No there won't.

Mowbray is not the right man to bring the ypung players through, he doesn't have the back bone to give any young player an extended run in he team, he has talked the talk with regards many of them but he doesn't walk the walk I have heard that there is a couple or so of the higher rated youngsters that are looking for a way out as they feel they have been led up the garden path a little and are at a stage in their careers where 1st team football is now so important for their future development It's unlikely the players out on loan at present are unlikely to get an opportunity either as the pathway isn't there for them either January will see a few go on loan, with this most of them will go into the last knockings of their contracts and with no intension of extending them as they see no pathway into the 1st team and once out on loan they do seem to become the forgotten men Also to make any money on these young players would mean giving them a decent run in the 1st team that won't happen so they will walk for minimal amounts and once again with no benifit to Rovers in any way, the academy isn't being used in the correct way as it stands its failing and this is due to what happens at 1st team level and until this changes young players will leave for next to nothing as they have in the past When was the last time Rovers picked up any decent money for an academy player? Phil Jones and then David Raya This season should have seen at least 3 decent young players fully integrated into the 1st team but hasn't and its disappointing, the promotion of Damien Johnson should have seen this transition for the young players made seemless but it hasn't, so his role should be questioned also, does he have any input? I Highley doubt it

Agreed 100%. The cringe nadir...

That applies to anybody in the public eye who voices an opinion. If you are a sensitive soul then you are in the wrong game.

Angriest more than cringiest.

This shit

Bennett has given away two penalties in as many games and is heavily targetted when playing RB or LB. Shouldnt be starting for a while at least. If he did have to start, CM possibly or on the RW/Defensvie winger position.

Comparing anyone to Damien Duff is lining them up to fail. Duff was special and would be playing for City if he were in the game now. The saddest thing is that we will NEVER have another Duff while Mowbray is here. He’d have been stifled from the start, dropped when playing well and slated for not being defensive enough.

TM is long enough in the tooth in football terms to know that the basis of a hard to beat side is a core of players who a) work well with each other, b) work hard for each other and c) play regularly together. Quite why he persists with the tinkerman approach, dire defensive (or should that be defective) tactics, and a penchant for selecting players who are quite visibly inferior to others left languishing on the bench, is beyond me. So, if Tinkerman Tone turns out tomorrow, I fully expect the rollercoaster of disappointment to leave Elland Rd empty handed. If he finds the balls to select his best and most committed players from those available, perhaps we might pull off a surprise. For me Rothwell and Holtby have to be prominent in the mix, with our other best of breeds, Dack, Graham, Nyambe and Tosin. If that core plays tomorrow then COYB. We shall see.

Christ can you imagine. "Damien needs to learn how we play. Work on the defensive side of his game. He needs to not take risks with the ball. He needs to wait for his chance" All whilst Gallagher and Armstrong are on the wings.

If you want to write publicly about football then you need thick skin. There will always be somebody who disagrees with you.

Yes Alejandro. We support a fabulous football club with a long and illustrious history, an iconic and beautiful kit and a record of achievement unsurpassed by any town of similar size. Present difficulties should not be a reason to deter you or any other fans from celebrating and supporting the Rovers. We have a history of punching above our weight, overcoming obstacles and representing with honour a Northern town itself characterised by the honest endeavour of straightforward folk. Be proud.

Issac Whitehall came on at right back looks a prospect and only 17, good size good feet and athletic, one to watch IMO

Thanks Stuart for the update.

This 'good group' shit is never going to work. Every good team has a good mix of 'characters'.

Sad times Skip Really enjoy your input and insight on posts on the young lads on here I must say ?

Just about the only time I've felt sorry and embarrassed for well paid professional footballers. I've always chosen to believe that the players were forced to do it. I only ever watched it a couple of times, it makes my skin crawl.

In the LT, an insight in the overthinking from Mowbray that happens before every game. He's talking about number of passes Leeds make in the final third, and how we should pass first time to Armstrong/Gallagher etc. God forbid we play to our strengths and not just come up with a new game plan every week depending on who we're playing.

I'm not criticising his character for a moment, he's probably a nice lad for all I know! There are loads of people who I disagree with on a host of issues, but I still count amongst my best friends. Such is life. It just seems weird he is so sensitive about criticism, when he's put himself up there to be shot at.

His opinions and he's entitled to them just as some are to disagree. He has the platform there though to say his bit to a huge audience with the safety net of no direct replies. When he has a pop at fans or comes out with stuff that's a bit 'superfan' . Or goes against what others feel is actually happening he's fair game. I'm sure he knows that.

Smithy is a good lad and his devotion to BRFC over the past 40 years should not be doubted. Not saying I agree with all he says mind you but he's a good egg.

Simon is a thoroughly respected commentator on the Rovers from the fanzine's perspective. Massively grateful that he went to the effort of getting quotes from the likes of Terry Gennoe, Mick Rathbone, Mick Speight and other teammates for his wonderful 2000-word tribute to Kevin Stonehouse in Issue 97 earlier this season. This was followed up by another brilliant piece about John Lowey last month.

He's so not bothered, he wrote an article about not being bothered. Has anyone got a flotation device? I'm drowning in irony over here.....

Which makes his achievements even more impressive. He got Shamrock Rovers into the group stages of the Europa league, the first time an Irish league side every qualified for the group stages of a European competition. Everywhere he has managed he has exceeded expectations, not a little bit, but massively. He may have an issue with egos etc managing a club in England, but I think appointing him would be less of a gamble than many of the names that get bandied about when a vacancy comes up at this level. I would have loved him here. I would have been more excited with appointing him than I would be if we appointed Hughton.

No, you drop Bennett who contrary to what you keep saying did not do a Makelele like job on Gallagher, and play our best central midfielder Travis with another, Downing, Johnson or at a push Evans. The fact that you havent taken that as the joke it clearly was is funnier than the actual joke.

But not Spezial enough to be live on Leeds TV tomorrow.

Thanks @Stuart and @JoeH for updates/reports

0-1 Could be 0-3. We’ve been terrible, they’ve been all over us. Anyone championing Chapman for first team action needs to get down to one of these games and have a look. All the first teamers anonymous early on. Mols playing centre midfield!

Agree with all of that. What’s even more damning is that we’ve invested time and money in the likes of Wharton and Magloire and, despite an injury crisis, they don’t look like having that path to the first team that you mention. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: football is a confidence sport. Players, especially young ones thrive on confidence. Mowbray knocks the confidence out of young lads - I’ve seen the effects with my own eyes. Nuttall showed great promise in the U23s but was treated badly because Samuel was Mowbray’s man. He was dumped while in form and never really recovered. It’s like Mowbray wants to make an example of them, make men of them, get “the right kind of reaction”. Young lads aren’t like that any more. They are told they are great from a young age and then they end up with an old school manager who tells them they aren’t. Magloire was captain of the U23s and was growing in stature. He took his chance in his first game and was then dropped from the squad and sent out on loan. Promptly injured. Not that the injury is Mowbray’s fault but he could have been in and around our first team instead of on Rochdale’s bench. Is it that all of these players aren’t good enough - despite how they perform against their contemporaries at PL clubs? Or is it that we aren’t giving them real chances? Or giving them a look in and then slamming the door? We may be no different to any other club but when you are having a poor season, with glaring holes in the squad (defence) that aren’t being dealt with, this will be the criticism. Can’t buy them and can’t grow your own.

Can see this lad as a midfield playmaker in future years with his ability to see a pass.

I remember it going viral in a big way. Fans of The Dingles went to town on it! To be fair, who could blame them? I'd be doing the exact same if the boot was on the other foot....

Mm, that could be tricky - trying to run two teams simultaneously, even if it's only temporarily.

I only showed it to my friends a few weeks back. I was too embarrassed when it came out first, plus it was obvious we were on a downward spiral at that stage, so I was too annoyed to find the video funny for what it is. I think most fans of other clubs don't know about this. Luckily it wasn't on TV in the UK or Ireland. It is just the worst really.

Bob Dylan - All Along The Watch Tower

Fantastic appointment for Stoke, and a well earned opportunity for M O'N, to get into high level club football. Im surprised this opportunity didnt come earlier for Michael, especially after Euro 2016. Hes worked wonders at Shamrock and NI. He has a definite brand of football that will fit into the modern club game. I think the only small concern is that i hear many rumours about how fond he is of a little ''tipple'' , maybe thats what has hindered his progress into getting that club job he has always wanted. Ill be keeping a close eye now on all stoke results and wish him all the best.

“I think it’s fair to say that Amari’i is striving to find some consistency in his performances and that’s why he’s found himself in and out of the team.” That’s a bit back to front. But good for Amari’i’s confidence nonetheless.

I keep saying this but I will reiterate, for Walton (and even Raya) it's so hard to judge them at Rovers as "good" or "bad" keepers because neither have ever had anything other than a dreadful makeshift defence in front of them. For years we've spent our time either being pinned back or scoring and then sitting back and letting opposition take their time getting as many shots at our goal as possible. Not only does that make the keepers job harder in general but it also can't help their nerves either. At the end of the day, until we stop splurging our money on league one standard forwards and instead focus some money on making us concede less then we'll only be going one way in the long term, and that isn't upwards.

Thats a little simplistic though, your comments imply that Hudson Odoi and McEachran are of the same (or were) ability, as if McEachran would have had exactly the same impact had they got the same chance. Agree that a lot of it is down to luck and chances, but you look at your comments below, that experience that Graham has, knowledge of the game is exactly why IMO it is impossible to justify playing any of the younger but far inferior strikers in his place. Not all players develop that game intelligence at the same pace, or even at all. I think as a full back to be fair, you wouldnt be overly scared of either, neither are particularly good. That said, Feeney has apparently been on fire in League 1 this year, with plenty of assists. I wouldnt say Mahoney is twice the player that Feeney is at all, and Feeney as we all know is pretty poor.

Can't be Tony's that too many players IN position !

Just to update your Rovers knowledge, our first match was a 1-1 draw against Church (a part now of Hyndburn - Accrington) on the 11th December 1875. I presume it was quite friendly. Parsonblue will let us know! ?

I'll take this bet, there is no way Travis & Buckley will be our two regular central midfielders by christmas, or even this season. It would be madness anyway when we have Holtby on the books, he really should be in that position with Travis.

exemplary adjective/ ɪɡˈzem·plə·ri/ extremely good of its type, so that it might serve as a model for others: I don't see any other club owners aspiring to the Venky model. I wonder why ?

The people that Kean were connected to, could have caused more damage to BRFC to anyone in the clubs 144 year history. There are lots of little snippets of information all over the place and if anyone who ever backed the cretin, knew what was really going on, then they are almost as bad. Kean made a packet, as did others and if some of what went on wasn't illegal, I will eat my hat.

Christ Chaddy that's up there with the Croatian fitness coach Runyer Bollocksov

I personally think Stuart has a good point. If you are at 0-0 and you are going to bring in a DM who only scores after a Unicorn has walked across the pitch. NEVER makes a defense splitting path, preferring sideways or backwards and pretty much has a role if spoiler it looks to me like you are wanting to hold what you have. To change it when we fall behind just adds weight to the argument. If Evans was meant to help us somehow WIN the game then ToMo would have still sent him on right? Yeah Stuart is spot on with his assessment.

Don't worry mate if things follow the normal path a losing streak will not be far away then they'll all be agreeing with you again. We've seen it all before ..... ?

The theory was that Jones knew his time was up but they wanted Hughton and he knocked them back. Have to assume they've spent some time looking at alternatives and have now settled on a preferred option or even have the green light to go and get him quickly. Hope it is Neil because the way things are going I'm going to need therapy if Burnley survive and PNE get promoted.

Really enjoying these columns, well written and a fun read. Not sure for me this run feels different from last season's mega bad run other than the fact that there's more frustration because of the same blasted mistakes as last season, which is astounding. Both looked like we couldn't buy a win, looked relegation candidates and had deep lying issues that a win or two would only paper over. Worrying times.

OMG! Things are worse than I thought!

Probably do better than Lenihan, Williams and Adarabayio!!