The Man In The Stands AS A matter of principle, you should never really be pleased with getting a point at Doncaster. But as The Man scuttled out of the Keep Mute Stadium last night, I couldn't help but feel quietly delighted that we hadn't been beaten.

The Man In The Stands

AS A matter of principle, you should never really be pleased with getting a point at Doncaster.

But as The Man scuttled out of the Keep Mute Stadium last night, I couldn't help but feel quietly delighted that we hadn't been beaten.

At half-time I fancied us to go on and lose two or three nil; so to emerge with anything in the end was a bonus.

The second half comeback at least hints at some residual spirit in the team, and the result means we stopped Donny from going above us.

A word too about our support last night: magnificent.

Doubtless the Doncaster chairman, John Ryan, choked on his prawn sandwich when he looked at the away end, after all of his “Norwich won't bring many” remarks.

For a team in our position to be getting that kind of backing - in the midst of a recession - is absolutely sensational.

It comes, of course, on the back of a mere 25,271 turning up for our basement clash with Southampton just three days before.

And we know where the 271 came from.

I know that bums on seats doesn't count for much these days unless you've got someone with a decent sized cheque-book in the boardroom, but I still can't help but feel it is slightly ridiculous that a club like ours is so impoverished it is having to play Darel Russell (inset) up front.

That is not being disrespectful towards Rusty, who always puts a decent shift in for us, but it is quite clearly not the right situation for him to be learning a new position.

Memo to the board: We need a new striker, and we need him now.

I don't care if we have got no money; we will just have to find it from somewhere.

Unless we bring in a new frontman (preferably two) and a centre-half then I am as sure as I have ever been that we are going down.

Last year we had Ched, Hux and Dion to get us out of jail.

I look at our team now and we are sadly not blessed with similar quality.

The only thing for it is to get a new lump up front - one at the back - and scrap like hell.

I'm confident Gunny can get us scrapping; it's up to the board to deliver the new players.

If we really are so skint that we can't afford to, then I am afraid we are doomed.

If the sale of Eventguard and David Bell does not translate into new incoming players it is footballing suicide.

Over to you Delia and Michael.

OTBC.

t LIONS ARE PUSHED OVER EDGE

MILLWALL fans rioted last week at Hull.

The London club's supporters have said the disorder was sparked by the Tigers unveiling record signing Jimmy Bullard, once of rivals West Ham, on the pitch before the game.

The Man would never condone violence, but I think I would be pretty peeved to have to sit there and watch Hull City - HULL CITY - parade a �5m signing.

Every dog has its day, but that's just wrong.

It's like losing to Stephen Hawking on Strictly Come Dancing.

In a way I do admire the manner in which Stoke and Hull have aggressively gone about trying to improve their squads and maintain their Premiership status, but it doesn't half make me jealous.

Or as the Chinese would say, eat vinegar.

To this end, there has been a curious shift in my mindset over the past few years, and I sense it in some of my supporter pals too.

The Man used to always support the underdog in games; but I find myself desperately hoping that Hull's “great adventure” ends in tears. Ditto Stoke. And Cardiff against Arsenal in the cup.

As a kid I'd have supported Cardiff every time; but embittered soul that I now am I can't bear other clubs having the sort of success that makes us look even more useless.

Peace, out.

t MURRAY IS NOT MINT

ANDY Murray getting knocked out of the Aussie Open was an uplifting way to start the week.

The Scot (below) who took his top off at the US Open and bellowed “I'm too strong” while kissing his 'guns', was dumped out in the fourth round by former Norwich player Juan Velasco.

From what I can tell, there is an army of Englishmen - of which I am included - who take particular delight in watching Animal Andy get beat.

Try as we might, we just can't let go of the fact the ungrateful nerd said he'd support Paraguay against England in the World Cup in 2006.

So in a sense, he is the very embodiment of the Midlothian Question.

I've not got a problem with him being a proud Scot and sneering at England; but if it wasn't for Lawn Tennis Association (based in Roehampton) funding he wouldn't be where he is today.

Monday's defeat was made all the sweeter by the fact that The Man has a bet on, with another “Scot” who does not have a very Scottish accent, that Murray will never win a major.

I know he is only 21 and he's a half decent player, but I can't help but feel he is just tennis' answer to golfer Colin Montgomerie.

At least I hope he is. There's only one Fred Perry.

t TOWN FANS SECTIONED

THIS isn't really a time for us to poke fun at our rivals.

After all, The Man already has a sickening feeling that our visit to ****land on April 19th could be one of the worst days of his life.

However, I couldn't help but notice the latest facet in the ****'s so-called Section 6 Campaign at Portman Road, which is geared towards improving the “awful” atmosphere at the council-owned ground.

Ahead of this weekend's game fans were advised to “buy their tickets in the normal way, asking to be situated as close as possible to Row R, seats 163-166.”

In other words, try and sit near the four fans in the North Stand who actually sing, or more accurately, dribble.

How utterly pathetic.