Academy & U21s

[K-Hod]

Mr Miller made this point very well as the Fans Forum meeting, last time out- but basically saying, that he was buying a season ticket for the first team, not the under 23s.

First team prices, youth team football.....

[chaddyrovers]

Youth development should be part of our football plan. We have been bring through quality young players so why shouldnt we keep doing that. Duru should have been Brittain's back up not JRC who isnt a right back in a million years. 

JDT was very good at bringing through young players whether it was Adam Wharton, Jake Garrett, Sam Barnes, Ash Phillips, Harry Leonard, Jack Vale. 

We want to return to that model of producing our own players aswell as signing players aswell this signing. We need 6 or 7 signings but also have 3 young players aswell our the squad plus several working as part of the squad but not 25 man squad..

[Mattyblue]

Wharton and Phillips came through because they were young footballers with the obvious ability to thrive at this level or higher  - JDT gave the rest a chance (because he couldn’t fill his squad with the experience he obviously would rather have had) and they couldn’t take it, as they aren’t good enough (Barnes possibly harsh to judge, bad injuries, however he was 23 when he left and had never played a league game outside non league.)

If you are good enough you’ll get your chance, if you aren’t, you shouldn’t and should learn your trade elsewhere, the likes of Vale and Garrett never were and wouldn’t have got a sniff at a normal Blackburn Rovers.

Edited yesterday at 20:55 by Mattyblue

[Forever Blue]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Youth development should be part of our football plan. We have been bring through quality young players so why shouldnt we keep doing that. Duru should have been Brittain's back up not JRC who isnt a right back in a million years. 

JDT was very good at bringing through young players whether it was Adam Wharton, Jake Garrett, Sam Barnes, Ash Phillips, Harry Leonard, Jack Vale. 

We want to return to that model of producing our own players aswell as signing players aswell this signing. We need 6 or 7 signings but also have 3 young players aswell our the squad plus several working as part of the squad but not 25 man squad..

Do you accept you were wrong about the 3000 minutes?

[chaddyrovers]

JDT picked Barnes in his first match day squad over Phillips. Injuries to Barnes cost him his career here. Hopefully he can find a new club and rebuild his career. 

Always rated Garrett and thinks he offers alot but these 2 loan spells have been disaster for him and his career

[Bronzed A Donis]

If we're floundering due to having an inexperienced squad and Ismael says this is the reason, you'll be the first to say we should bring in experience and claim you said this all along.

[bluebruce]

On 12/05/2025 at 20:46, chaddyrovers said:

Agree, but no one has said just bring through young players for the sake of it. 

Having any kind of minutes target for playing academy players is an outright admission of wanting to play young players for the sake of it rather than when they're ready.

[roversfan99]

JDT spent much of his time publically calling out the owners because when he called for an actual competent striker, he wasnt given one, just a crap freebie from Plymouth, a german 4th division player and a rubbish loanee. Hence why he had no other option but to play Vale and Leonard. He had no alternative but to use the likes of Garrett and Markanday too. That weirdly was the season we may have hit these stupid targets but also the one we slid down into relegation danger and he got so pissed off he walked.

This is why communication is so important from the clubs perspective. They can talk any old shite and some will swallow it up. There were 2 reasons why we hit those targets a year or 2 ago. One was that we had two talents capable of playing Championship football at such a young age purely on merit, one exceptional one in particular. The other was because cut backs meant that we didnt have enough players not to fill the squad full of graduates even though most werent ready.

If you genuinely believe in a "footballing plan" here then you must have lived under a rock for a number of years. Its purely a plan of cutting costs glamorised to appear to have the best interests of the team in mind. Padding out the squad with kids means you dont have to sign as many. Who cares if they are all ready to play.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

From what bits I’ve seen I can’t think of any of the “ kids “ that are ready for a serious run of games at Championship level. 

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

From what bits I’ve seen I can’t think of any of the “ kids “ that are ready for a serious run of games at Championship level. 

I thought Duru was ready last season for first team squad. I think Montgomery is ready. Time to get him his chance. Tyjon is highly rated and I would make him part of the squad. 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

JDT spent much of his time publically calling out the owners because when he called for an actual competent striker, he wasnt given one, just a crap freebie from Plymouth, a german 4th division player and a rubbish loanee. Hence why he had no other option but to play Vale and Leonard. He had no alternative but to use the likes of Garrett and Markanday too.

That Rubbish signing that part in 2 promotion in 2 seasons. We couldn't get Hirst scoring here. 

Ennis and Telalovic were gamble but signed off by JDT. He could have always said no you know. Leonard and Vale got their chance cos they were rated by JDT nothing despite how you dressed it up. Tbh, you are against giving young players the opportunity in the first team. No point having a Cat 1 academy unless we develop our own players like we always have. 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

This is why communication is so important from the clubs perspective. They can talk any old shite and some will swallow it up. 

It's what you should be doing. Communicating with your supporters and stakeholders. PNE chief Executive Peter Ridsdale did on Monday night nearly one hour interview with Radio Lancs. 

You might not want to hear from our Chief Executive or Director of football but plenty do. 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

If you genuinely believe in a "footballing plan" here then you must have lived under a rock for a number of years. Its purely a plan of cutting costs glamorised to appear to have the best interests of the team in mind. Padding out the squad with kids means you dont have to sign as many. Who cares if they are all ready to play.

Cut what cost? The wages we paid over the few season is roughly the same. So what has cut budget wise from the Rovers's account? 

[windymiller7]

The thing is, those "3000" minutes will also include the likes of Scott Wharton & Hayden Carter who have both had long term injuries this year. Trav has also missed a good few games this season when our form fell off a cliff.

This means that the numbers are somewhat skewed as, although they are technically academy products, they're also established Championship players.

So taking these players minutes away, along with AW & to a lesser extent, Phillips, there's probably not many 'kids' minutes at all.

[Claytons Left Boot]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

You might not want to hear from our Chief Executive or Director of football but plenty do. 

You could write what those two know about football on the back of a postage stamp.

Neither of them are fit for purpose and genuine Rovers fans, who know the game, would be delighted to hear that both of them had been sacked.

[Mattyblue]

Imagine wanting to hear more embarrassing claptrap and outright lies from Steve bloody Waggott.

Edited 9 hours ago by Mattyblue

[bluebruce]

12 minutes ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

You could write what those two know about football on the back of a postage stamp.

Neither of them are fit for purpose and genuine Rovers fans, who know the game, would be delighted to hear that both of them had been sacked.

I think that's harsh about the DoF. I don't think he's fit for the role, but you can't say he knows so little about football you could put it on the back of a postage stamp. He was a professional footballer and played in the Premiership. He will know a lot more about football than a lot of us on here do.

He just has no credentials to be a DoF at a club of this level, nor has shown any competence other than in sucking up to his superiors and towing the company line for his own advancement.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

I thought Duru was ready last season for first team squad. I think Montgomery is ready. Time to get him his chance. Tyjon is highly rated and I would make him part of the squad. 

That Rubbish signing that part in 2 promotion in 2 seasons. We couldn't get Hirst scoring here. 

Ennis and Telalovic were gamble but signed off by JDT. He could have always said no you know. Leonard and Vale got their chance cos they were rated by JDT nothing despite how you dressed it up. Tbh, you are against giving young players the opportunity in the first team. No point having a Cat 1 academy unless we develop our own players like we always have. 

It's what you should be doing. Communicating with your supporters and stakeholders. PNE chief Executive Peter Ridsdale did on Monday night nearly one hour interview with Radio Lancs. 

You might not want to hear from our Chief Executive or Director of football but plenty do. 

Cut what cost? The wages we paid over the few season is roughly the same. So what has cut budget wise from the Rovers's account? 

I am obviously not against giving the youngsters game if they are ready. I am against setting arbitary targets for minutes played as that encourages playing them whether they are ready or not.

As has been the case with some of the players (in those years that we did hit these stupid targets) that did play that werent ready to do so. Garrett, Vale, Leonard etc.

It cuts the cost because it means we sign less players expecting kids to make up the numbers.

If Suhail, Waggott, Gestede or Sufi said the sky was green you would believe them.

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Ennis and Telalovic were gamble but signed off by JDT. He could have always said no you know.

JDT wanted another striker all summer. On deadline day they probably said "It's Telalovic or nothing".

He could have said no, but when you are in the last 12 hours of the window there will be an element in desperation as to whether they are 'wanted' or not.

[roversfan99]

He doesnt have the ability to question anything the club does. Therefore he cant fathom that a fourth division german player signed for peanuts wasnt the striker that Tomasson had in mind, wouldnt have been the striker he chose had the budgets not been slashed to uncompetitive levels and that the subsequent overreliance on academy graduates who werent ready was essentially down to finances rather than part of a well structured "footballing plan."

[Claytons Left Boot]

54 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I think that's harsh about the DoF. I don't think he's fit for the role, but you can't say he knows so little about football you could put it on the back of a postage stamp. He was a professional footballer and played in the Premiership. He will know a lot more about football than a lot of us on here do.

He just has no credentials to be a DoF at a club of this level, nor has shown any competence other than in sucking up to his superiors and towing the company line for his own advancement.

Yes, I probably worded it incorrectly but was meaning from a Director of Football perspective, something you alluded to in your final paragraph. 

[chaddyrovers]

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I am obviously not against giving the youngsters game if they are ready. I am against setting arbitary targets for minutes played as that encourages playing them whether they are ready or not.

Thats funny cos every time someone suggests giving someone a chance Duru you always find a reason or excuse not to give them a chance or pick a number of faults with them.

You obsessing over Gestede mentioning the amount of minutes young players played under JDT compare to Eustace and Rovers want to go back to bringing young players if they are ready 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

As has been the case with some of the players (in those years that we did hit these stupid targets) that did play that werent ready to do so. Garrett, Vale, Leonard etc.

1000% don't agree none of those are ready. They were hence why the started and played. Leonard's biggest problem is injuries. 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

It cuts the cost because it means we sign less players expecting kids to make up the numbers.

It's called bringing through your young players like we should given we have Category 1 academy like we done since I supported Rovers

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

If Suhail, Waggott, Gestede or Sufi said the sky was green you would believe them.

Back to this more bullshit bollocks again RF99. Is that best you got throwing this pointless inusults. 

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

He doesnt have the ability to question anything the club does. Therefore he cant fathom that a fourth division german player signed for peanuts wasnt the striker that Tomasson had in mind, wouldnt have been the striker he chose had the budgets not been slashed to uncompetitive levels and that the subsequent overreliance on academy graduates who werent ready was essentially down to finances rather than part of a well structured "footballing plan."

Very quick to throw the insults at people when you tied yourself in knots/refused to answer the most basic of question. Maybe have a think of that one 

The project changed that summer he knew he wasn't going to get the summer he wanted striker 

8 hours ago, Hasta said:

JDT wanted another striker all summer. On deadline day they probably said "It's Telalovic or nothing".

He could have said no, but when you are in the last 12 hours of the window there will be an element in desperation as to whether they are 'wanted' or not.

JDT had to a choice between Telalovic or a 31 year old striker from La Liga on loan. He picked Telalovic