Tyrone Shoelaces

Some of us didn't need hindsight. It was pretty obvious that it was a strange signing.

More wealthy than the chicken chokers ?

Plus John Angus, Jimmy Robson, John Talbut, Ray Pointer, Gordon Harris, Trevor Steven, even the likes of Stan Ternent, they had a conveyor belt of players coming down from the North East. Once that stopped it was down hill all the way.

It's absolutely crucial that we bring someone in who can carry on Johnno's good work. The flow of good young players the club is bringing through needs to continue.

The dozens of Geordies the dingles used to sign in the old days. A pal of mine told me when their reserve team played in the North East in the old Central League days the coach would come back more or less empty after the game. The players would all be staying at home for the weekend. The North East terms were notorious for letting top young players slip through their fingers.

Seeding - yes, the pitch - no. Allegedly of course.

To be honest I'd a very good idea the game was going to be off a week before I posted that. The state of affairs with the pitch at Rochdale is a shambles. They go through groundsmen like we used to go through managers. The latest one was fired under circumstances I can't reveal on here.

So that's Butterfield and Butterfingers ?

NOOOOOOOOOO. I'd rather have Raya.

I thought they'd killed Saddam Hussein !

I think Raya hasn't improved since he first came into the team. The aspects of the game he was poor at then, he's still poor at now. Decision making is a key aspect of being a player, any position, not just in goal. The top players make the right decision at speed nines times out of ten.The more you play the better you should be at it, just like any job. Raya seemed to have gone backwards in this vital respect. Somebody has to be responsible for that.

I'd not be bothered. There must be better players out there.

Now you're talking my language.

I didn't see the game but to lose against a team that played 120 minutes the night after we played 90 isn't great. I'm not in the Phil Neville fan club. He talks a good game but he came up short when the chips were down.

Yeah, he was distinctly average here. Always looked like he was playing within himself to me. That's a real no-no for a centre half. Plus the fact he seems a bit brittle fitness wise.

Bloody hell, what a choice to have to make. If you rolled them both into one you wouldn't have a Danny Graham in his prime.

Not in my eyes.

Wow, If that's what being on big bucks does for you I'm glad I never made it. It looks like he's been carved from a block of wood with a chainsaw by Stevie Wonder.

I used to play left back, can I be Bell's mentor. I'd be cheap.

Keith Hill was allegedly on that sort of deal at Rochdale.

I'd rather stick with Raya than sign Joe Hart. Gallagher I'm underwhelmed with. Johnson, I wish he was a bit younger, once you get past thirty it's just when your legs go not if.

From what I hear the Rochdale game won't take place, certainly not at Rochdale anyway.

The day isn't far off when Graham does hit the wall. If it isn't next season it'll be the season after. We need a potential replacement this season. Whatever style of football we play we'll need somebody who knows where the goals are.

Looking back I can see why Neville flopped in Spain. You're going into the biggest game ever and you change the system of playing from the one that has got you there in the first place. Parris who's a wide player gets to play in a sort of No10 role where she's never played before and as a consequence never sees the ball. We revert to Plan A after an hour and we're all over them like rash. Taxi for Phil ?

Scored with his first kick against Bolton in his first big game if my memory serves me well. Down hill all the way after that. He was quite a slight guy with a nice left foot. Not overly quick or strong. You need to have one of those abilities to succeed playing up front.