Banks had the runs apparently. Peter Bonnetti was a really good keeper but hadn't played enough games for England because Banks was so good. The bloke just froze on the day, he let a really soft goal in for their first and his head went after that. The great Keith Newton's last game in an England shirt also.

He needs to ask the likes of Mulgrew etc when that last happened for us and how many times we've conceded at the death !

If being " better than Bell " is the criterion I'll see if I can find my old boots in the loft. A least I liked a tackle !

That's the best performance by any England team I've ever seen.

I saw them both, did you ? Douglas was definitely in the Tom Finney league but I'd say Tom was just that little bit better. Finney was a better attacking player up front, Douglas was a better playmaker coming from midfield. When he was running the midfield for us in the No10 shirt in the 1963 to 65 period there was nobody better in the old Div 1 but Sir Alf wanted Bobby Charlton instead.

I'm talking about players Mowbray's already signed - How many success stories do you see out there ?

I'd expect an average manager to get 50% of their transfer dealings right. A top manager will get 75% to 80% right. As far as I can see Mowbray is way below 50%.

He's not going to be racing back covering for whatever no mark we have playing at left back though is he ?

Denis Law was a terrific player. He was the one I really feared when we played Utd. He rarely had a bad game and he was very aggressive for a small guy. A bit like a quick David Speedie but miles better. Charlton I could take or leave. A pal of mine used to say " A team of Bobby Charlton's would never win anything because they'd never have the ball. " He blew a bit hot and cold for me. Charlton wasn't subbed at half time against Germany he was subbed about 10 minutes from the end because he was shattered, He'd just let the guy he should have been marking ( Franz Beckenbauer ) run from the centre circle to the edge of our box to score their first goal. It's amazing how these myths persist. I had to correct the " Daily Fail " once when they repeated the myth that Charlton was subbed at 2-0. The score was 2-1. I must be one of the last lucky ones who saw Bryan Douglas run Law, Charlton, Stiles etc ragged at Old Trafford when we won 3-0 there years ago. " The Manchester Evening News " published a match report with a cartoon strip that showed a really good caricature of Dougie weaving his way in and out of about 6 Utd defenders who were all busy falling over as he went past them. The little fella beat them on his own that day ! I still have the cartoon but I don't know how to up load it.

I'd love to play against team, apart from Johnson and the possible exception of Lenihan there's not a tackle to be seen anywhere.

In those days you stayed on your feet at all costs. If somebody hurt you you did your level best not to show it. All this diving and play acting makes me tired.

Hang on didn't we beat Rochdale 5-1 behind closed doors ?

10/10.

Downing hasn't got the pace, tackling ability, heading ability, necessary aggression to play left back to the standard required. Having said that all of Bell, Williams and Hart are lacking most of those ingredients also.

I've not seen the game as I'm out in Spain at the moment but I've read every contribution thoroughly. Until we have a group of players who are prepared to work harder, run further, win more tackles, win more second balls, win more contested headers, show more guts and fighting spirit in adversity etc than our opponents we're going nowhere in this Division. On the few occasions we do this we usually come out on top. I've been saying this for a long, long while. I can take being out skilled but I won't take being out enthused ! There seems to be a long term malaise at Ewood where from top to bottom people are prepared to just do enough and no more. Hands up how many people thought we'd get something out of yesterdays game when their second goal went in ? Most of us knew barring a fluke that was game over. We also knew that if we'd have gone 2-1 up we would have spent the rest of the game hanging on. Why is that ?

I agree totally, teams must love playing against us. If you're looking for the likes of Downing to get stuck in and put himself about you'll be looking a long while. Just another one in our collection of nice lads I'm afraid.

Talk is cheap Jim, it's action we want.

I saw all of them play as well and your dad was right. An old time Rovers fan told me about a Central League game at Ewood when the reserves were playing Utd and very young Best was playing inside right for Utd. They kicked off at half time and their centre forward passed the ball to Best who just dribbled past most of the Rovers team and slotted it straight past our keeper, turned on his heel and walked back to the centre circle. Apparently their centre forward had blasted Best at half time for being greedy and not passing to various team mates. He said " You think you can beat the whole bloody team and you can't ! " Best said " When we kick off this half just give me the ball ".

Yes and putting Rothwell in Dack's role. I suppose it makes sense to cover every eventuality.

That's a decent set up. I'm just trying to justify spending £12 million on two strikers !

Let's hope they've still got what it takes.

I can be ignorant without trying. I'd like us sign players that look like they're good enough to go straight into the team. We've enough squad players.

We could play 4-3-1-2. With the two young lads up front and Dack in behind. As in. New Goalkeeper. Nyambe, Lenihan, New Centre Half, New Left Back ( or Bell ) Travis, Johnson, Downing ( or Rothwell ) Dack Brererton, Gallagher.

What did we sign Downing for ?

Re the all Ireland set up. I'm not a big fan of deciding on a formation and then shoe horning players into it. You look at what the skill sets your squad has and then you design your system to suit that. In my opinion anyway. It's like Rovers, if we still had Hird and Bailey on the books or even Perez and LeSaux you could play a wing back system but if it's Nyambe and Williams out there you're wasting your time.