Return of Hughes, Chapman, Smallwood (and Matt Platt and Yann Songo'o) will give them added motivation but if the team can re-find their self-belief and structure, we should surely win. Chapman has, I note, kept his place in the starting eleven, so may be finding some consistency, as, apparently a No.10. Hopefully, it'll be a chance to find the foundations of the team again - i.e get the central midfield and defence working again. I'm not sure how this can be done, whether a formation change is needed or introduction of new players but this needs to be a springboard. We really need Morton to do something because the midfield is looking very weak at the moment. Perhaps, testing out 4--5-1, with Dack as the experimental forward. I'd also look to throw in Batty or Cirino at LB. It's just not working with the others. Although, it's a risk, as our team is inexperienced as it is.

We needed a tough tackling DM for so long and the club have gone for the likes of Davenport, Trybull and Clarkson.

There's a possibility of Buckley finishing RWB today. It seems the club were hasty in letting James Brown and Tyler Magloire go before getting in cover. I'm sure Travis would have been considered for emergency CB but the long-running problem remains that there are few alternatives to fill his role. I have a feeling that if we try to play a slow build up game, we will be picked off by Khadra. We probably need to do a Mowbray* and sit deep, to protect the slower defenders and try to win with limited possession. *Mowbray circa Oct-Dec 2021

Sorry, had a scroll through and can't see an answer - why have the U21s matches been moved to Saturdays? (And, why was it changed back to U21s from U23s?

The 5 man vs 4 man midfield is an interesting contest. The 4 man midfield is outnumbered centrally but, potentially, has the advantage out wide, if full back and winger face the single wing-back on either flank. My less than qualified tactical advice would be for the 4 man midfield team to play direct diagonals and line balls to catch the opposition wing back out of positions, rather than too much of a slow build-up game which would invariably be crowded out in the middle. Match stats say Rovers 65% possession which could indicate that we were playing into Reading's hands - though I didn't see the game, so just guessing. Another problem that Tomasson isn't directly addressing is that Phillips needs protection and is being taken off before the 90 mins. In which case, we really should have a CB on the bench, even if it's an inexperienced one. As mentioned before, I would be really interested to see Jake Garrett in the utility role, having at times played CB for the U23s/U21s. He might also offer better defensive protection in the middle than Morton, though, it's hard to judge until we see more of Morton. Edit: Just looking at Garrett's height and a few sites have him as under 6 ft, so perhaps, that might rule him out of CB. On a different point, I definitely agree about the need for pace in the full back area. Nyambe and Bell had deficiencies but their pace could be useful and that's still not been fully addressed, I think. If Edun could play LB regularly, it would add a something but it's still not clear if he's capable, with the Fulham defeat still haunting many of us. But, it might be worth a try.

The club couldn't ethically say that to a 17 year old defender with a injury-troubled season behind, especially considering the role is probably the most physical on the pitch. He is being offered a back-up role and chance to play plenty of games, which is more than enough. If he decides to cash in and try to fast-track his elevation to the Premier League, then that's up to him and understandable for financial reasons. Likely he'd be loaned to the Championship/abroad for a year or so, if he did make the move.

I can't understand why the club didn't get Reda Khadra back in, assuming he was available, affordable and/or didn't turn us down. Perhaps, they see Dolan and Hedges as ample cover but with Brereton Diaz expected to move on, he would've been a safe bet to get goals and assists, to support any new signing. Khadra was one of the drivers of our run last year. He helped make Buckley impress as a no.I0 by offering direct running and options, even if his output tailed off. Gallagher returning from injury and to the wing cut off that outlet to some extent. If Dolan does step up, maybe, that'll explain it.

Rankin-Costello came off on 37 mins in the U21 match today against Wolves, possibly meaning he suffered an injury. We'll have to await confirmation but a recall of James Brown from Stockport might be needed, if contractually possible. Edit: It's likely due to lack of options but I feel that the manager has the balance between attack and defence on the subs bench a little off at the moment. Rather than Adam Wharton, I'd have the more defensively minded and versatile Garrett there. Wharton is a really promising player but I'd go for the cover of Garrett, who could displace Edun as the utility player, if he performs.

I was wrong to worry about the changes, especially, pairing Morton and Wharton in the middle. It's a really good sign when squad players can come in and win, regardless of the opposition. Often, wholesale changes can lead to disjointed performances. You see it with even the best sides. I feel that the management have done a really good job of integrating U23 players into the first team, in preseason. Perhaps, in part, their hand was forced by the departures and lack of transfer activity but it must give a real boost to young players to see a genuine pathway to progression and the first team. I hope Garrett and Cirino can get opportunities too, here or on loan. Eight or nine of the twenty players in the matchday squad have come through the academy and U23s. Some are more homegrown than others (Buckley and Wharton brothers here as young boys, whilst others brought in at later age groups) but it goes to show, again, how valuable the youth system can be for Rovers. As mentioned, there's Cirino, Garrett and a few others, including the injured players, that might contribute, in the future, too.

It will be a mistake, I fear, to make too many changes. It's rarely worked for us. That said, our cup record generally is poor. I think we need Travis, Brereton and a few others to start and help the debutants and newcomers. The more I hear about Liverpool's current midfield 'crisis', it makes me question how ready Morton is to make an impact, but we definitely needed someone, he has played for Liverpool and he should get his chance - but with someone experienced alongside him. And, we might have little choice, remembering the farce of Clarkson being the constant unused sub, which could, without, I admit, any further evidence, point to contractual obligations/incentives to play or include Morton.

It looks like Lenihan was playing the central role in the back three today, for Boro, that is, the van Hecke role, and did a van Hecke versus Fulham to get sent off (though not as spectacular). I'm sure he'll improve but the highlights suggest he really struggled. He stood off for the opening stunning strike by Willock and then got overpowered at the corner, though, it wasn't his man who scored. Decision-making in that role is even more vital because, more often than not, it's the last man. Lenihan has a preference, I think, to stand-off his man but he's got to be more decisive and aggressive to make it there.

Feel sorry for Sam Barnes who's now reportedly out for "months" due to a "bad knee injury", possibly cruciate ligament damage, according to Tomasson. I'm sure this has been mentioned already but it looked like he might be having his breakthrough year with the firsts, after impressing in pre-season, and now he is set back again and will, likely miss a chunk, if not most of the season, according to the manager. Last season, his and Saadi's return, I believe, at the latter part of the season, helped rescue the U23s from relegation. Barnes has had so many injury problems and has kept coming back, so here's hoping he can do so again. I feel that, but for their injuries, he and Isaac Whitehall would be first team squad players by now. Just unfortunate for both.

Sam Szmodics achievements are all the more impressive considering his injury record, as referenced in various sources online. In calendar year, 2017, whilst playing for Colchester, he suffered separate injuries of a broken ankle, broken leg and ankle ligament damage. His loan spell at Braintree, the previous season, was interrupted by an ankle injury that required surgery. Last summer, June 2021, he withdrew from his first Ireland national squad inclusion with a recurrence of a shoulder injury, . He seems resilient and has done very well, it seems, despite this but there is cause for concern about spending big money on him considering his injury record. But, the medical team will presumably, be able to make an accurate call.

Interesting point and I do believe that Gallagher in a wide forward role will be a failure, as it was with Mowbray. However, Mowbray was keen on a lone No.10 or false 9, depending on what you want to call it. Last season saw range of midfielders put up there, from my recollection, including Poveda, Clarkson, Johnson, Buckley and Dolan. Tomasson looks like he favours a centre forward, though, it is only one game and I can imagine Dolan or Dack getting a run out there too. I can't help but regret that Rovers didn't get Reda Khadra back to the club. I didn't follow the transfer stories, so don't know the details of his situation, but having him and Dolan provide pace in the forward positions would be ideal - and, perhaps, finally, consign Gallagher to a central role or to the bench. It's great to see Buckley finally played in his likely strongest position. We still really need another CM - a gap in the squad that has been evident for, perhaps, three years and somehow still not addressed. I want to see Garrett step up but another player would help the youngsters and, hopefully, mean Travis doesn't have to play virtually every minute of every game.

Should Vale make an impact this season, which looks a possibility but, of course, unproven as yet, it will just reinforce, to me, the likely counter-productive and irrational mismanagement by the prior regime in sending out experienced U23s hopefuls (competing in Premier League 2, against Premier League fringe reserves) into non-league. In Vale's case, he was sent to semi-pro FC Halifax on a half-season loan, last year. Dan Pike, went to AFC Fylde for two separate month-long spells, in the sixth tier. Sam Burns had a month at FC United mid-season. The principle that most clubs operate by is to loan youngsters out to clubs at the highest level possible where they can get reasonable game time. In Rovers case, it seems to me, that that principle was abandoned and players were/are sent out without due diligence or due regard for the progress of the player. I can't prove it but I'm sure that Jack Vale, a prolific Welsh U21 forward would have had, during the transfer window periods, interest from league clubs. The season before, I believe he had an injury hampered spell at Rochdale. Last year, Sam Burns eventually got a loan spell at Scunthorpe, having come back to the club. Connor McBride had interest, it was reported, from league clubs at the start of last season, though, at the time the club blocked all loans. Even Tyler Magloire, whose form has not been great, got a league club loan, eventually. All this will be forgotten in the case of Vale, if he makes an impact. It might be the case that the spell at FC Halifax, which, as a half-season loan, gave him more time than the bitty one-month deals, was beneficial to his game and mentality to make a breakthrough. David Raya had a season, I believe, at Southport. Nonetheless, overall, the policy, I feel will be detrimental to the club and other players will not be so fortunate. It is/was an irrational or lazy policy, akin to lining up pre-season friendlies against non-league opposition, in preparation for a Championship campaign. Or as questionable as a Premier League club loaning out highly rated U23 players to play in non-league - or, even at the bottom of League 2. All that said, my case is based on the presumption that these players could, with the right moves from the club, have got higher quality loans, which I am fairly sure of, in many cases, but cannot, of course, prove.

Not a Rovers link but I think a potentially very bad omission if the club didn't look at Josh Laurent who just signed for Stoke on a free, from Reading. He has been superb at this level, though last season Reading were poor and, I suppose, he didn't perform. If he could return to his prior form, will be an excellent signing - potentially, a Championship signing of the summer.

It's a very sad reflection of the state of the internet - and our society - that vitally important political discussion has to be hidden in case it upsets a few people. I'm not exaggerating when I say in the history of mankind, political discussion and forums have never been more important, given the immense dangers we face. I really appreciated the opportunity to not only post here but to have a lot of engagement. No doubt, the people being upset and causing real difficulties aren't the average poster but those with the capacity to indulge and attack in legal or commercial threats. I appreciate the work of the mods and those who run the website and credit to you for even keeping the political discussion alive, albeit, hidden. Credit for also facilitating open speech, where debate and controversy was permitted, despite the prohibitive environment for it. To reduce mod demands, there was the potential for amalgamating the multiple threads, eg. unions, climate change and so on, into one more manageable thread - though, I appreciate extensive moderation would still be required. If legal, commercial or other threat - or the potential for it - was a factor in this censorship, alongside the practical issue of demands on mod times, I'd be hopeful that the web team would be open enough to acknowledge it. Thanks, again. Edit: I wonder, for the future, if standard post numbers capping per user per day (and post editing capping) could be implemented to help with moderation demands, on particularly demanding threads?

Starts for the first time for Ireland in their Nations League game against Ukraine, which may well be his breakthrough moment for their first team. Rovers have prepared him very well for his time at Boro. I wish him well but can't help but feel disappointed that we are losing a solid player for nothing in, you would think, the prime of his career. Just terrible management/running of the club.

There is simply too much professional football and it's unfair to put players through it. No Nations League player deserves criticism for a poor performance when they are being mistreated like this by the authorities. The pro game is becoming, as far as I can tell, ever more demanding physically and they are being asked to play more tournaments.

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.

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