Tempest gripes are just a storm in a teacup-Walling.

It would seem my admiration for the way Greg Tempest took his chance last Saturday was not shared by all of my fellow fans, as Dean Walling has been expounding on in this week’s Echo. Walling thought Tempest acquitted himself well and so did I. Apparently there was disgreement amongst the fans though.

I greatly enjoyed the players debut and so did most around me although, come to think of it there were a couple of critics within earshot. That’s football though, it’s all a matter of opinion.

Legend Walling also said something that has struck me lately, he made a comparison between the present team and John Becks ultimately successful side although Beck himself was fired before they got promoted, due to non-football matters.

The name John Beck does conjure up a certain view of football that’s not altogether wholesome but it can’t be denied he did something that no one else has been able to do since, got a City team promoted.

There is no comparison, in my view between the team that Walling graced and our present day side. I think the football at the moment can be quite easy on the eye whereas Becks teams were a triumph of effectiveness over style.

What Beck did engender though was a great team spirit and that’s where the comparison lies. Beck was a deep thinker and a kind of psychologist who got his team succeeding almost through strength of will. Chris Moyses is a man manager, he’s a businessman who knows how to motivate and gives some thought to a player’s character before signing him. You don’t get that much in football these days but it didn’t do a certain Sir Alex Ferguson any harm.

Whether Tempest gets a further chance to present his credentials this coming weekend at Tranmere, in the FA Cup, time will tell as I gather both Matt Sparrow and Craig Stanley may be in contention for Saturday although with such relatively serious injuries if either or both do make an appearance surely it will be on the bench. Bradley Wood is available again and Terry Hawkridge has been given permission by Scunthorpe United to play in the cup.

It gets better and better.