Tyrone Shoelaces

Passing up the touchline isn't so simple and that's what full backs have to do more than any other player. I remember watching that Simon Grayson playing right back for us and he must have put every bloody pass into touch ! What a waste of space he was.

I wasn't getting over excited about the striker ( Assambolonga ? ) we were supposed to be interested in from Boro earlier this year either. I'm not sure he was the sort of striker we needed and I'm not sure he would have made that much of a difference given the way we were playing.

It's starting to look like he was signed to appease his fan club.

I don't care if he never mentions the " P " word as long as the team does the talking out on the pitch. There's too much attention given to managers interviews these days. Kenny never said much but the team did the talking for him.

We've been missing guys who seriously don't like losing. I think Cunningham and Johnson have that aggressive streak we've been short of.

Lenihan was crap in that game also, would you drop him ? Nobody played well that day.

If I was a championship winger I'd rather play against Bennett than Nyambe. Just saying.

We had a similar player many years ago called David Helliwell. He was a very skilful midfield player who I remember standing in for Bryan Douglas in one game and really looking the part. He could pick a pass and he could beat a man but he was about 5' 8" tall and about 9 stones wet through. Another thing was he wasn't particularly aggressive. Stuart Metcalfe, who came through at about the same time wasn't any bigger than David but he had the ability to fight fire with fire if his opponent got a bit naughty. Helliwell never really fulfilled his promise because he never filled out physically as he got older and he just drifted down the leagues.

I think the point is if we had blown the same amount of dosh on another striker we may have got something back for our money by now. At the moment I see nothing that suggests we'll ever get our money back, never mind make a profit, on Brererton.

Looks like the dingles let Vokes go just at the right time.

I agree. Having balance in there is important.

One of the players who you'd go to the game just to watch him play. In a world of very ordinary players he can do the extraordinary.

That's a shame. I'm going round to his place tonight to watch the Man Utd v Rochdale game so I'll try and put a rocket under him. I've got loads of cuttings from the 1963 era, mainly from the " Last Sports ". Lots of those little" Sam Says" cartoons - One after we'd beaten Sheff Wed 3-0 on Good Friday - " Yon Owls Played Like They'd Been Up All Neet ". I've got reports and photographs of the famous Bryan Douglas goal against WBA the next day. Still the best goal I've ever seen by a Rovers player. I started playing myself the following season so my visits to Ewood became a lot less after that.

I agree Chaddy, now we've got a settled pairing at the back why change them ? You should only be left out for poor performances.

It's the only time I thought I might be watching a fatal injury at a football match. I've seen a couple of incidents watching Rugby League were I thought the player might have been killed though.

I agree that playing well in what amounts to be our reserve team ought to be rewarded. Having said my reservations regarding Samuel is that he seems to need lots of chances before he puts one away. Last night excepted. He reminds me a bit of Jason Roberts in that if you give him a chance where he has to react instantly he does ok, give him time to think and he usually fluffs it.

I could say we'll never have a better chance of going up than this season. If the goals keep coming we'll be there or there abouts.. My only worry is with the exception of an aging Danny Graham none of our strikers appear to be prolific goalscorers and we've struggled to get goals from all over the pitch previously. Excepting Mulgrew who is no longer at the club.

I've found it but I'm having trouble getting No2 son to come around to my house to sort the job out. I'll do my best to kick him up the backside. If you live anywhere near Rochdale you're welcome to come and view it in person.

In spite of tonight I don't think he's a finisher at top level but I'm prepared to be proved wrong.

I agree with you Phil but if you look closely he got a bit of luck with the deflection off the defender that foxed the goalie who was initially going the right way. Given the way he managed to get the shot away whilst a defender was hanging on him like a cheap suit he deserved a bit of luck.

Mm, could he be on the bench on Saturday ?

Yeah Dack's been great. Pound for pound one of our best signings.

I agree. £5million is a lot to pay for someone to run around a lot and make a nuisance of themselves, even in today's market. Whoever's playing up front has to carry a goal threat. This weekend would be a good time to start.On another point I believe Luton have a midweek game also.

One centre half should be covering the guy who's jumping for the ball with Gallagher. Meat and drink to most Championship centre halves. It'd be another story if somebody rapid like Armstrong was playing up there on his shoulder, but norrnally he isn't.

He crossed a ball into the box, Dack had all the work to do after that. It's not like he laid on a tap in for Dack.