Brereton was down the middle and had a decent game, with Butterworth behind Rankin-Costello was the standout 2nd half bombing forward from right back, looks promising

Hart will leave on a permanent, destination unknown, Bell is a funny one, I've heard that Celtic are sniffing around him amongst others especially if Arsenal sign Tierney but it's a long shot

5-1 3-0 half time Brereton scored 2, i.2nd half, two different teams 1st and 2nd half, much younger 2nd half Magloire, Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Butterworth, Brereton, Rothwell with Mulgrew, Smallwood, Johnson, Hart played full 90 1st half Bennett Lenihan Grayson Hart Evans Travis Downing Armstrong Dack Graham Don't know who scored

EDIT Won 2-1 goalscorers Vale & Adam Hilton Aynsley Wharton Platt Thompson Mols Davenport Adam Vale Butterfield Nuttall

The Rochdale game is Saturday at Brockhall but at the minute is behind closed doors, there has been a 2nd game added this week which is Leeds at (Thorpe Arch) Leeds training ground this Friday, this to is behind closed doors

Yes I have a soft spot for Rovers though, through family ties

Ahh OK.... I know they were invited in but turned it down because of finance, I wonder if there is an obligation to pay for the away side ie Hotel, flights etc, the majority would be paid by the premiere league but I wonder if the the home sides are expected to subsidise some of it

Probably won't happen, they were invited to take part last season and turned it down due to cost of away trips.....so I would think the same may apply again next season....and they would have done well in it also

It’s no surprise the U23s have lost their last 2 games quite heavily, the squad at the minute is so far from last seasons squad the back 4 is seriously make shift at the minute, the time to judge will be when the players who are out return which some will with no Magloire, C Doyle (suspended) and Grayson (who will be involved tonight) in the side, then add long term injury to Rankin-Costello, no Nuttall, Travis, Platt, Wharton the only U18s who were involved regular last season were Butterworth and Evans now a few of the others are making up the numbers and it’s a big jump from 18s to 23s and you kind of get the picture why they are Struggling a little if the strongest side could be selected they would more than hold their own in this league but with development football that isn’t how it works unfortunately

Jack Rodwell and Harrison Reid....are very much possibilities

Albinson Magloire, C Doyle, Grayson Carter, Travis, Tomlinson, Hardcastle, Patin Mols Butterworth sub Byrne, Simmons, Thompson, Evans, Buckly

He didn’t refuse to pla He didn’t refuse to play as in “I’m not playing” he wasn’t ready mentally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his attitude as such it’s more mental fragility with regards to his injury issues There is no way he’ll be on £70k at his next club, if he’s lucky enough to get one if he was on a pay as you play what is there to lose, short term not happy bin him

It’d take A few ££££ more than that to get him out of Forest

Jack Rodwell, was at Brockhall yesterday ciuld be useful on pay as you play

Rothwell J-RC Mansell Murdock Spirts

U23s beaten 2-1 by Bolton in behind closed doors game today.....this is why it’s a very scratch team at Kendal tonight

As you probably know it’s Lucas Nymecha there is a lot of speculation that he is joining Swansea, but I’ve heard he has turned them down, he hasn’t ruled out Rovers yet....a possibilty still

Was you haha I thought you said he was a midfield player, sorry mate....memo to self read posts properly in future

I’ve seen Lewis Travis play 50 plus games from Liverpool’s academy and Rovers to U23s and out of those I recon he’s played 10 as a midfield player, he played as a midfield player for the 1st time for Rovers in a friendly against Uniteds U23s at Brockhall last pre season, the reason he was played there was due to an injury to Tomlinson now ask yourself this, why is Tony Mowbray signing a younger defensive midfield player if Travis is the answer, that’s because he isn’t and anyone who has watched Lewis develop will know that your opinion is your opinion and I respect that but it doesn’t mean I agree with it and vice versa I will say hi next time I’m at Leyland but I don’t know you I’m afraid And I have watched many U23s games not just Rovers U23s either over the last few seasons, if you was thinking maybe I hadn’t

You're right I do to especially when supposed posters who profess to know about the players they recon they support have no clue about them Travis has played 1 season as a midfield player and that was split between his preferred position of right back/wing back, So like I said he is an occasional midfield player and therefore Davenport will not stifle his development as Travis will forge a career as a defender not a midfield player there are better technical players in the u23s than Travis, Tomlinson and Hardcastle being 2 whereTravis trumps them 2 at the moment is his desire and physical attributes

No disrespect to Travis or Tomlinson, but Davenport is far superior technically and even though slightly younger he is further on in his development than both he has come from a very highly rated academy and has played league football in a very demanding league and I have seen him play on a number of occasions he was offered new terms at City and decided to move on and he still had a year left on his current City deal Travis is a full back/wing back who is an occasional midfield player any way so I don’t see why it would affect his development Tomlison needs to go out on loan and prove as Davenport did last season that he may be able to play at a decent level

But might get involved in agency work....maybe

DL has agreed and signed for the next 4 years

Different type of players, Davenport will be direct competition for Hardcastle, Thomlinson and Travis from the 23s and Evans, Smallwood etc from the 1st team On Rankin-Costello he is recovering from a serious injury/operation at the minute too which will see him out until August/September

He has a couple of options apparently Rovers and Rotherham being the main 2 he is thinking about as they will offer 1st team opportunities he also has options in the premier league but these will likely be reserve team more than 1st team and also foreign interest mainly from Germany (the Germans can’t get enough of young English players at the minute) there is a possible trump card in Rovers favour though, he has been friends with Joe Rankin-Costello since they were nippers and went to the same school etc, played in same school team and so on they also socialise in the same group of friends and from what I’ve heard he wants to join Rovers firstly But there will be a transfer fee involved and he isn’t on peanuts coming from City, so it’s not a certainty if he does sign Rovers are getting a tough tackling holding midfield player who is technically very good, he hits a decent free kick to, he’s left sided also and can play left back, he won City’s academy players player, and coaches player of the year as a 1st year scholar and is apparently only one of 2 players in this age group at City who has been offered a contract to stay at the club, which it seems he has turned down to further his career, so fair play to him for that so I thought I’d share what I know and give you an idea of what you will get if he does sign