Academy & U21s

[arbitro]

The season finished with another entertaining goalfest but another defeat.

Fulham were too good for us for an hour or so. We couldn't get near them as their quick, incisive play was too much for most of our team.

It was no surprise they took the lead but they had a helping hand from O'Grady-Macken who didn't do the basics of clearing the ball from inside his own penalty area. He tried to control a bouncing ball and wanted too much time. The second goal was another error as some indecision between Michalski and Davies allowed a quick thinking Fulham player to get between them and score. The third was from a clear penalty.

We made a triple substitution just after the hour and looked better for it. A great strike from Edmondson gave us some hope and it was game on after 86 minutes when Doherty scored. In between we created other chances and had a couple more after this goal but just couldn't score.

Despite the comeback it was quite a disappointing match as for an hour our passing  and movement was poor and Fulham were better all over the pitch.

[KentExile]

55 minutes ago, arbitro said:

The season finished with another entertaining goalfest but another defeat.

Fulham were too good for us for an hour or so. We couldn't get near them as their quick, incisive play was too much for most of our team.

It was no surprise they took the lead but they had a helping hand from O'Grady-Macken who didn't do the basics of clearing the ball from inside his own penalty area. He tried to control a bouncing ball and wanted too much time. The second goal was another error as some indecision between Michalski and Davies allowed a quick thinking Fulham player to get between them and score. The third was from a clear penalty.

We made a triple substitution just after the hour and looked better for it. A great strike from Edmondson gave us some hope and it was game on after 86 minutes when Doherty scored. In between we created other chances and had a couple more after this goal but just couldn't score.

Despite the comeback it was quite a disappointing match as for an hour our passing  and movement was poor and Fulham were better all over the pitch.

Worth noting that Fulham were in a 2 horse race with Man City for the PL2 title and finished 2nd behind Man City by 2 points, and ahead of the rest of the division by 7+ points,, so a gulf might have been expected

Edited April 15 by KentExile

[KentExile]

 

 

[KentExile]

U18s scored 2 late goals to come back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 vs Stoke

Valentin Joseph scored 2 and assisted the other for Freddie Leatherbarrow

[arbitro]

Another entertaining match was seen at the Academy yesterday as the under 18's drew with Stoke. At 3-1 down with very little time to go it seemed we were heading for another defeat but an exceptional comeback was us snatch a point.

The stand out performance came from Valentin Joseph who, besides scoring two goals have an orthodox centre forward performance in an almost old fashioned way. He is big and strong and made full use of this and his powerful running caused lots of problems for Stoke.

Significantly there were a number of players who started and came on who haven't even started their Scholarships yet and they performed well. One of our substitutes, Alfie McIlroy is, I was told the grandson of Sammy McIlroy who was the last Busby Babe.

[KentExile]

If anyone is interested, there is a video of the full 90 minutes of the 3-2 loss to Fulham on the Rovers website

As far as I am aware, it is free to view as long as you are registered on the site

https://www.rovers.co.uk/videos

[roversfan99]

Ash Phillips is getting rave reviews on loan at Stoke.

He received a lot of criticism for choosing to join Spurs but whilst being on a higher wage, he swapped being 4th or 5th choice here (and I dont think that would have changed) to having played 18 months of regular Championship football. His development as well as his pay packet seems to have improved.

[Exiled_Rover]

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Ash Phillips is getting rave reviews on loan at Stoke.

He received a lot of criticism for choosing to join Spurs but whilst being on a higher wage, he swapped being 4th or 5th choice here (and I dont think that would have changed) to having played 18 months of regular Championship football. His development as well as his pay packet seems to have improved.

He simply wasn't ready for first team football when he played for us - showed flashes, but looked raw.

We wouldn't have signed Sanderson or Batth if he'd have stayed, so he'd have got plenty of football for the club that discovered and nurtured him.

Alas he's a Judas mercenary. 

[roversfan99]

3 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He simply wasn't ready for first team football when he played for us - showed flashes, but looked raw.

We wouldn't have signed Sanderson or Batth if he'd have stayed, so he'd have got plenty of football for the club that discovered and nurtured him.

Alas he's a Judas mercenary. 

He left in what has been a vindicated move both financially and so far in terms of his development. 

[Tom]

Yeah not sure how that makes him a Judas

[Exiled_Rover]

15 minutes ago, Tom said:

Yeah not sure how that makes him a Judas

Using the leverage of the rules to bend the club over so we had to sign him to a deal with a release clause well below his value?

Yeah, I have no time for Phillips. 

[Exiled_Rover]

57 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He left in what has been a vindicated move both financially and so far in terms of his development. 

Agree to disagree.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

He left in what has been a vindicated move both financially and so far in terms of his development. 

I don't see how playing on loan at struggling championship sides, has vindicated his development. I doubt he will ever be a spurs first-teamer. 

[MarkBRFC]

4 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Using the leverage of the rules to bend the club over so we had to sign him to a deal with a release clause well below his value?

Yeah, I have no time for Phillips. 

What benefit would we have got if he signed a 5 year deal and he joined Spurs for £10m this summer instead?

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC said:

What benefit would we have got if he signed a 5 year deal and he joined Spurs for £10m this summer instead?

£8.5m for a start. 

The joy of watching an Academy product play and succeed for us?

[bluebruce]

5 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Using the leverage of the rules to bend the club over so we had to sign him to a deal with a release clause well below his value?

Yeah, I have no time for Phillips. 

I have less time for Finneran though. At least Phillips signed a deal to allow us a modest sum. Finneran shat on the club that built him.

[MarkBRFC]

14 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

£8.5m for a start. 

The joy of watching an Academy product play and succeed for us?

So another 6 months of bills paid.

Good on him for getting out of this circus at the first opportunity I say.

[Mattyblue]

‘Judas’, behave. 😄

He was a teenager at a non-parachute second tier club that had hardly had a sniff who left to go to Tottenham.

That’s the game, happens at all levels, we’ve done it ourselves with young lads from lower down the pyramid.

Edited April 18 by Mattyblue

[bluebruce]

3 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

‘Judas’, behave. 😄

He was a teenager at a non-parachute second tier club that had hardly had a sniff who left to go to Tottenham.

That’s the game, happens at all levels, we’ve done it ourselves with young lads from lower down the pyramid.

Hardly had a sniff? He was 17 that season and had played 8 Championship games, and 14 games in total. At CB, too, where you normally have to wait a bit longer. How much sniffing should he have been doing?

[Mattyblue]

It was a turn of phrase. I.e he wasn’t going to be playing when everybody was fit.

Of course he was going to go to Tottenham, ‘Judas’, come on.

Edited April 18 by Mattyblue

[MarkBRFC]

And he's ended up playing at exactly the same level as us anyway for the past two seasons, all while getting paid a hell of a lot more.

Good on him.

[rigger]

5 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

And he's ended up playing at exactly the same level as us anyway for the past two seasons, all while getting paid a hell of a lot more.

Good on him.

Do you think Phillips made a good career decision going to Spurs ?

[Mike E]

9 minutes ago, rigger said:

Do you think Phillips made a good career decision going to Spurs ?

Depends what he wants from his career:

Glory or money?

Glory is rare but the money was flung at him. Daft not to take it in an incredibly short career.

[MarkBRFC]

22 minutes ago, rigger said:

Do you think Phillips made a good career decision going to Spurs ?

Yes.

He has probably more than quadrupled his wage, and has played at this level for two solid years anyway.

What would he have gained by staying here?

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Yes.

He has probably more than quadrupled his wage, and has played at this level for two solid years anyway.

What would he have gained by staying here?

He would have been playing for a team in a better position than he is now, but he would have more money. To me that is not bettering his career.