Harry Pickering

[philipl]

6 to 7 weeks sadly.

Add at least 4 weeks to that for Hayden Carter.

[KentExile]

10 minutes ago, Tim Southampton Rover said:

How long is Pickering out for again? That left side definitely needs him.

4-5 weeks https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/january/25/boss-gives-injury-update-on-carter-and-pickering/

 

[bluebruce]

So, what is going on with Pickering? I felt he was held in reasonably decent regard heading into this season, and although he has competition in his natural position with Ribeiro (who himself has only played 10 minutes in the last 6 matches) and De Neve and now Hedges in this formation, he has shown in the past that he can do a decent job as a LCB in a back three in particular. Yet for some reason Hedges was preferred there.

He hasn't played at all for 8 games since playing the full 90 mins in the Charlton embarassment. I wasn't able to watch that, and tbh I've missed loads of games this calendar year as my Saturdays have been very busy, but I feel like by the end of the season we were in broad agreement that he and Ribeiro meant we were covered at LB really. Pickering seems massively out of favour though, and Ribeiro is struggling to get in too, whilst De Neve is hardly Owen Beck.

I was most stunned he didn't even get a look in as an emergency LCB when he has shown before that he can do it and we are so short we are recalling inadequate CBs from Chorley we had only just extended the loan of. What am I missing?

[Rogerb]

Believed to be on a basic of £15k per week so being positioned towards the exit door. It's gone on for years where players are not selected to encourage them to move.

[bluebruce]

3 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

Believed to be on a basic of £15k per week so being positioned towards the exit door. It's gone on for years where players are not selected to encourage them to move.

Doesn't encourage anyone to buy them though, especially if their wage is quite high. It would make infinitely more sense to play them, have them do well, then sell to the first semi-reasonable bid, if that was the strategy. Like has happened with a bunch of our other players we weren't willing to sign to new deals (Hyam, Travis, Brittain etc). Not sure I buy that it's this.

[Rogerb]

4 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

 Not sure I buy that it's this.

Just my opinion but I feel we are back to the early days of their ownership.

[DE.]

56 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Doesn't encourage anyone to buy them though, especially if their wage is quite high. It would make infinitely more sense to play them, have them do well, then sell to the first semi-reasonable bid, if that was the strategy. Like has happened with a bunch of our other players we weren't willing to sign to new deals (Hyam, Travis, Brittain etc). Not sure I buy that it's this.

This does assume competency and common sense though, which may not be in especially high supply at Ewood these days. 

[Hasta]

He doesn’t fit “the model”. He’s never been relegated to some European pub league.

[bluebruce]

4 hours ago, DE. said:

This does assume competency and common sense though, which may not be in especially high supply at Ewood these days. 

Ordinarily this would be a very valid response, as we sure are a shambles, but we have already demonstrated what our approach to these players is. It would be weird even for us if we were to do that with all the others, then just with Pickering for some reason we choose to devalue the product instead.

I'm pretty sure he is out of favour with the manager, whether it's for his playing style/ability or something sort of falling out.