Tyrone Shoelaces

Players don’t hang around for long after a relegation these days do they ?

I don’t understand what went wrong with Hilly. He was on the up not that long along ago. Highly rated as a coach. My mate reckons he hasn’t been the same manager since his dad died.

That bench is very, very weak - as are the two full backs.

Is Keith Hill still there ?

I could have told you that about Dack before he kicked a ball. You don’t have to be Pep to realise pressing isn’t big in his skill set. He’s not really cut out for it.

You’re right, talk is cheap. It’s what they can get the players to do on the pitch that counts.

That’s a good point.

I think so too. Somewhat of a luxury player. There are two kinds of players - the ones that get you on top in a game and the ones that take advantage of the situation once their team is on top. He belongs in the second group.

Keep telling players they are tired and they’ll play like it.

Yes, I agree. However the relationship wasn’t poisonous like it is today.

We’ve had twelve years of supporting the “ constantly depressing workplace environment “ known as Blackburn Rovers.

I’ve never been Joe Rothwell’s biggest fan. I still stand by my comment of “ doesn’t do enough often enough for a midfield player “ that I made at the time. Having said that I accept he had a substantial fan club who’s opinion was different to mine. I think the owners were aware of the out cry there would have been if he had have been sold with us second in the league at the time. Especially if the money had gone in the same drawer as the Armstrong money. I would suggest that could have easily been the case.

That was a bitter pill to swallow. It wasn’t the first, for me that was Fred Pickering, Roy Vernon and Peter Dobing were just before my time. And it wasn’t the last by far. Going back to the Jim Smith era although we were poor we were united as a club and we never doubted for one minute that the board were doing all they could to bring success back to the club. Contrast that atmosphere with current events.

It makes me smile when people criticise his positional play. He plays where he’s told to play, just like every other player in a pro football team. Nobody plays just where they feel like it. Of all the defenders at Ewood he was the one I’d least like to play up against.

Well he’s come to the right place for a challenge.

We’re forgetting Alan Hunter, a really top class centre half. He’d be worth £25 Million today.

It was a joke ? Righto.

How many opposition players have given him a chasing ? Not many, if any

Well he’s got the chance to replace them now. Let’s see how he goes on.

How long had we been looking for a replacement for Mowbray ?

We bought him in January and he made his debut the following August.

Name me one thing that gets done relatively quickly at Rovers ?

We could afford him but who’s going to pay the wages for the rest of the squad ?

If you’re playing four at the back he’s the right back you want. If we get a better player for that position I’ll be surprised. How many attempts have we had at getting a good left back ? If you rolled them all together you wouldn’t have a good ‘un.

And any really outstanding young talent we may stumble across gets snapped up for a pittance before they even make the first team. That’s the likely outcome with Phillips. If Mike England was playing today, he’d have been gone before pulling on a first team shirt.