Tyrone Shoelaces

That's not how remember it Phillip. You're right about which bus stop it was. The route home is as you described but I'm sure the buses were every hour. 244 doesn't ring a bell but it's 50 years ago now !

You are taught to trade space for time but there comes a point when they're getting into shooting range when you have intervene decisively.

That's just how I feel. Who cares who comes in ? What difference will it make ? We need a modern day David Speedie who by sheer force of effort and personality out on the pitch will shame the rest into actually giving a toss. Mowbray wouldn't sign a Speedie, much too difficult to handle.

Nothing worse than a centre half who thinks he's footballer when he isn't. Jackie Charlton, Big Sam, Mick Whatisname, Dyche, etc , they all know how to skin a cat.

So in that case give me one good reason why we should carry on with this charade. If we've given up we may as well go the whole hog and get some houses on the place. 74 -0 on the poll. Chaddy mustn't have voted yet.

That bus stop on the right nearest the camera could be the one I stood in many times on the way back to Rochdale on the Ribble bus. I think it was the No158.

When you look at our previously successful lower level teams we had a shape and a way of playing that we imposed on other teams. Back in Gordon Lee's time we had Sir Roger in goal, Mick Heaton and Andy Burgin, two full backs whose job was to bottle up the flanks and get the ball forward to the strikers. Centre halves, Graham Hawkins and Faz, block up the centre at the back, win the ball and pass it into midfield. Metcalfe, Oates, Parkes and the Don across the middle in a diamond. Oates playing deeper and Parkes nearer the front two. Meccy and the Don out wider. Two willing runners up front in Beamo and Mike Hickman. A simple game plan, get the ball forward early and get bodies forward in support. It got us out of the Div as Champs. Later on with Howard Kendall It was slightly different but equally effective. Jim Arnold in goal. Two resolute and determined defenders at full back in Jim Branagan and Basil Rathbone. At centre half the formidable pair of Killer and Faz, same plan again, win the ball and give it into midfield. In midfield we had Brotherston, Kendall, Mckenzie and Parkes. Same again with Kendall deep, McKenzie behind the front two but joining up with them to make it a three at times. Brotherston out wide right, Parkes on the left but more central. Andy Crawford and Garner up front scoring the goals. A team good enough to get us out of the old 3rd Div again. I won't go into the later promotion teams because we had plenty of dosh to sign higher class players. Those teams above were built when we were skint and we were buying in the pound shops of the Football League. You could look at those teams and after about 1/2hr you could see who was doing what and why they were doing it. Everybody knew their job, what to do in any given circumstances. They knew what was expected of them and they could deliver because their skill sets suited where they were playing. They had a clear and obvious shape and a coherent method of getting the ball from one end to the other. I'd back both of those sides to do what Doncaster did yesterday and beat the current team. Not because they were better individual players, although some of them were, but because they were better organised and coached.

Can anybody paint me a picture were we find a way to score against teams that come to let us " rope a dope " and play in front of them all day. Or a picture were we stop making school boy errors at the back and become difficult to score against. Both of those things will have to happen before we can even think of a place off place.

I've said it all along that their current exit plan is to diminish and demoralise the fan base to the point that when they pull the plug nobody will be too bothered one way or another. How many do you think would pay to watch that every week, 8,000 ? 7,000 ?

Not much.

Downing's not an Howard Kendall.

Even at the end of his career Kendall was the best player on the park most of the time. That's why the players respected him.

Tony Mowbray - Should He Stay Or Should He Go ? If we had a board or a chairman worthy of the name he'd have been in the boardroom at 5-00pm tonight to be be told his fortune. My vote is for go. Tomorrow or Monday morning at the latest.

You'd have to pay me £20 to watch that.

I never read anything he says. Most of us could write exactly what he'll say. I'd like a touch of the Stan Ternents - " There were players playing today who'll never play for this club again as long as I am the manager ! "

I'd hazard a guess the players are done with him as well, they're certainly playing like it.

I'm really done now, he's ruined one Saturday too many for me. Taxi for Mowbray. My lad said - " Do yourself a favour Dad, don't watch the highlights. " It was his birthday as well. Thanks for that Rovers.

They're different styles of players. One's a ball winning midfield yard dog and the other is a creative ball playing play maker. I've said before I liked the look of Whiteman. I'd swap him for Holtby tomorrow. Regarding Buckley, he's too diffident. He needs to demand the ball more and get in the game. In that position you need to be a bit brash. I remember reading about Alan Ball when he was playing in a pre season practice match with Stanley Mathews when Bally was only a 17 year old kid. He played a long ball for Mathews to run on to. Mathews said " Not there son, play it to my feet ". Bally said " You'll get it where I give it to you ! "

He's tall enough.

It's not that simple anymore. The new rules make it difficult to bring players in from abroad that aren't established players.

Yes but we need at least one centre half ASAP. If Lenihan gets injured or red carded again we'll be starting with Magloire and Johnson in our next league match.

I think that's good signing for them. He'll be able to take over Gallagher's role. We're left hoping Buckley becomes in time what Whiteman is now.

I used to do the same in Rochdale at the same age. A pub at the bottom of Blackwater Street that got knocked down in the 70's to make way for a soul less shopping centre. I think you had to be under 18 in there to get served ! The school I went to was slap bang in the centre of town which was handy for lots of things. However for football we had to be bussed out of town.

Maybe Tony's going to get his boots down out of the loft.

I saw what you did there.