Tyrone Shoelaces

Most of 'em in the Blackburn End have probably fallen asleep by half time.

Treasure Island and Transylvania.

Treats like that should be a reward for exceptional performances, not just something to be expected. They should have been in for extra training on Sunday morning after last weekends no show. They need to learn that failures have consequences. Having said that when nobody at the club seems to be giving the manager that message how can you expect anything to change ?

The whole attitude at the club stinks and has done for a while now. I watched the Rugby League grand final Saints v Salford yesterday. Salford's coach Ian Watson used to play scrum half for my club. We were playing Hull KR in a play off semi final a few years ago and it went down to an extra time sudden death golden point situation. Next team to score wins. We set Watto up for a drop goal in front of their posts but their guys came flying out, most of them off side, charged down the kick, grabbed the ball and went the length of the field to score the winning try ! I was in the bar after the game and at one point I went to the gents, I could hear somebody crying in one of the stalls so I said " Are you Ok Mate ? " The door opened and it was Ian Watson who was sobbing. He said " I cost us the game " .You could see he was heartbroken. I said " No one players wins a game and no one player loses one either, don't take it so badly ". We're talking hard as nails Rugby League players here and he was that upset at losing. Can you see any of our lot taking the game that seriously ?

Maybe we should change the name from Ewood Park to Easy Park.

We've been unfit since Big Sam left to be honest. Coyle started the fashion for regularly conceding late goals. Mowbray started the fashion for only playing 45 minutes at a time.

Stendel's the " german geezer ".

Sunderland have been granted permission to speak to Gareth Ainscough. Coventry have rejected Sunderland's request to speak to Mark Robins about the job. Sunderland are also interested in Paul Cook and Daniel Stendel.

Hang on, we might need him for centre half if we get anymore injuries.

If he's worse than Sancho he shouldn't be playing at all. These lads sum up what is wrong with modern football, not a spark of inspiration or willingness to try something different. They play like robots that have been programmed to play football. There was no tempo to our play, the Czechs played at twice the level of intensity. I don't rate Southgate and I never have. He's completely colourless, just like the team. It was like watching Rovers on a bad day.

He was poor last night but having said that who had a good game ? I didn't know Sancho was playing until about 5 minutes before half time. Mount did nothing. We're crying out for a David Dunn type who can actually carry the ball from the half way line to the the penalty area. Stirling was back to fluffing good chances for England. Harry Kane - not fit to lace Shearers boots as a striker off that showing. The back four looked terrible, Danny Rose especially had a shocker.

Not long after that I started playing myself. After our games the bus back to town would drop us off right outside a TV rental shop. The teleprinter would be going on most of the TV's in the window. We'd have our noses pressed up against the glass. I well remember the infamous FA Cup score coming through - Oxford United 3- Blackburn Rovers 1. .Occasionally they made mistakes so I said to my mate " They've got that one the wrong way around ".

The " Manchester Evening News " football special was printed on pink paper. When I was a young player they also had reporters covering youth games. We'd be playing on Firgrove which was a huge area with about 8 football pitches on it and the reporter would prowl around asking for scorers names etc. It was bit of a thrill to get the " Pink " that night and see a little report with your name in small print alongside reports from City, Utd, Bolton etc.

I used to leave Ewood about around 4.40pm promptly in those days. 10 minute interval and no time added on, games finished on time. . I'd arrive at the Boulevard about 5.05pm after a quick walk into Town. The " Last Sports " would be coming out of the printers by then ! A full, detailed match report would be there although the last five minutes would be a bit sketchy. An old bloke sold them by one of the bus stops. I'd read it from cover to cover on the way back to Rochdale on the 5-15pm 158 Ribble bus. Incidentally it was white then, not pink.

We were really awful tonight. Too static, too slow to the ball, totally out enthused by a pretty ordinary but very willing team. A lot of big reputations out there that did next to nothing. They played like they didn't want to be out there. Southgate's getting found out now.

£2 mill wasted so far. What do you think he'd be like at centre half ?

Yeah a very soft pen. He'd ballsed up the shooting chance so he was looking to fall over.They make me tired.

Bloody Hell, how bad was that first half ? One team's playing stood still football and the other is actually running. It's like watching Rovers on a bad day. Dack is better than Mount and I only realised Sancho was playing about 3 minutes ago. A great cure for Insomnia. Henderson and Rice = Evans and Smallwood.

" In a very good mood ? " A trip to Wales will soon cure that.

Actually I make it 4 centre halves loaned out Phil. Mulgrew, Magloire, Wharton and Platt.

I like Johnno a lot but as far as I can see there has been no discernable improvement in our style so far this season. In fact from a goal scoring point of view you could say we've gone backwards. Maybe he's not been able to have any say in the real nitty gritty of the first team and he's just been sidelined into a stats man/ warm up guy.

Nyambe and Williams at centre half ! You'd get 42 games out of 42 with Matt Woods but he looked like he'd been carved out of a block of marble !

Yep, I've seen a few but Duffer was No 1. Mike Harrison No 2.

I thought Duffer was also a Celtic fan as a youngster.

Yes and who signed him ? Was he ever scouted ? It was a signing than seemed to be a last minute " We've got a bit of money, who can we spend it on ? " type of signing. At the time we weren't crying out for a left back.