Tyrone Shoelaces

I had my doubts in the Newcastle Cup tie at Ewood when we went to a completely untried 3 at the back when 2 of the 3 were Nyambe and Bell. A crazy idea that meant we were 2-0 down before we got a toe into the game. The players look like they have major doubts as well now.

I know where you're coming from. We've got plenty of players but not many outstanding ones.

Deary me, how bad is that team. Is that what we've come down to ?

Yep, bang it downfield and let the ref sort it out.

When I saw Downing was going out on loan I thought that must mean we're bringing in a better centre half. Well I got that one wrong and so did Mowbray ! Quite a few people on here told me at the time I complained " We're good for centre halves, we need to blow him out ! " Well How good are we now ? Centre halves are more vulnerable to injuries ( well they bloody should be ) and suspension. Every team plays two, some play three. Plus one on the bench. Letting Downing go without a replacement being brought in as well as allowing Wharton and Platt to go out on loan was the height of idiocy !

If it was Tom Finney I would.

I don't agree with equating Mowbray and Coyle as managers at all but at the moment talking purely in team performance terms what is the difference? All the failings that haunted Coyles time here have returned with a vengeance.

I remember Blackpool going down years ago. They'd never been in the drop zone all season until the last ten minutes of their last game ! After Xmas they were safely mid table.

If in doubt put a boot through the ball and have a row with the goalkeeper later. First rule of defending.

I was thinking of Howard Kendall also.

You didn't get the joke then ?

Yeah we always start off like a house on fire as well !

I thought he was at home in any football environment to be honest ! Not better than Ronnie or Tugay though.

It's like working away in a team. You wouldn't socialise much back home but when you're away from home it's one for all and all for one. You go more than the extra mile for each other. All this high fives last season when we were dicking average to poor teams doesn't mean a thing. It's the players that grab the ball out of the back of the nets and runs to restart the game when you've just conceded a bad goal and then says " Come on we can beat this lot " or " Right , this is the last time we kick off in this game " or words to that effect. Our lot just stand there looking at each other.

Some proper players inside 'em would do me !

I never bought the " team spirit " story. Team spirit reveals itself out on the pitch when you're busting a gut for each other not when you're pissing it up on holiday. Anybody can do that.

Yep I like that but I think Shearer with Bellamy playing off him would be a lethal combination.

Yep, if I was Raya I wouldn't be expecting to play next week.

I had a lot of time for Raya, I thought he had bags of potential. Having said that like every other player in the team at the moment he's not stepped up to the level of this league. He's making the same costly mistakes too often. Time to give the other guy a game ? Brian Clough used to say he'd break the bank for the best possible goalkeeper. " Nobody can lose you a game quicker than your goalkeeper ". He wasn't wrong there.

I agree, I'd be throwing the tea tray at the lot of them in the dressing room but after that you have to be as non committal as you can be, You can say " There'll be changes, I'm not having anymore of that " but leave individuals out of it.

These days it does.

Sounds like he's ordered a taxi for Raya amongst others.

What I want from a team in the blue and white halves is we all win our individual battles, we win more than 50% of tackles, we win more than 50% of the second balls, we win more than 50% of the contested headers and we run further than the opposition. If we can do that the results will take care of themselves. Lack of skill I can forgive, lack of effort, desire, or will to win I can't. When I contributed to the pre match preview I said the result would hinge on how many of our lot had the holiday brochures open. Well I think we know now. Enough of this tripe, show some bloody pride in the shirt and if you can't do that at least show some pride in yourself ! I've been saying this most of the time since Big Sam got the bullet and I'm sick and tired of it.

I'd give Johnno more imput into the first team. Can he honestly do any worse ?

Would you trust him with the cheque book in summer ?