Tyrone Shoelaces

If we have any hope of progressing as a team we need to replace our good players with better players, not the other way around. Replace Dack with Judge ? Are they joking ? I'm off to Rochdale V Newcastle now. I'll see if there are any promising players on show.

I can think of two at least.

I was thinking that, He's not good enough with the ball at his feet.

I agree regarding the short bowling. We do it too much for no obvious benefit. " If they miss, I hit " should be a fast bowlers motto. Bowling the middle out of the wicket is pointless, especially in the UK.

Mowbray's cunning plan ?

Nobody can lose you a game quicker than your goalkeeper. That's why you need the best one you can afford. When you have a Brad Freidel in goal it's worth a goal start.

Yes he did, you couldn't say he was an elegant mover but he could get the ball in alright. He knew you don't have to beat your opponent to cross the ball.

There used to be a winger that played for Oldham and City I think, Ricky Holden. He wasn't anything like quick but he could send over 8-10 crosses a game that had " goal " written all over them. He just made enough room to get the ball in, he never actually went past people, he just did enough to make that 1/2 a yard to get his nose in front.

I agree on that point. Clever wingers can get that half a stride in front which is all you need to cross the ball. Not many clever wingers about these days though. When I started watching every team had a least one.

I can still cross a ball. Either foot, either wing. Unfortunately I can no longer run very far.

Next to ability confidence is the most important ingredient in a player. When your confidence is low any player will struggle. I remember Ian Rush playing for Liverpool before he went to Italy. A long cross came over from the right wing, he was standing just outside the far corner of the penalty box. As the ball came to him he just instantly volleyed the ball straight back left footed over the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net. A tremendous shot that only a player with sky high confidence would even attempt. . I'd have brought the ball down and looked for somebody to pass to. Not long after that he went to Italy for his ill advised move there. Shortly after he came back and resigned for Liverpool I saw him get a similar ball to the one I mentioned earlier. He brought the ball down and looked for support. That supreme confidence had temporarily deserted him. Having said that ability comes first and from what I've seen of Big Ben I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe we've signed a winner. As for £45 million ? Rathbone needs to go to Specsavers.

We were " bidding for his signature " at the time he signed for Sheff U. We were also in for McGinn who went to Villa and that McGeoch who signed for Sunderland at that time.

Mike Harrison could cross a good ball. It came across like a bullet though, slightest touch and it would fly towards goal. You had to be pretty brave to get your head on one. Fred Pickering put plenty away.

We wanted Heneghan previously, before he signed for Sheff Utd.

Shearer was the best crosser of the ball I've seen at Ewood.

Marshall not having a club doesn't surprise me. A talented player who's attitude left a lot to be desired, as the trail of clubs he's moved on from proves. If the penny hasn't dropped now it never will.

I agree with that. You see goals like their first one every week. Everybody misses the ball and it ends up in the back of the net. Pedersen v The Red Rats. Bell was a spectator instead of busting a gut to get nearer to his opponent.The penalty was poor decision making. In the old days the goalkeeper got the benefit of the doubt in those instances, not any more. You go to ground anywhere near an opponent in the penalty area and you're asking for big trouble. The third goal, he was caught in " no mans land ".

We were diabolical in the first half against Wigan and Dack was playing then, allegedly.

I'm not a fan of Leutwiler but this guy isn't as good as he is. He makes as many howlers as Raya, possibly more in fact, without the world class saves that Raya pulled off from time to time. If you were to tell me he was an outfield player playing as an emergency goal keeper I wouldn't be surprised at all.

I've not seen a full game since the Wigan game but if that was our players " giving a shit " I wouldn't like to see us when we weren't trying. I keep banging on about this but we get out enthused by our opponents 9 games out of 10.

Don't get out of bed, that's safer still.

It'll happen with this lot in charge. It's just a matter of when. We've not had enough to pay the electric bill in the past but we pulled through. I was proud of Rovers when we were playing the Darlington's and Chesterfields, I'm not proud of Rovers at the moment. We're verging on an embarrassment.

If you rolled them both together you wouldn't have a player capable of making half of the impact Dack has.

They've seen their £12 million " investment " turn into a handful of magic beans.

I'd swap places with Bolton tomorrow if that meant we were no longer in the death grip of the Chicken Chokers. They are a cancer in the body of Blackburn Rovers and we will never thrive under their ownership.