IHEARD Sam talking on the radio this week about getting some ball-winners in his midfield.

And about time too.

Since Frandsen and Warhurst have been out injured, Wanderers have struggled to keep the ball.

Farrelly and Hansen haven't got a tackle in them while Nolan and Gardner like to get forward.

From the evidence of the West Ham game, the signing of Stig was certainly a move in the right direction and now we've got Mario Espartero.

If we play them both we've got two strong tacklers in front of our back four and that should help to repel raiders. Hopefully Michael and our other new man Djorkaeff can do the business up front and we can get the results that will keep us in the Premiership.

I just hope that Sam has pointed out to Stig and Mario that we do have one or two referees in the Premiership who perhaps have a different view of ball-winners.

Sam says he likes this type of player in his side but they will be walking a very tight line with some of our refs.

We all know what happened in the Leicester game when we had two players red-carded for offences that other officials might have looked at in a totally different way.

At this stage of the season we can't afford to be having players sent off and I just hope that neither Mr Riley or a certain Mr Knight officiate at any of our remaining games.

Even so I must congratulate Sam. With the new players he has brought into the club he must have been working very hard over the past few weeks. I hope he is repaid by his side staying up. He deserves it.

Good luck over the remaining games. I'll be there for the Blackburn and Arsenal games. Let's hope I'm joined by a few more of our missing fans for the games at the Reebok.

James Simms,

via e-mail,

London