0-2 another pen 

Nuttall steps up and finishes 5 mins gone fantastic start from the lads again 

Come on ?⚪️

Reading 0-1 Rovers

Nuttall pen 2mins....great start

U23s about to kick off against Reading away

team is as follows 3-4-2-1

                           Fisher

        C.Doyle.       Platt.           grayson

Travis.   Tomlinson.   Hardcastle.   J Doyle

                  Mols.           Rankin-Costello

                            Nuttall

subs

Tompson. Magloire, Mansell, Butterworth

Albinson

Let's hope the boys can keep the good form going, it will be a tough game this against a strong Reading side that was relegated from the top division last season

1 hour ago, JAL said:

The fifth goal was the best one though was it from Hardcastle though the teamwork down the right for Nuttall's third was very good. The young striker Mansell looks like he be released by xmas if he carries on playing like he did. 

Yes Hardcastles goal was wonderful and if there was 2 keepers in the net they still wouldn't have kept it out....I thought he was excellent he kept the ball moving picked up a lot of 2nd balls and bits and pressed well

Mansell is struggling for confidence and Nuttalls emergence won't be helping with that

he does struggle with his 1st touch, link up play and holding the ball up....

for me he needs to look to run the channels more rather than get involved with the physical battle at times...I wouldn't right him off just yet though as all it takes is a run of games and a few goals and he's a different player....but time will tell

1 hour ago, JAL said:

Ok, but you used the word perfection which do you admit was very misleading to the readers who weren't present.

I can see where your coming from but for me it was perfect as far as shape and set up of the team....Doyle...Travis...Rankin-Costello and Mols do a hell of a lot of work without the ball if you was to check their GPS at the end of the game they will be the top 4 in terms of ground covered as they have to work exceptionally hard to ensure they are back defending and then have to ensure they are able to support Nuttall and create opportunities as required

taking this into consideration there will be lapses at times but I don't remember Doyle being caught out of position last night with regards to his defensive responsibilities he may have been beaten 1v1 for Wolves goal but that happens to the best 

so I would say we are seeing things from different perspectives if anything

47 minutes ago, JAL said:

The Wolves keeper was nothing special nor his defenders so let see the quality of the opposition rise to form a better opinion.

The wolves keeper could do nothing with any of the goals Nuttalls finish for 2nd was class at any level of the game

and Wolves finished 2nd in this division last season and missed out on promotion against a very strong West Ham team in the play offs

27 minutes ago, JAL said:

 

Rovers need to get a game on at Ewood against Chelsea and Man City's respective teams to see where our lads are at.

And would likely lose as would the majority of u23 teams throughout Europe not just England

those two sides are the stand outs at this level 

listen I'm not saying this Rovers u23 team is the 2nd coming far from it and Neither am I saying these lads are ready for the 1st team....but we won't know until they get a chance and we are talking League 1 here

I am saying though that the potential for some of these lads to kick on is there and the only way we will know is if they are given a chance to go through the levels you can't make a judgment on a player as some seem to think they can based on him playing u23s football

For example City have a young kid called Phil Foden if some watched him based on the comments on here he would be written off as he doesn't rip it up each and every game as what he does is keep it simple and uses the ball very well...but this kid has been allowed to go through the levels at City when asked he has shown he can do what he does for the youth team and at the highest level for City in the 1st team the same with Marcus Rashford at United same as Trent Akexander-Arnold and Ben Woodburn at Liverpool, Harry Winks at Spurs I could go on they don't change the way they play they just go to the next level 

so until some of these u23s are tested at the next level we won't know

going back to last night I stand by my comments with regards to J. Doyle he did his job in this formation and every player played their part and that's why the score line was 5-1....that's right 5-1 and it could have been more....

1 hour ago, RV Blue said:

He isn't ready. The bloke above you saying Doyle carried out his role to perfection is so unfair on him as it puts unnecessary expectation on him to make the (massive) step up.

Although last night was a good team performance, I specifically went to see if any of the players were good enough to play for the first team at this moment in time, and there was only 2/3 that would even possibly be ready.

Tomlinson doesn't read the game well enough yet and often mistimes his tackles and interceptions, he could do with going out on loan to League 2 for 6 months and get some real games under his belt.

What I will say though, is that we could do worse than giving Damien Johnson the first team job.

If you mean by the bloke above you mean me...I'll trust my judgment against yours any day of the week and just to clarify where have I said J, Doyle should be in the 1st team??

none of the young players who played last night are the finished article far from it but I will say the potential is there for them to do well....now that is just potential not the finished article....you need to understand that each player has a role to play he is given specific instructions and the higher up the ladder you go understanding this becomes more and more important ( just look at the 1st team) Mowbray has a point when he says it's not the formation as players need to understand there roles some have a low game IQ it's just the way it is 

football is about levels and until young players are allowed to go through these levels you won't know how good they are....some people get caught up in thinking young players should be ripping it up in the reserves before they should be given their chance in the 1st team...well IMO that's crap not every player plays in a position which allows for that....

even Connor Mahoney didn't rip it up very often for the reserves and he's now in the Prem it will be interesting to see if he can cope at that level given a chance

I have watched many, many youth and reserve matches involving many clubs not just Rovers over numerous years and given a chance some of these lads have the tools to do well and make the step up to the next level and maybe beyond IMO

6 minutes ago, Swanson said:

I tought Joe Grayson was a midfielder?

He was but looks far better with the game in front of him....he can struggle at times with the hussle and bussle of midfield as he is a big unit....it was only a matter of time that he would be asked to play at centre half.....he has all the attributes to do well in this position he is left sided and left sided centre halfs are like hens teeth (rare) he has a great left foot and once he adds real aggression to the powerful build he has it all points to him being a decent prospect....

the only thing that concerns me with him at the minute is he is still learning the role from a defensive point of view and I think he may struggle to cope in a 2 rather than a 3 but the more he plays there the more he will start to grasp his role and there is massive improvement game on game...the lad has a lot to work with in his game which makes him an exciting prospect in his current position

The U23s start their Premier League 2 campaign tonight against Wolves....k/o 7pm at Ewood

expect quite a strong line up for this one here's my team

                                Fisher

        C. Doyle          Platt.           Grayson

Travis.    Tomlinson.  Hardcastle.    J Doyle

               Rankin-Costello.      Mols

                              Nutalll

subs

Albinson

Thompson

Mansell

Butterworth

Magloire

should be a decent game and will be interesting to see how this formation works as in pre season it has produced some good football 

1 hour ago, Dackhead said:

Expect the likes of Tomlinson Rankin Costello et el to start here.

Won't happen Tomlinson...Doyle and Travis are the only u23s who will travel so expect quite a strong side for this one