riverholmes

A question for the regular Rovers U21s and academy football followers - at what point can we say whether or not the management are doing a good or bad job at that level? It does seem there's been a conscious decision to change the approach - perhaps, reacting in part to the structural changes, such as PL2 no longer having any relegation. There has been a lot more emphasis on "toughening" the lads up with short-term non-league football loans and trying to mix that up with occasional Rovers games. Some of them, like midfielder, Lorenze Mullarkey-Matthews, are/were U18s players who have barely, as far as I know, played U21s level recently - or maybe at all. There's also been a decision, as mentioned above, to sign up to various cup competitions (I guess some are voluntary). There is also recruitment at U21s level, such as Mafoumbi, Doherty and Barrett. I guess it is too early to reach definitive conclusions (especially about the new recruits) but, to my mind, the U21s are faltering at almost every metric - the most important being, contributing to the first team. On the other hand, it might be argued that talent comes in cycles and it just so happens that the current tranche are not as good as the classes that came before. My view is that we do have to be patient, and there are some hopes at U21s and U18s level, but I do feel quite a lot of concern of the level of talent and progression and what it might mean for the club's future.

He’s at Damien Duff levels of potential and talent and came through at Rovers, so the interest will go on as long as he does well. If the women’s game had as much of a following, many of us would be talking about Keira Walsh, who’s in the mould of Wharton (to some extent) and now plays for Barcelona.

Watching Liverpool’s left back situation with some concern re. Beck. They seem to have played Gomez in the Carabao Cup, with Endo, normally a midfielder, at CB. Tsimikas came off the bench. Robertson meanwhile has been indifferent lately. It seems possible they’ll bring in a new signing at left back in Jan, but also possible they’ll consider recalls. As well as Beck, I think they have another left back, Scanlon, who’s less experienced. Not much Rovers can do, but will need a replacement if he does go back.

Saw a bit of the early second half, as Rovers U18s made a fight back from 2-0 down, though ultimately dumped out of the FA Youth Cup, again. I must say, though reportedly much improved compared to the first half, it looked poor. They battled well but defence couldn’t beat the press, so the midfield were all but out of the game. It reminded me a bit of England in the last Euros, trying haplessly to play out. Though, Rovers forwards had some mobility about them. Joseph, the big forward, was a threat but to my mind was busy being overly aggressive rather than focusing on his game. Nonetheless, he was the main outlet because of his size and strength. Based on only a small part of the match but didn’t look too good.

I wonder if the January transfer window was in mind in delaying his surgery and playing him through pain. Maybe too cynical but it seems they now might feel safe in holding on to him until the end of the season.

A very similar goal from Markanday to what he scored in their last game. You can see what his strength is and, maybe, why he was prolific at U23s level for Spurs. He's an old-fashioned striker, in that he wants to be running onto flicks ons and knock-downs from a strike partner - taking a touch or two and then shooting. One of his problems is that not many play with two forwards, so he ends up wide, where he's basically lost. Edit: Those highlights are great - much better than the 2 min all too brief snapshots you often get.

Billy Koumetio was on loan at Rovers the end of last season. He barely played but looked shaky initially though I thought he looked like he had some potential.

That line-up looked almost straight-up 4-4-2 on paper, albeit ACD drifting in and, perhaps, Ohashi dropping. A sign of the times?

Club need to have a back-up plan for Beck. I think he’s the key man, though, the Travis-Tronstad partnership is also up there.

Sounds like he may have played as a central forward with some success - though it’s not clear. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to continue there, if the case, to see what he can do. Generally, as far as I know, he’s been played wide.

Yep, and he’ll no doubt have Kieran Trippier and a half-fit Luke Shaw on his production team, if he can help it.

One of Gueye’s issues might be positioning. When the cross first went in, he was moving away from the goal, as if he didn’t fancy competing with the defenders. When it came in again, from JRC (nice control from him), Gueye wasn’t really on the move much - but his strength and height seemed to win the day.

How many goals did Ciccio Grabbi get for Rovers? Big Mak Pape Gueye is on his way! Also positive to see Litherland and O'Grady-Macken on the bench. Gives fans a bit of hope for the future - and maybe the players too. I would hope that they stay in there, rather than bringing back Sigurdsson etc.

National league side, Oldham played a second-string but that did include Rovers old boy, Joe Garner, who scored what was described as a 'brilliant 'goal in a report. I see that Brandon Powell and maybe, Michalski, returned from their loan clubs to play here. For me, if they're on loan, they should stay away. I personally don't feel it helps the stability of the team or the player if they're coming and going. It'll be interesting to know how the young side played. It might be the case that the likes of Dunn are fast-tracked as his seniors are out on loan. Though a young side, for me, the worry is that Jack Vale, Connor McBride and Dan Butterworth, for example, were tearing things up at this level (or at least consistently standing out). McBride was even nominated for the PL2 8-man shortlist of players of the season, alongside Cole Palmer and Liam Delap, a few years back. He now competes with Oldham in the National League for Rochdale. But, of course, they didn't make it - and Vale doesn't look like he will, though injuries have hit him. So, if the current U21s aren't even reaching that level, or even the level of a Sam Burns, Sam Durrant or Dan Pike, it makes you wonder what we're looking at. Some have time on their side, others don't.

Would like to see Buckley. Has something to prove against Wednesday, perhaps.

Mixed feelings for Edmondson today? Starting again for Macclesfield in National League but if he was at Rovers, he'd have had a fair chance of being on the bench for the seniors given he has been one of the better performers. Instead, O'Grady-Macken makes it.

A sign of decline or a blip? Litherland and O'Grady-Macken from the new generations on the bench but should be a big concern for the future.

I think there is a real situation where the owners are reducing fan expectations at every aspect. Whilst Rovers senior side play at the same level as PNE, one academy is an elite Category One set-up, the other a Category 3 set-up, without an U23s side. That’s no guarantee of results but it’s worth recalling.

A major problem will arise if Owen Beck is recalled by Liverpool in January. He was recalled in the last season midway through his loan spell at Dundee after Liverpool got some injuries. I think they have several options at left back - so not sure - but the possibility is always there.

If a club comes in, Rovers have to sell Dolan in January, I feel. Really, it should have been sorted in the summer or before, either way. But it's obvious he's going, barring the unlikely promotion. That said, I can't imagine Rovers would get a lot for him, given it's got to this late stage and he's been very inconsistent.

And with that money (and throw in the Finneran compensation, whatever it was), did we scour the lower leagues or the fringes of the Premiership for the next Wharton for our midfield, or did we only get in Ayari on loan for a game and a half, sign Lewis Baker on loan and pray that Rankin-Costello (and Buckley) would transform into a central midfielder? Edit: Not to undersell the club, Jalil Saadi was given a new one year deal. (With all respect to him, as he's done well, considering he is not at the level required - and hope he forges a decent career).

Imagine Rovers getting promoted back in the early 2000s and losing Souness and Damien Duff before kicking a ball in the Premier League. It happened to Leicester, effectively, with Chelsea taking Maresca and Dewsbury-Hall. Even with the compensation and bringing in big-money signings, it makes it nigh on impossible these days, I believe. We saw it last season with Sheff Utd selling Berge and Ndiaye before kicking off in the Premier League.

You may have a very fair point about Tyjon's goal to games ration - he's also scored a few away on England youth duty, I think. But, he really should be getting more support up front, given his age and slight size, but the squad is threadbare. Boggan might come in, eventually. I think it's evident that the basic problem is lack of quality. And that's been depleted further by injuries, many outgoing loans and the new recruits not making much of an impact yet. As far as I can tell, the national league clubs that the team have faced in the cup, such as Carlisle and Rochdale, have played weakened sides, which puts the season in a slightly different context. That one of our 'top scorers', Bloxham, was being converted into a full-back, lately, says a lot. To my mind, the management have all but given up on U21s football. It all looks rag-tag and about getting players out on short-term non-league loans anywhere at the first opportunity.

Rovers U21s have played 17 games so far, by my reckoning - quite a few of them in various cup competitions, some against non-league, some against continental opponents. Tyjon and Bloxham are the best bet for goals in the U21s (aside from Leonard) but even they aren't scoring often. U21s goalscorers this season: Harry Leonard - 5 Tom Bloxham - 4 Igor Tyjon - 4 Amario Cozier-Duberry - 3 James Edmondson - 2 Zack Stritch - 2 Leo Duru - 1 Lewis Bell - 1 Exaucé Mafoumbi - 1 Freddie Leatherbarrow - 1 Brandon Powell - 1 Adam Caddick - 1 Matty Litherland - 1 Paul Murphy-Worrell - 1

No strikers coming through at U21s level? Tyjon is leading the line lately, though he's 16, and more of a second forward, I suppose. Joe Boggan was on the bench recently, having not featured much, as far as I can tell, since he went to Macclesfield (where he didn't play, it seems). Otherwise, we don't really seem to have anyone, now that Leonard is returning to the first team squad. Looking very threadbare.