You probably don't remember " Marshall's Misfits " . How he converted various players from their original positions as young players. Fred Pickering from being an average reserve left back to the second best striker I've ever seen in a Rovers shirt being one. Andy McEvoy from a reserve midfield player to a guy who capable of scoring 30 odd goals a season was another. There were other examples. You'd think they'd be trying players out in practice matches all the time but who knows today ?

That was then. What's he done since ?

Playing out goalies - nearest to the goal is the keeper.

His nickname's " The Wall " also.

There's only one real rule - Are they good enough ? Although with old players they can be good enough today and not good enough tomorrow.

They had a way of playing at home and a slightly modified way from home. Same players, just a different formation. The same team picked itself every week. Everybody knew what the other player was going to do in any given situation. Work hard and play in your opponents half as much as you can. It's not complicated !

I agree, that's a great kit, proper blue as well. Alan Hunter, just what we need today, a real centre half who could play a bit as well. Even Dick Mulvaney would be handy today. I'm not so sure about Coddington, especially if it came to a penalty shoot out. One or two of those are just what we are short of today. Billy Wilson, a better left back than Bell, Williams and Hart all rolled into one. Eamon Rogers, a Travis with better ball skills and more of an eye for goal. Stuart Metcalfe, what a winger should be like. The incomparable Sir Keith, a Rolls Royce of a full back. How that squad didn't really look like getting promoted I'll never know.

I agree Gallagher hasn't done much since he left Ewood. I've had my say regarding Brererton.

Yeah, he was very average. Didn't he come after Adam Blacklaw ? Another one who looked like he lived out of the chip pan.

Yeah, he could if he plays a 4-3-1-2 system. Who knows with Mowbray, it's defensive enough. Travis, Johnson, Downing as the three and Dack behind the two lamp posts.

Maybe he likes the regime at Rovers, It doesn't strike me as being too demanding.

Liverpool, Utd, City etc can put the boat out and buy potential, we aren't in that position. To be honest we haven't been in that position for 10 years now at least.

It's big money to us. Especially if they don't shine. I've said before I'm not Gallagher's biggest fan but he made more of an Immediate impact than Brereton.

I wouldn't be a big fan of that formation but at least there would be a place for Dack in it. However I can't see any of the other players being the 1 apart from the rapidly aging Graham.

Yeah I did see that. It was about 7 minutes of him more or less being in possession all the time .Like I said he looked handy running with the ball at his feet out wide but look at the areas of the pitch he was playing in. I can't recall him ever getting into the six yard box and he didn't spend a lot of time in the penalty area. These are the areas you need to be getting into to be a goalscorer. That was playing for Forest not Rovers.

Where does that leave Dack ? Out of the door ?

How much do you need to see ? If that's showing what he's good at you need to read between the lines. What's he not good at ? Most things that a striker needs to be good at as far as could see. He's not strong, or particularly quick, he's not a goal poacher nor is he a thunderboots with a shot in his locker. He's really poor in the air for a tall guy .He doesn't like to play with his back to goal. All I could see was someone who was decent at running with the ball out wide. No way would I have paid that sort of money going off the video.

I only had to watch his "highlights" video to see he wasn't a Danny Graham replacement. Neither is Gallagher for that matter.

Yeah he'd plenty of impact, especially on opposition forwards !

Some of us didn't need hindsight. It was pretty obvious that it was a strange signing.

More wealthy than the chicken chokers ?

Plus John Angus, Jimmy Robson, John Talbut, Ray Pointer, Gordon Harris, Trevor Steven, even the likes of Stan Ternent, they had a conveyor belt of players coming down from the North East. Once that stopped it was down hill all the way.

It's absolutely crucial that we bring someone in who can carry on Johnno's good work. The flow of good young players the club is bringing through needs to continue.

The dozens of Geordies the dingles used to sign in the old days. A pal of mine told me when their reserve team played in the North East in the old Central League days the coach would come back more or less empty after the game. The players would all be staying at home for the weekend. The North East terms were notorious for letting top young players slip through their fingers.

Seeding - yes, the pitch - no. Allegedly of course.