I know the game is faster these days but back then the pitches were heavy going for at least half the season, the balls weighed a ton when they got wet, and the game was much, much more physical. When you consider that Matt's record was exceptional but I don't recall later centre halves - England, Hunter, Faz, Killer, Graham Hawkins, MacNammee, Kevin Moran, Hendrey etc missing many games.

He'd be OK alongside somebody like Ayala who's reputed to be a good header of the ball.

Yes, it's the same with players. Opposing fans don't bother booing our bad players, only the good ones.

Let's hope so seeing as how we need to score 3 to get a draw away from home some of the time. Until I've seen the new lads play a few games I wouldn't like to comment on their ability.

Exactly, we only have one striker who you can see getting 20 goals in a season and he's not at the races at the moment.

What are centre halves made of these days ? I was just looking up Matt Woods appearance stats for the 7 seasons he played for us - he played 26 out of 26, 48/48, 43/44, 50/51, 52/52, 43/52, 47/49. Then he retired ! Matt looked like he'd been cast in a foundry, not born, and he played like it. Both of Lenihan and Williams have had several times out with injury and now Ayala's gone the same way.

We also lost at Newcastle when we were " the better team ". There's a bit of a thread emerging here.

I've never seen him try to go around a goalkeeper yet in a straight on 1 on 1. If I know that so do all the keepers he's likely to come up against.

He's run his race for me. Nothing much will change with him in charge. If people are happy with that, fair enough.

If I'd a £ for every time I've heard " we were only undone by individual errors " during Mowbray's time here I'd be a fairly rich man. Winning managers evolve systems of play that are intended to eliminate individual errors. If that doesn't work they eliminate the players that regularly make mistakes and sign players that don't. We've never defended well as a unit, we fail to sense trouble coming until it happens. We've been easy to score against for too long. The word gets around in football, just keep it tight against Rovers and wait for the inevitable mistake or series of mistakes to come along, you'll get a good scoring chance. Until that situation is rectified we're going nowhere, unless it's down the table. Coventry will have watched our games and you don't need to be a genius to figure out how to play against us.

We just don't sense danger as a unit until it's too late.

These are the stats I'm more interested in - Tackles won, second balls won, contested headers won, interceptions, yards run. Get those stats better than your opponents and normally you'll get a result.

If it doesn't what are we paying him for ? I get the impression at Rovers there is no " buck ", we exist in a responsibility vacuum. The manager can make as many mistakes as he likes and we all know nothing will happen. Same with the players, certain players can phone in performances on a weekly basis and nothing happens.

I know a winning mentality when I see one in a team and we haven't had one for years. That's why we keep losing games like tonights game

Saturday's game is a must win now. Another loss and we'll be looking over our shoulders.

Depressing.

Let's see if Mowbray's " pin the tail on the donkey " selection method works this time ? Elliot better be top class that's all I can say. No matter how hard I try I can't see anything better than a comfortable win for Watford.

I thought Rothwell was still isolating ?

What's this " work ethic " he's talking about ? Anybody would think we had an 11 that runs their blood to water every week.

I'd rather play Bell on the left wing than Gallagher on the right wing.

Is that why they're winning ?

Speedie showing Armstrong that you don't have to be a giant to lead the line.

In my bit of Spain the don't use the word " cojones " in that context, it's always " huevos " ( eggs ) when they mean balls

I could be wrong but hasn't he appointed all the backroom staff ?

I agree with you regarding Gallagher, if he's going to be playing in the middle he needs balls played in front of him, either on the ground or in the air, that he can run on to. Expecting him to be a hold up player won't work. Playing as a lone striker is very difficult, I'd say it's the hardest role in any team. Everybody else is normally facing the direction of play, you're normally facing back down the pitch. They're usually the highest paid players in most teams for a reason. That's why the right service is all important. I wouldn't be expecting Alan Shearer in his prime getting much more that 15,16,17 league goals in this team because of the lack of service.