability to play spin. Use your feet. I batted as a kid against Tommy Greenhalgh ( remember him ? ) and that was his advice - get to the pitch of the ball if you can.

I can't understand why everybody is trying to play the spinners from the crease. Having said that for a test match to be over on the second day is a disgrace.

Crazy shot from Sibley. He just needed to stay in and frustrate the bowlers.

I'd have more sympathy regarding our lack of regular centre backs if we hadn't have signed one who is extremely injury prone when we already have two who often go missing for various reasons. We were unlucky with Wharton and unlucky with Kipre who West Brom seem to have signed on a whim. To be honest are the two loanees any bettter than Magloire ? He had Jamie Vardy under his thumb in that game against Leicester. I know it was only a friendly but the likes of Vardy don't know what it is to take it easy in a game. That's why he's where he is.