That's what concerns me when you read we may be signing the likes of Holtby. How many midfield players can we afford to have on the wage bill ?

I was on the Millwall last night just browsing after I read their views of our game. It's another world on there, they make Tommy Robinson sound like a dangerous left wing radical !

I said it before but it's harder to get the fans who've walked away to come back than it is to get new fans involved. People soon find other things to do with their Saturday afternoons that may be more interesting and more rewarding from a family point of view. Once that happens it's a massive task to get them back on a regular basis. How many turned up for the Oxford promotion party game that have never been back since ? The entertainment on show at the moment isn't really going to get the town buzzing I'm afraid. That's part of the problem. I think the club will aiways underachieve as long as the Chicken Chokers " run " the show. They are the " Elephant in the room " as far as attendances are concerned.

A draw would do me at the moment. There was a time not that long ago when you could pick at least 9 out of the 11 that would be playing on Saturday. You could also be pretty sure of our way of playing irrespective of the players. When I saw last weeks starting line up I was really scratching my head as to who would be playing where and in what formation. We can all put our preferred teams out there but I'll bet not 1 in 10 get it right. In that case I won't be bothering with my selection.

That's my main beef with Mowbray. The team changes every week, sometimes the formation and way of playing changes also. It's been going on almost since he came in. What's the betting there'll be changes from the 11 that started last week against Millwall for this weekends game ? Meanwhile the dingles have played 4-4-2 almost every game since Dyche came in and if at all possible they pick the same 11. A team of average Joes who've played together regularly and know exactly what is required of them will beat a team of stars that haven't played together 9 games out of 10.

The last ten years have sickened lots of die hard Rovers fans. That's obvious. It's a massively up hill task to get these fans back, that's also obvious. In my estimation - of the 12,000 that have bailed out 6,000 will never come back no matter what we do. 3,000 may come if we do well in this league and the other 3,000 may come back if we do well in the Prem. Maybe we could have a half game offer, you can come on at half time for the second half - that way you may see some exciting football and the odd goal !

Knee length shorts. We're playing football not lolling around on the beach.

This is a really poor division this season. Anybody with anything like a decent team and a proven pattern of play will be knocking at the door. I'd fancy us if we had a fully functioning strike force.

He sees them in training everyday. Trying out various players in different positions should be par for the course in full scale practice matches. How else do they get an understanding of the pluses and minuses of playing in those positions ?

Only the Manager can explain why that is.

Yeah just what we need, another midfielder.

I agree with lots of this, especially how full backs are allowed to creep up the line from the corner flag when taking a throw in. The ball goes out about two yards from the corner flag. The player picks up the ball and begins to " take the throw " about 5 yards further up than where the ball went out. He then shuffles up the touchline pretending to take the throw for about another 10 yards before actually releasing the ball. When I played full back you had to take the throw in from where the ball actually went out. If the throw in was near the corner flag and your opponents marked up effectively the chances of you retaining possession in a real danger area was about 50/50.

I agree Mercer, for a big guy who was built like a light heavyweight boxer Mike didn't relish getting a kick. Fergie could fight fire with fire, sometimes to his own detriment. I've told the story before that I watched a behind closed doors pre season practice match in around 1963 or 1964. John Bray was marking Mike and he wasn't holding back. Jack Marshall was reffing and Mike was constantly in his ear about being fouled !

So's the skill level. You have top players today who can only pass and shoot with one foot and they can only tackle on their good side. Lots of them are extremely poor in the air also.

I was only thinking ther other day - what would that forward line be worth today ? Fergie - £45 million Andy Mac - £70 million Big Fred - £100 million Dougie - £125 million Mike Harrison - £35 million

I'm out in Spain at the moment so I can't do it now. I'm a klutz with computers but No 2 son is pretty good. I'll see what he can do when I get back. It really is a great little series of drawings, the caricature is Dougie to a tee.

One thing all those players had in common was their modesty. They weren't great " I am's " like a lot of today's players. I only saw Mac at the end of his career but he was up there with those we've already mentioned. You don't get picked to play for " The Rest Of Europe " for nothing,

What a terrific player he was. Second only to Bryan Douglas in my book on the Rovers right wing. He came from that era when players hadn't had their individuality coached out of them. Equally at home on the right wing and in a more central role. He had decent pace but he was a brilliant dribbler who in his day was unstoppable. His running action left him him slightly stooped over the ball which made him difficult to dispossess when he was running at players. He could make goals and score goals. Part of that fabulous goal scoring Rovers forward line of the early 1960's that were such a pleasure to watch. They had everything, Fergie's trickery out on the right, Andy Mac's goal poaching combined with Big Fred's running power and finishing up front, the incomparable play making of Bryan Douglas in midfield and the other Mike, Harrison's more direct and hard running out on the left. I feel blessed that I saw them at their absolute best. They were an absolute joy of a group who played football with a smile and created mesmerising football at times. Only Bryan left now. I have lots of memories of Fergie but one stands out from his later years. We were played at Preston and they had a highly rated left back called John Ritchie I think. Lots of big clubs were watching him. Fergie ran him ragged that day in a 5-3 Rovers win. One incident stands out. He cut in from the right and ran directly at Ritchie. I was stood right in line with this, looking over Fergies shoulder so to speak. He took the ball right up to Ritchie, dipped his shoulder' dummied right then and then strolled past Ritchie on the left who promptly fell over. I can't be too hard on Ritchie because Fergie sent me the wrong way as well along with the 50 odd blokes stood around me. Thanks for the memories Mike, you were a class act.

3 games in 8 days is probably a game too far for Downing.

Teams that can't score usually end up getting relegated.

I can't think what game it was but I remember Ripley picking the ball up out wide right roughly half way into our own half and setting off on a dribble. He keep coming inside each time he beat an opponent and he must have beat about 6 or 7. He got right up to the opposing keeper and slipped the ball just wide of the post ! It would have been a goal of the season contender if it would have just gone the other side of the posts !

Two good reports solely concerning on field events. Just the job.

Oh yes he can.

Bell's poor but he's still a lot better than Hart. In my opinion of course.

He is for a centre half. I don't know what they make centre halves out of these days. Matt Woods played every game in an era when centre halves and centre forwards kicked lumps out of each other !