Wonder if we are hitting a trough, when it comes to the youth conveyor belt, given the struggles of the U23s to compete in what is, admittedly, the top tier of reserve football in this country. It might be unfair to judge yet, as many are new to this level and with the growing investment in the Premier League, those clubs are getting ever bigger squads. Injuries to Cirino, Batty, Whitehall, Barnes, Baker and Burns have weakened the side further and, also, perhaps, the departure of former manager, Billy Barr.

1 hour ago, Paul Mani said:

Anyone remember when Ryan Nyambe was a ‘thing’ ? Thank GOD we’ve moved on 🙏🏽

Nyambe was good for us at times, for this level, and played in some woefully ineffective sides. Branthwaite, Bell and, to a lesser extent, Lenihan, struggled for us but have found better form elsewhere - so there's hope for him, albeit, at the moment, his team are heading for relegation. If the management couldn't improve him, they needed to bring in some competition to push him and this is something that Mowbray failed with.

Rankin-Costello was always a decent player but injuries hit him badly and this is the first time he's managed to stay fit since, perhaps, his reserve team or U18 days. A positive is that the academy continues to provide useful players at this level, including Nyambe, JRC, Carter, Wharton and so on. 

6 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Hard disagree there. Lad looked dynamite from the off, then TM brought in Elliott, an exceptional talent to be sure, but one who we didn't own then sat in Dolan's way for a season where we didn't threaten the playoffs. Despite this, he could and at many points should have played Dolan more often, as he had the versatility to play elsewhere. Mowbray was just scared to play two young flair players at the same time.

I'm a big believer in momentum in football, especially for young players still developing, and Mowbray killed his repeatedly during that and the next season. Last season, Dolan looked less ambitious and confident in his play to me, and I believe being in and out of the team, as well as Mowbray trying to coach some of the flair out of his play, is why.

Really, he is only getting back now to more or less where he was (think his game intelligence may have improved a little though, and maybe his shooting). I actually don't think he has really developed since he arrived, and that it's primarily down to mismanagement by Mowbray.

On Dolan's development, I think moving a player around in different positions doesn't help. Damien Duff, to give an extreme example, honed his talents as a left winger (and may, I think, have played right wing for Ireland at times) before, as an experienced player at Chelsea, moving to playing centrally, at times, if I remember rightly.

Now a young inexperienced player is thrown into a new position, like lone No.10/false 9 and expected to perform. Remember the days when Rovers tried and failed to get the supremely talented  and more experienced Bentley and Dunn to play in that role. They struggled and managers soon gave up.

The tactical strategy and formation of teams has changed, which makes it different and, perhaps, young players are becoming more accustomed to growing up with different roles on a pitch, but I do believe it is expecting too much from them.

1 hour ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Another good win. Controlled the midfield, solid at the back.

Criminal we didn't bring a striker or two in in the window. 

The club has risked large losses on potential transfers in the hope that the team might eke out promotion. Brereton-Diaz for one has, presumably, been kept for this chance and last year it occurred with Lenihan, Rothwell and Nyambe.

And, yet, now the club have a chance of the play-offs, they didn't risk a smaller additional loss/outlay on a loan fee or small transfer fee for a striker or central midfielder to boost the team's chances. It makes absolutely no sense to me. Why make high stakes risks with expiring contracts if you're not going to back the team? Sorba Thomas is proving a useful addition but we needed more. Might as well just cash in on Brereton-Diaz because, frankly, the team's promotion chances are low because there is no central forward and the midfield is struggling with the manager's instructions. I hope my pessimism is misplaced.

Eastham not playing is no surprise as the U21s have bizarre goalkeeper rotation policy in which a keeper rarely plays three consecutive games before dropping out completely. It makes little sense to me because exposure is one thing but continuity and building confidence through sustained games is a completely different matter.

I don't recall seeing Lenni Cirino on a team sheet for some time. I presume he's injured, along with Sam Burns, who seems to have not played much. Also no Saadi, Gilsenan or Eastham today.

Cirino had shown a lot of promise but it seems he's never recovered from injuries last season.

Famed right winger, Ryan Giles, continues to make a name for himself at left back for Boro, who look destined for the play-offs. Carrick has got the players performing, with Lenihan a regular after a rocky start - and with Alex Mowatt and Isaiah Jones on the bench, their squad looks impressive, though, looks like they can't catch Sheff Utd.

Moreover, as we struggle to find a striker with a goal in them, Boro managed to get in Cameron Archer on loan from Villa. 

33 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Nathan tella is lightyears better than anything we have in midfield 

I haven't followed the match so no comment on how we've played but that first eleven might be one of the slowest, on average, that we've had for some time. Aside from Dolan , Thomas and, maybe, Brereton, there's no pace out there at all. The back four of JRC, Carter, Wharton and Pickering has some ability on the ball but little pace. But, we've got a draw against a highly rated team, so fair enough to the team.

On 10/02/2023 at 09:32, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

There’s too much money to be made. It’ll happen.

My guess is that it is, at least partly, a strategy to keep the Champions League expanding and, effectively, becoming a European League. Apparently, from 2024, the new Champs League will have a single league stage and the tournament as a whole will now be 189 games, compared to the 125 currently. English clubs might publicly reject the ESL, these days, but I would bet they want it to keep rumbling on in some way.

There will be 36 clubs (increased from 32) going into a single league, playing eight games each. Two of the additional four places were intended to be selected based on  individual clubs' past record in Europe. Now, two places will go to the league whose clubs have collectively done the best in Europe, I believe - which currently is the Prem and the Erevidisie, according to the BBC.

The effect of this collective achievement extra place will be that it will be in the interests of most, if not all, Premier League clubs for Man City, for example, to dominate Europe and, arguably, to grant them as much slack as possible - so that a floating extra Champions League place comes to England on a yearly basis.

It would be frowned upon for Blackburn, or another smaller club, to ever get back into Europe (as we did in the early 2000s) because the chances of us boosting the Premier League's coefficient are much slimmer. It is, possibly, a further incentive for oligarchy, especially, in regards how the Premier League clubs vote in league decision-making with more power granted to the wealthiest. It could even influence transfer sales - Tottenham would have an additional and significant incentive to sell Kane to City or Utd, rather than abroad.

Alex Baker had a promising start as a U21 striker but I haven't seem his name mentioned lately. Another who succumbed to injuries? I see that his contract might expire this year.

On the topic of Rovers' home grown strikers of note, perhaps, Ellis Simms might become one, even tenuously. He was on the bench for Everton (and scored for Sunderland recently against Rovers). Though, according to Everton's site, he joined their academy at sixteen and had spells at Man City and Rovers before that, so don't know how much of his time was spent at Brockhall.

3 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

id`e like to see burns or leonard take the place of the "im`e allergic to running vale" about time one of them was given the chance

I think Burns is all but gone, though, surprised he didn't get a loan move. The problem we face is that no-one is setting a standard, which is needed, I feel, for most young players to come in and perform. 

An experienced but mobile CM to direct the flagging Travis, Morton and Buckley is essential. Someone of real ability and authority could revive their forms.

But, then, we've been saying that for an age and the best that's come in have been Johnson, Holtby and Downing and the odd youth loanee, like Clarkson.

The manager wants a certain style and the current crop are struggling to implement it.

How did Reda Khadra play, aside from his goal? I felt that he or Poveda would've been good options for Rovers to add some pace and trickery to the forward line and give Dolan and Hedges some competition.

37 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Good win for Mowbray's Mackem mob. 

 

I see Boro were trying to use the dark arts by not playing Ryan Giles as a right winger but Mowbray and team were unfazed.

3 hours ago, J*B said:

Jack Vale. 

Not big, but not small.

Not quick, but not slow. 

Not skilful, but capable of a trick. 

Not a poacher, but can finish. 

Not strong, but not weak.

League Two at best. 

Not a lot of options at the moment but there does seem to be an inconsistency with the relative treatments of Vale and Burns, who has fallen way down the order.
 

That said, neither have shown enough on loan and Having given Vale the nod, it makes sense to give him sub appearances to try and reach the necessary level until an alternative is found. I guess the next in line is Leonard until we bring someone in, unless Markanday can do a job there.

The Rovers official site match report gives an alternate view that it was an even contest!

4 hours ago, Wheelton Blue said:

My view would obviously change should we ever get back there, but I have next to no interest in the Premier League. It's just a shopping competition between the mega rich and their play things.

Outside of watching the Rovers, I get my football fix watching La Liga. The error strewn Athletico/Barca game last night was quite exciting.

It's surely a bubble that must burst, if you consider how much clubs like West Ham and Everton have spent to poor effect this season (and in Everton's case, for maybe a few seasons). Player fees and wages are skyrocketing at the elite end and the quality of football is not necessarily rising proportionately with it. 

I would suspect that there is or will be a mental health crisis in the Premier League because given the money spent by pretty much every club, the pressure to win is only increasing. Clubs like Palace, Everton, West Ham have spend huge sums or have amazing players that are internationals and probably good enough for Champions League clubs, in some cases, yet, they languish, because the league is being rigged by money and the even wealthier.

There seems to be bigger expectations but, perhaps, less opportunities of success, because of the money at the elite end.

No match reports on the official site for the last couple of U21 games, thus far. However, apparently, Rovers beat Wolves 0-1 yesterday, with Ben Fyles scoring again. Some newish names in the team such as Grady-Macken, Davies, Weston. I suppose at the end of this year there will be a long departure list as the likes of Burns, Butterworth, Whitehall, Saadi, Annesley, Pike, Eastham, Cirino will be considered to be let go. 

I must agree the wild inflation in player fees makes it hard to watch a game without feeling queasy. You might add the wild hypocrisy about keeping politics out of sport when silence is political affirmation of the status quo.

Watching City and Chelsea, there seems nothing much to enjoy. Possession football can be inventive and gripping, best exemplified by the dominant Barcelona and Spain sides. But apart from some really nice crossfield passes and occasional quick interchanges, City's play seemed languid and conservative, with skilful players inhibited somewhat.

That said, it was a one-sides contest, so maybe there waa no need to exert themselves.

22 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Thought BBD was decent tbh. Caused them a few worries, created an amazing opportunity he then missed.

Worry for me is Travis. Never seen a player regress so much at such a young age. Looks like hes going to end up being frozen out, after starting the season as captain and two cracking goals. Whats really concerning is not the passing so much - we know its not his strongest suit - but that he is well behind the pace of game. He used to be ahead of the game. Whats happened?!

Others will be in a better position to say, but I wonder if it partly goes back to that Newcastle game in 2020, when Travis flew, in typical fashion, wholeheartedly and somewhat unnecessarily into a challenge and sustained a serious knee ligament injury. Prior to that, from what I vaguely recall, he was pretty much a stand out player for Rovers every game. I think he carried on playing with the injury during that match.

Since then, Travis has played virtually every game, when available, due to Mowbray failing to find a decent sub and that had continued until this season and the opportunity given to Garrett. It's probably too simplistic to put it down to physicality and it does seem that the midfielders are finding it hard to process the manager's tactics, but I suspect Travis has been overplayed over the years.

6 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Hes a discount Jason lowe

Travis has regressed badly and it's not just recently. I wonder if it is at least partly due to injuries and being overplayed when not fit in the past. There was a time that he looked destined for the Premier League.

This season, all the CMs, have been inconsistent with Morton and Travis struggling more recently, Buckley being dropped out of the squad. Garrett and Wharton haven't played that many games, so hard to judge. I wonder whether they're struggling to get to grips with JDT's tactics, in part, which, as far as I get, is a minimal touch - one or two touch, expectation.

Van Hecke should've been a target from January, last year, before his stock rose too high. We don't know if Rovers did enquire about him but, if so, it didn't make it into the media, as far as I know. Had we planned ahead and raised some cash by selling either Lenihan, Nyambe or Rothwell before they left on frees, who knows, it might have been more possible. That said, with the managerial uncertainty here and having broken into the Dutch U21 squad, the player would likely have fancied his chances of returning to the Prem and getting games.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but Reda Khadra may be returning to Brighton after not making it on loan at Sheff Utd. I would look to sign him here, if we could. He divided opinion but I recall that winter surge we had last season, with Buckley playing as a lone No.10, and it was Khadra's pace and directness that had a big role in that good spell.

Players putting their hands behind their backs when defending their box to reduce risk of giving away a penalty. This is a fairly new behaviour - is it connected with rule changes for hand ball?

I didn’t think there was a problem with the rules based on intentional/accidental hand ball, as they were before, even if there were debatable cases.

My other bug bear is how repressed player creativity is. I’d like players to express themselves but the modern elite game seems safety first, probably, at least partly connected to the financial stakes.

I think it's a fair bet that Szmodics will be the new Lewis Holtby, in that he will play infrequently and drift towards the effluxion of his contract before drifting down the leagues, at best. Unlike Holtby, however, he wasn't a free signing and isn't in his 30s.

A cursory look at his WIkipedia page and an online search reveals that despite his age, decent record and clear resilience, he picks up a lot of and varying injuries. It was a massive risk to spend money on him and it would appear to be backfiring, though, he still has two and a half years on his contract to prove himself.

I hope I am wrong and wish him well - and admire him for his clear resilience in coming back from injury after injury (in one of his last season's at Peterborough, I believe he separately damaged/broke his ankle, had knee surgery and then was out with a hamstring injury in the same calendar year). However, you've got to question the due diligence on this one.