Tyrone Shoelaces

The one thing I've learned about Venky's that you can rely on is that they always take the wrong option. The " Feel Good " factor at the Club from last season is slowly ebbing away. A modest amount of money spent on a couple of players who would definitely strengthen the first 11 would have maintained our momentum. What do they do ? Just fiddle while Rome burns as usual. Have we any evidence they actually know we got promoted last season ?

Forget that then. Not unless the pound to magic bean exchange rate has shot up recently.

People keep saying that, can you name another one ? One of our most successful pre seasons when we had a great tour of Holland in 1965 led to our ignominious relegation in the 65-66 season.

Remember who told you first.

Great, will we see any of it ?

Sounds like our inability to play for more than 30 minutes in a game hasn't gone away. That's ok against Rochdale, not so good against West Brom etc. In my experience a good pre season doesn't guarantee a good season but a bad pre season means you're going to struggle.

Sounds like our inability to play for more than 30 minutes in a game hasn't gone away. That's ok against Rochdale, not so good against West Brom etc.

I can't see him being suited to playing up front with his back to goal.

I'd say that was a weaker team than the one we finished last season with.

That's the worst ever Rovers shirt for me. It's so bad it's embarrassing. I wouldn't be seen dead wearing it. Back to my old " CIS " shirt. For me that shirt sums up everything about the Chicken Chokers attitude to the fans.

In 1966 it lasted while about midnight on the Saturday. Sunday it was business as usual.

Can somebody bring me up to date. Is there one scintilla of evidence that we are even slightly interested in Maddison ?

I'd take Spain, Portugal and Argentina to beat England most of the time. We aren't a top ten team at the moment. As long as we allow Premier League clubs to fill their teams with foreigners we never will be either.

Well we won't have long to wait to see who is right. The clock is ticking.

I've just seen the goals again on the news. The Croatia goalkeeper didn't exactly cover himself in glory today. I reckon I could have got a hand on the Mbappe goal.

Every day's a good day when you're retired. Off to Spain for seven weeks on Tuesday. This is the life.

If the Gods had smiled on them both Keith Newton and Fred Pickering could have been in that 1966 squad. Keith just missed out, he was in the group of 26 ( I think it was ) that trained for the finals but just missed the cut to the last 22 players. He got a bit of a chasing by the great Jimmy Johnstone ( not on his own there ) in the Scotland v England a few weeks earlier and Sir Alf opted for the more experienced Gerry Byrne from Liverpool. A decent full back but not nearly in the same class as Keith Newton. Fred in his prime was a better centre forward than Hurst in my opinion but he sustained a bad knee injury earlier in the season. Who knows it could have been Fred getting that hat trick ! If the World Cup had been held in 1964 and not 1966 Bryan Douglas would have walked into the team.

Don't tell him Al.

Let's hope he turns out as good. Another Zurab would be great in the current team.

There are mistakes and dumb mistakes, that one against Preston was up there with the Matt Derbyshire v City clanger. That one only cost us two points but I don't think he ever kicked a ball for our first team again. The one against Preston was crucial to our survival. He's an improvement on Nuttall , probably an improvement on Samuel but will he score enough goals to keep us up ? I doubt it.

So. it wasn't a dumb mistake ? I must have got that one wrong then.

Not many very tall players are good jumpers. There are exceptions. Mike England was 6'3" tall and had a terrific spring in his legs.

Yeah, dumb footballers make dumb mistakes.

That must be another Gallagher that I haven't seen play. The one I saw play was big but powerful he wasn't, and he couldn't head the ball.

I just read he's on £24k a week at Southampton ! Football is a mad world. You'd think he could afford a personal trainer and some Guinness and steak on that sort of money.