Tyrone Shoelaces

We usually get one of the newly promoted teams - go into the game with totally the wrong attitude - and lose. The time to play newly promoted teams is about 7 to 8 games in when the shine of promotion has been worn off by a few batterings and injuries and suspensions have started to wreak havoc on what are usually limited squads. First game up is when not to play them

I agree with most that. I just tells me that Mowbray has signed players without really settling on a system that gets the best out of them.

If you were a striker who would you rather play against - Tosin or Glenn Keeley or Kevin Moran ? I know who I'd rather lock horns with.

No but I was playing at a very good amateur level before a broken leg as a teenager put an end to any real ambitions I had. I reckoned I could strike a decent ball but not as cleanly or accurately as Raya was doing.

Anybody else see that video were he was side volleying a ball from one corner of the gym to a trainer stood in the other corner ? He was hitting the guy in the chest every time. I couldn't have done that as consistently when I was playing.

To QPR I think.

I'm surprised by that Chaddy. Wouldn't you think the club would be saying to all the staff " No foreign holidays until further notice lads ? " Let's hope he's not coming back in the nexr two weeks. I'm supposed to be out there now but staying local seemed to be the wisest move.

I think if we do sign him one or both of Evans and Travis will be going. How else does it make any sense ?

We could have had the whole £10 million if we'd have played our cards right with him.

I suspect that could be the league position we end up in next season.

I agree with your comments on Raya. Although he made a couple of serious mistakes I still thought he had enough about him to be persisted with. Especially as we appeared not to have a ready made replacement in the offing. He was capable of draw dropping saves on occasions so obviously the ability was there, I've hardly seen his replacement make one in a full season. Raya's judgement needed working on but that should have been done. He was clearly shown the door by Mowbray's treatment of him, I don't think he had itchy feet before that moment.

Yes, that's the bloke I was thinking of.

Didn't we loan another centre back at that time that looked decent but appeared to be injured most of the time ?

Maybe he's been told you can spend whatever money you make in transfers and wages saved from the released players ?

I thought Stoke were interested in him before he got injured in mid season ?

The money from the 1959-60 FA Cup run paid for it.

Where does he play ?

Different style of player entirely. Regarding Okocha and Le Tissier a pal of mine had been a top youth player and later a scout for City. He had a saying - " A team of Bobby Charlton's wouldn't win anything because they'd never have the ball ". Teams needed ball winners just as much as they need flair players.

I liked David Batty a lot, I thought he was a better player than Sherwood and he had to play second fiddle to him most of the time. Batty and Tugay in central midfield ? That really would have been something to behold.

Sherwood wasn't in the same league as Tugay. Not even nearly.

My favourite memory of him, apart from him going in goal, was the goal he got a Rochdale in the promotion season. He picked up a loose ball in the last third, fed Bennett out wide right, then made a great run into the box to get on the end of a good cross to volley the ball home left footed from about 10 yards out. He made it look easy. Mowbray probably said to him " What were you doing there son ? Hang around on the half way line in future ". He brought some real pride back into the shirt when it was badly needed. I'll always be grateful to him for that.

What a pitch !

Me too. Brunt's been a good player in the past but nothing is forever. I think it's time to go for Downing as well.

I think that's what I said. It's certainly what I meant.

You need at least four centre backs that are all capable of holding down the position given we nearly always have two out on the pitch. Another reason is injuries and suspensions crop up regularly in those positions. Having a couple of kids waiting in the wings is always a plus as well. We have Lenihan for No1, we need a quality replacement for the lad we had from City for No2. Williams if he's staying could possibly be No3. If he's leaving we need another experienced player. Wharton could maybe be No4. We have several kids who could play the odd game in a pinch.