Tyrone Shoelaces

I sort of agree with your second paragraph but you also had the danger of desperate clubs coming in just before the March deadline to sign your best players. I E Hull taking Ken Knighton off us to ensure our relegation in the old days.

I'm talking back in the days before Alf Ramsey. When you weren't even thought of. The FA Committee picked the squad/team and the manager had to get the best out of them. I thought it was common knowledge these days.

I can't see that myself.

I can't agree there Parson, maybe nobody is to blame but surely our recruitment plan wasn't supposed to be like this.

England basically had this system for years I believe. The FA suits picked the squad and the manager had to get on with it. It was only when Alf Ramsey was given control of the squad that we started to look a good team.

That's really tough luck. A pal of mine had it, at least he was in his mid sixties at the time. I believe Don Revie had it as well.

You've given up on Whittingham then ? I think we'll struggle to loan him out even if we pay his wages. On another tack , what about the invisible man that is Gladwin ?

I'm out on holiday with a pal who's a die hard Sunderland fan. I'll risk his blood pressure and ask him for the low down on Rodwell later we he gets up.

Hutchison gave plenty of full backs a tough time. He had a trick were he over ran the ball and then dragged it through with his trailing leg. He fooled me every time and I was only watching from the stand. I've never seen another player do this particular trick. I rated Nyambe when the knives were out for him on here. He has pace and athleticism. That'll take you a long way in today's football. The skill bit will come with time.

I'd rather not panic buy. It rarely turns out well.

From what I read about Rodwell he's exactly the wrong sort of player to bring in. The original bad apple. His attitude at Sunderland stank. I daren't ask my Sunderland supporting pal what he thinks of him, he's already got high blood pressure !

Is he what we need though ? We seem well stocked for midfield players. On another tack - when are we going to move some of the fringe players out ?

I wish we were still playing 2-3-5 , it was great, goals galore in the old days. I loved seeing two wingers and two strikers with Dougie laying chances on a plate for them . That was then, this is now. There's a reason we aren't playing like that anymore. It's much easier to destroy than create so now we play almost the opposite system.

Me too. There's got to better out there. Henderson at Rochdale scores plenty of goals in a poor team.

Not with our propensity for gifting opponents soft goals.

And then you woke up.

Nobody plays with four attacking players these days. Our two in central midfield will get run ragged by the four or five opponents in midfield whilst our front four are stood waving for a pass.

Amazing players do amazing things.

Starting slowly has been an issue for a long while. The first 15 minutes is when the opposition are at their most vulnerable. No team likes playing away from home. You should get your foot on their neck and keep it there. You can tell after a short period of time if we're up for it. Same with my Rugby League team. If they're stood about like a bunch of grapes, taking the ball stood still, falling off tackles in the first 5 minutes you're usually in for a long afternoon.

Name me a top player that hasn't missed a sitter. Two of the best goal scorers I ever saw were Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law. I've seen both of them miss from two yards out . Greavsey hit the bar with an header when he was stood on the goal line !

I read that Keifer Moore got a good hat trick for Barnsley at Rochdale last night.

Yeah I bet some of people on here never slept a wink on Christmas Eve.

I liked Barrow, how he never played more for us is a mystery. I saw this lad Sims play once for Southampton and he looked pretty handy.

Maybe the Chicken Chokers have decided to lend a hand now the test match is as good as over.

I won't damn them if they don't sign him. As you say we can't afford to get this one wrong. There's a lot riding on it. Somebody worth that sort of money at our level has got to be a starter not Graham's understudy.