I've been reading about Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea in todays paper. After they lost their FIRST competitive match of the season he had all the players in on an individual basis, 10 minutes at a time, to find out what went wrong. He said -" I had to think about everything because we played very badly, a match without determination. That's not normal. We have to understand why, especially from the mental point of view. It's difficult for me to understand why we played without determination in such an important match. If you don't have determination, you have no motivation, maybe you don't have clear targets in mind." Maybe our lot don't have clear targets in mind.

One of the best left backs I've ever seen. He could keep Ronaldo quiet, not many can say that.

Football is a simple game. One thing I was taught we seem to have forgotten - " When you have the ball make the pitch as big as you can, when the opposition have the ball make the pitch as small as you can ". That means working hard off and on the ball, press like your life depends on it, always show for the bloke in possession of the ball. in other words do the bloody basics and play like you actually want to be out there.

It's not the losing that should be bothering us. It's the manner of the losing. I never bought into the " pushing for promotion " story and I predicted a finish of around 6th from the bottom. I'd be delighted with a mid table finish this season.

One thing all relegated teams have in common - they keep making the same " Individual Errors ".

I was very tempted to use the Laughter button for Chaddy's " Vultures coming out of the woodwork " simile. The mental image really cracked me up.

Baffling team selections that the players aren't buying into would be my starting point.

I said a couple of weeks ago that if you combined Bell and Williams together you wouldn't have a good left back. If you added Hart, who's still on our books I believe, to the mixture you still wouldn't either. Maybe Mowbray isn't sure of what a left back should look like.

Team spirit comes cheap when you're winning most of the time. It's when you're up against it that the real attitude of the players is on show.

Sounds like Evans will be back to me.

I get the feeling that might happen. If he doesn't start a few heads will be scratched. Anybody else heard the rumour that the deal was he isn't allowed to start a game until we sign him permanently ?

I think Armstrong was signed with a view to being a regular starter, he's just not come up to scratch so far. Other than that I can't argue too much.

Henderson got another one also. Top goal scorer in that division.

I see Ian Henderson got another one for Rochdale tonight. Top goal scorer in that division with 12 goals and 3 assists. Top of the shots to goals ratio in that league also with a ratio of 65% shots on target. Are you listening Chaddy ?

I used to watch Rochdale when Rovers were away. I went to see them play Leyton Orient one day in the old Third Division. Rochdale had a brilliant right winger in those days along the lines of Stuart Metcalfe and Noel Brotherston. He was running full backs ragged most weeks. Orient had a young lad playing left back called Dennis Rofe. He played the 'Dale winger completely out of the game, the winger never got a kick. To cap it all after about 80 minutes Rofe went on a length of the wing run to set up an Orient goal. I thought this kid can't fail, he's got it all, he was as quick as lightening and really hard in the tackle. So I wrote to the Rovers chief scout telling about what I'd seen. I got a reply back thanking me for my comments but telling me that Rofe was already signed to the Leyton Orient club ! Well we all knew that, everybody's signed to a club, that's why we have transfer bids. It was just a brush off letter. After that I never bothered writing to the club. About 15 months later Rofe signed for Leicester City for what was a record fee for a full back in British football.

Do you think every player at Rovers is on the same money ?

Bennett won't be playing.

You mean we sometimes play with a centre forward for 60 minutes, after that it's anybody who fancies a run around up front except for Big Ben.

He's looked after at Rochdale. Just scored his 100th goal for them on Saturday.

Or Kevin Davies resale value.

No, Jeremy Brett was the best Holmes.

I'm a bit worried that the serious injury Raya had a few weeks ago has knocked his confidence. Thanks as usual Tony.

So is Danny Graham but Henderson plays 90 minutes every week and has had a pretty injury free career. Scored another one on Saturday. He can play the hold up role and score goals. He's got a mean streak as well so centre halves know to tread softly when they're marking him. He'd be good to bring on after 60mins, at least you could throw him up front and not have to protect him out on the wing. Mm' Grabban or Brereton. Who got the best deal there I wonder.

l thought the Preston game had a draw written all over it as well but we got a spanking. I've a bad feeling about this game, I expect Cook to have them up for playing us. It'll be down to who wants it the most. Not much between the teams in terms of ability.

I got laughed at on here when I suggested that our Summer recruitment consisted in the main of midfield players who are all of a muchness.