Former Rovers youth striker, Jamie Maclaren, should make it to the World Cup with Australia, if he stays fit. He's done very well in the A-League but not a starter at the moment for Australia, I think.

I think it would be a big surprise if any club actually paid for Ayala. I think it probably will be more likely that he'd negotiate a release and go on a free - that's if the rumours are true, which we don't know. If a bid did come in, there really should be little hesitation, I think. We'd need to bring in a experienced CB anyway, as most of our defenders are lacking experience. On a different note, I saw that Rich Sharpe in the LET online, discussing Jacob Davenport and his potential move to Aberdeen stated: "The 23-year-old managed only 36 appearances across an injury-hit stay with Rovers, and didn’t feature at all in 2022." I think that's possibly inaccurate, as, from my memory, Davenport wasn't injured so often but just overlooked by Mowbray. I could be wrong.

Darragh Lenihan set to join Boro on a 4 year deal, apparently. I feel it's long been inevitable and the club should've cashed in when Sheff Utd and West Brom were sniffing around last summer. However, with over 230 appearances for the club and serving as captain, he's been a very good player for the club, though, the defence, as a whole, has been very disappointing until this past season, when van Hecke and Wharton steadied the ship. Lenihan came through the Rovers reserves having been signed as a 17 year old from Dublin youth side, Belvedere in 2011. He had to wait to get his break, which came on loan at Burton Albion, in 2014, under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, where he played in midfield, before returning to Rovers and eventually being given his Rovers debut as a defender by Gary Bowyer, in 2015, aged 21 years, against Millwall, coming on for Matt Kilgallon. It was in defence that he became a mainstay and his days of midfield were long forgotten - though, a brilliant display at right back near the end of last season makes me wonder whether he has a future in that position - though, unlikely at Boro, with their quality wing backs. He's now 28 and will surely be looking to reach his peak, after his development plateaued somewhat at Rovers, not helped by periods of 'firefighting' in bizarre formations. He'll also want to add to his two Irish international caps - (if I remember rightly, he's the first County Meath-born player to get a senior cap). He got called into the Nations League squad, recently, but has been, I believe, left out of the matchday squads. I think Boro's RCB is Dijksteel, who is highly rated, so Lenihan might have a challenge to break into the team, or play elsewhere in the backline, but, overall, I see him doing well there, injuries and luck permitting. I think it cannot be overlooked how beneficial the youth recruitment and reserve team/U23s has been for the current side, with several first teamers having progressed from that level and, in the case of Nyambe, Buckley and Wharton, come through the juniors too.

It was a big mistake not to sell Lenihan last summer, assuming there was a buyer, as it seemed quite likely he wouldn't stay on. His reputation is good enough to command a decent fee, I think, and, as mentioned, he was probably replaceable with a bit of luck.

With Wharton's end of season form, aside from the potential fitness and physical issues raised and the general disintegration of the team, I think opposition teams worked out the lack of pace in Rovers back line, particularly, with Pickering and Wharton on the left. We once had a defence of Martin Taylor, Berg, Short and Gresko, that did well for a while, playing deep, despite being very slow, relatively speaking, which shows it could be done. However, in the now popular 4-3-3 formations, the full backs have to provide width and pace, I suspect, has become even more important. It is imperative, I feel, for Rovers to find a quick and effective defender or two for the next season, to support the players we have. Be that from the reserves/youth or new signings.

Sharing from another thread:

I can't think of any new recruits for the U23s last summer, which, may have been a mistake, despite the strong campaign the prior season - especially, as first team fringe players were not used much at all. The team went on to struggle with injuries and poor form, avoiding relegation from PL2 with an impressive late revival. In the past, I'm sure youth recruitment was more active - though others who know more about this will be able to clarify. We always had several Irish youth players in the team and often Scotsmen. It seems the net is smaller now, though the club did bring in McBride from Celtic and Gilsenan. This could mean better focus on recruitment and development, rather than the revolving that clubs sometimes have with youngsters struggling to settle in a new place/country. But it might, on the other hand, also mean missing out on the next Duff, Judge, Lenihan or Hanley, if scouting is cut back too much. I think last season exemplified that players reach a certain age and experience where U23s doesn't necessarily aid their development and leaving them there, especially, in a weakened side, can cause stagnation. ( I hasten to add that scrappy loans to non-league don't do much either, I suspect, in most cases). As well as new recruits to help the new tranche of promoted U18s, players like Garrett, Barnes, Eastham, Cirino, Vale, Burns will need a next developmental step, be it on loan at a decent level or involvement with firsts. Otherwise, I can see them fading away badly like those who have been released this summer.

That's interesting - it sounds as if the nationalism and independence drive that took precedence over individual rights, particularly, worker rights somehow got entrenched long-term? The Irish Labour Party & TUC opted out of electoral politics for two elections after WW1, which, maybe, set the tone, I've heard some say that James Connolly, the socialist leader and a founder of the Irish Labour Party, who took part in the Easter Rising 1916 - and was amongst those executed by the British authorities - made a mistake in not insisting on a socialist manifesto within the Proclamation of Independence that was issued in those six days of uprising in Dublin. Thus, his and the legacy of the Irish Citizen Army, the Labour movement militia, was easier to ignore? Though, I'm not sure how receptive the other uprising leaders were to labour or how influential the precise text of the Proclamation was. (The uprising, itself, against the odds in 1916 when Britain was heavily militarised for war and Irishmen were volunteering in the British Army to fight Germany, is considered a mistake by some too) I suppose it is very difficult, when your country is at war against outside rulers and then is partitioned and given self-government, over which terms an internal war commences, to convince people to think about civil rights, be it women's or workers' issues, for example. Also, I believe that the nationalist movements had agents and advocates in the Irish labour movement who sought to relegate its voice and power, including, perhaps, by encouraging the severing of ties with English trade unions.

Reflecting on McBride's departure, I'm even more convinced that the club has made a major mistake in managing him and it's reflective of wider mismanagement of some young players. The player's valuation was relatively high after 20/21 PL2 season, finishing Rovers top scorer and helping the team to 5th in the league. Then was the moment to send him on loan to a league team or give him a few appearances with the firsts, as a sub, and his valuation would've likely grown, if he did ok. If the club deemed him surplus, they could've possibly got money for him, on the basis of that senior experience, in a way that we did with Joe Nuttall. Instead, he gets sent out to Queen's Park in January and now goes for nothing. Of course, there's no guarentee that it would've been any different had he been managed differently - he may have failed on loan in League One/Two - but, at least, we would've tried to protect the player's valuation and development better.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, will be looking into them. I've been watching/reading a little about the Irish Civil War that occurred during 1922-23, with a sort of civil war targeting, particularly, Catholics, in newly formed Northern Ireland, occurring concurrently at this time too. Civilians and police were being assassinated almost every day 100 years ago, in both NI and the Irish Free State. The Civil War in the Ireland, for those who aren't familiar, started as there was a split in the IRA, with a section deeply opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty that the Irish independence leaders negotiated with the British government in 1921, led by David Lloyd George, Churchill and others. That agreement won a ceasefire and self-governance in Ireland after years of brutal fighting against Crown forces for independence but its terms meant remaining a dominion of the British Empire, Irish politicians having their own parliament but having to swear allegiance to the Crown, most British military withdrawing and, as part of the a deal, partition of Ireland, with six counties in the north-east forming Northern Ireland and remaining in the UK. Apparently, the requirement to swear allegiance to the Crown was the biggest issue for the IRA in the south. The majority of the public, including a slim majority in the new Sinn Féin government, supported this "independence to gain independence" Anglo-Irish Treaty - Ireland would formally leave the British commonwealth and became a republic in 1949 - so, to my mind, this seems as if it became a coup attempt by the anti-Treaty IRA - but it's not a phrase I've seen describing the situation, so I might be misinterpreting it. June 28th will mark what historians generally consider the start of the Civil War, though, violence and negotiations had been occurring for months. Whilst Ireland is, of course, marking this centenary, in Britain, I suppose, it will be considered unbecoming to talk about in this Platinum Jubilee year. In Ireland there has been a "Decade of Centenaries" national programme, starting with commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising, I believe. If you think of the Irishmen, nationalist and unionist, who fought in the British Army during WW1, those who were affected by the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) and the subsequent Civil War (1922-23) and violence in NI, Ireland was at outright war for nearly a decade, with a significant part of the period, as part of the UK.

Borrowed these suggestions from another thread.

Rovers website reporting the U21 international call-up of another club's player (van Hecke). I hope that means something beyond the marketing team scraping the barrel. Though, wouldn't be surprised considering the clickbait that's sometimes on the club site.

I'm not sure about his pace. Perhaps, it was the case when he was younger but seeing a little of him, he looks quite bulky and not that quick, at least, over 5-10 yards. Maybe he's quicker over more. On Stergiakis, it goes down as a failed signing. Moreover, my guess, without any proof, is that the club were avoiding playing him to evade transfer add-ons. I can't see any other reason for playing him every 2 games, and putting him behind academy keepers.

I wanted to raise the question of whether season 20/21 was unusually bad for U23s injuries. I wonder whether it was coincidence or whether other issues were at play. Whitehall, Saadi, Barnes and Gilsenan missed the majority of the season, I believe. Cirino missed something like half of it. Ash Phillips was regularly out during the campaign. That's five or six starters that missed major chunks, if not most, of the season. I believe Gilsenan injured an anterior cruciate ligament, causing long-term absence and Cirino was out with a serious hamstring injury. Whitehall will miss, apparently, another five months, with his foot injury - giving him a few months to come back and prove he's worth of a further contract extension, which will be a tall order. The others are back fit, I think.

Billy Barr released by Salford, where he was assistant manager. He did well with the U23 job here, would anyone want him back in some capacity? Presumably, now he's had a taste of a more senior role, albeit League 2, he'll be looking for something comparable. I don't know anything about his time at Salford and how good a coach he is or isn't, so would be interested to know views from those who might do.

A place to talk about history and share recommendations of what you are currently reading, watching, listening or thinking about. Feel free to share on the local to the international - whatever is holding your interest and want to share. If you share links, please give some written context to help us decide whether we want to find out more. If you want to debate history, please keep on topic. Some more recent history might be better placed in other threads but I appreciate that it is all connected.

Liverpool's signing of Carvalho from Fulham seems part of a worrying trend of newly promoted sides getting raided before a chance to kick a ball in the new league. We saw it with Norwich selling Buendia, after promotion, to Villa. I think back to when Rovers were promoted in the early 2000s and what the consequences would have been for the team had one of Duff, Dunn or Jansen been sold. Even with effective substitutes, would Europe and the Worthington Cup have followed? It was inconceivable, at the time, though we knew, eventually, they'd move on, if successful. The growing divide is truly killing off the game as it was.

Has the Premier League always finished 2 weeks after the end of the normal football league fixtures? I'm pretty sure not or maybe I've not noticed. It seems wrong that there isn't more coordination, as we have with the start of the season, to maintain some semblance of shared experience and solidarity.

McBride's career has not taken off and he's been a sub for Queen's Park and not scored a goal, as far as I know. However, they have won the play offs and will play in the second tier next year, so, perhaps, they'll try to sign him. On the face of it, seems nothing to lose to let him go but I do believe that there were some mis-steps in helping his development, after he was nominated for the PL2 player of the year shortlist, after something like 13 goals and 6 assists. Foremost, he needed a loan last summer. Also he was more deserving, at the time, than players like Pike and Annesley who got new deals but are almost certainly going to leave the club next year. However, he did have a bad season, lost the faith of the management and struggled on loan, so it comes as no surprise he's going. I'd have kept him for another year. He's a different type of forward to Burns and Vale. But we'll have to see where his career goes next.

Magloire and Butterworth need to be heavily involved in pre-season to see if they can contribute. Then, a further extension can be considered, or letting them disappear on loan and off. What can't happen is the disgraceful situation with Chapman, where he was given a new short-term deal, unexpectedly, and not given much of a chance to justify it at Rovers and then banished on loan - where, admittedly, he largely failed. However, the potential demoralisation of being brought back in from the cold before being sent away again couldn't have helped - unless there's more to it than that which we aren't aware of. Otherwise, these deals make no sense whatsoever, as no-one is going to pay a fee for them and if they do in Jan 2023, then it means they've turned around their career and Rovers would likely want to keep them. Moreover, Magloire is 23 years old and Butterworth 22 years old, so, for the sake of their careers, the fair thing is to get a chance or be let go to make their way elsewhere.

Ah, yes, Javier De Pedro, Spanish international and Real Sociedad legend. It seemed an exciting signing but it turned a terrible move for all, as he wasn't physically capable any more. Another of the deals that helped me understand that it's best to have no expectations about signings, no matter how impressive their record. If I was a Man City fan, I wouldn't be that excited about the Haaland signing. You look at Lukaku and others and it could easily be underwhelming. We fans are used somewhat with signings and we are not party to the back-dealings and all the history. Who would have known this about one of our big money signings of the past (taken from Wiki): "In the first season with the Umbrian team he was held back by a rare disease, Ledderhose disease, which almost prevented him from walking and for which he often ended up under the knife...During the Ancona period, in March 2004 he also returned to suffer from Ledderhose disease which had already struck him in the past in Terni, and which caused the thickening of the foot arch making it difficult even just to walk." - Without new signings, I'd be looking to integrate Cirino, the left back, into the squad and possibly, the team (Assuming he makes a full recovery from his current injury). He's the only defender I can think of at the club who has decent pace, and we'll need it, whether from new signings or U23 players. Perhaps, Brown might provide that but will have to see more of him.

LancsLive reported that he was signed for around £100k, though, I believe, officially, it was undisclosed. I think he was shaky early on but seems to have received some positive reviews more recently. However, he was recently on the U23 bench behind Felix Goddard, an 18 year old in what is the bizarre game of goalie musical chairs in the U23s, where the management alternate between Eastham, Dowling, Stergiakis and now Goddard every game, with each rarely playing two consecutive games lately. Eastham was ahead of him on the bench for the last game of the season vs. Birmingham, which casts doubt on Stergiakis' future and whether the management rate him. There's also Joe Hilton who is with the club but is almost always out on loan, who has another year left on his deal.

The biggest football transfer or deal of the summer, in terms of legacy, ahead of even Erling Haaland, might involve Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal women, who is out of contract and mulling over whether to stay on or go somewhere where she can win major honours on a regular basis. She may well go on to be one of the greatest women's football strikers, if she isn't already. I'd be interested to know what others think. A difficulty I wonder about in the women's game is the inequality within the women's professional game. The world record transfer is, apparently, around £250k, paid to Wolfsburg by Chelsea for Pernille Harder, in 2020 - clearly trailing a great way behind the grotesque excess of the men's professional top leagues. However, is the intense acceleration of those women's teams with Premier League men's team business infrastructure behind them, going to leave the rest behind? And if so, it will surely be problematic for the development of the game if it is too easy for the top clubs and international nations? My knowledge of the women's pro game is very limited, I must say, so these are only tentative musings. I suppose, it might be that it is not much different from the men's game with the money of the Premier League disappearing into outer space from the perspective of the rest. Albeit, there was, I suppose, a longer development history which enabled leagues and clubs to grow in, perhaps, a more equal way, before the huge money flooded in?

I read a LET online published quote from last summer in which Mowbray said that if the main contract hold-outs didn't sign new deals, they'd stay and see out their contract: “In the future moving forward, Lenihan, Nyambe and Rothwell are in similar situations and we’ll have to deal with that and see how we go. For me, talking to the club, let’s get this window finished and see if we can address some of the situations, see where we are financially, and if we can’t offer new improved contracts then they are going to run," Mowbray was quoted as saying on 7 Aug 2021, as Armstrong was about to be sold. It seemed, at the time, Mowbray and the club were quite relaxed or unplanned regarding the situation, which is part of the problem, as to protect transfer values, valuable players ideally shouldn't enter their final years, when they will likely hold out to see their options. Rather than repeatedly complain that Nyambe can't do the basics of crossing or cutting back the ball and drop him at intervals, Mowbray should have, perhaps, pushed for a transfer to find someone he does like. Nyambe, as a young, fairly experienced right back with some decent international football experience would have, I guess, commanded a reasonable fee back in 2021. Fortunately, the club have successfully acted regarding Kaminski but thought needs to go to Brereton-Diaz, as well as Dack, who has a one year option but that shouldn't be relied upon, if Rovers can help it.

I vaguely remember a pre-season during, I think, the Souness regime, when in not a single game, as far as I remember, did we play our strongest eleven. It might've been on one of those Austrian tours, playing mostly amateurs and lower league sides. As feared, we started the season badly and Souness still hadn't worked out his best eleven. I think that happened, though, it's a vague memory. Ideally, you test out fitness and players early on and then play your strongest eleven in the final games to develop some cohesion.