KentExile

Alebiosu/Nigeria's first game in AFCON is this evening, kick off at 5:30, Game is streamed on one of C4s channels

I think the misguided notion (for all but the very top teams) is that with more players back, there is more opportunity/options to play out from the back. As the whole game seems to be getting a bit more direct again, we may have started to see the end of this (for this cycle anyway)

Whilst we may well look for a centre back, if Luton want their money back on Mengi (or more), then he will be well outside of our price range, as are most things that are worth more than a half eaten mars bar these days 😉

Already looks an upgrade on De Neve, makes little sense to me why he wasn't at least on the bench in recent weeks with Hedges out

and another one

I presume he is on trial with the U21s A defender apparently, centre back

Yes, completely agree Unfortunately these days, sense very rarely takes precedence over cost cutting

Unless I am misunderstanding, it sounds to me like Dlamini was on the bench as a possible replacement/sub for Litherland at wing back (presumably if they were chasing a goal), rather than a stand in for Gueye. Atcheson similarly, if they wanted to shore things up later on,

Although, the way Pratt & Litherland have stepped up so far, will probably embolden them to try again to offload one of Pears or Toth whilst promoting Michalski instead of replacing them

Maybe we saw the plan (if Gudjohnsen is unavailable) on Saturday. Henriksson replaced him, and I thought did well & made himself a nuisance, at the very least, he enabled us to carry on pressing from the front, and him being further forwards meant his lack of positional awareness was not exposed

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25714396.blackburn-rovers-boss-reveals-training-attitude-issue/ Rovers will need to check on Andri Gudjohnsen before the trip to Middlesbrough after he was taken off with a precautionary hamstring injury. The striker scored his seventh goal of the season in the first half but was substituted after an hour. After a heavy workload, Ismael revealed Gudjohnsen felt his hamstring and will be assessed. "We need to look after them," Ismael said. "Andri was not good with his feelings in his hamstring. We will see but we think it was just a precaution with that situation. "We will make an assessment and we hope it's just a precautionary situation." Rovers will travel with a similar group to the Riverside Stadium. Balazs Toth is back in training and could be part of a matchday squad over the Christmas period.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/december/21/paul-proud-of-academy-debutants/

My main disappoint with him is that once the tribunal sets what we get for him (appearance/sell on fee etc), it will be Venkys that will use that to keep the lights on for a few months rather than it being used to benefit the team

I find it mind boggling that anyone tries to write off a 17 year old because they have not yet broken into a team that qualified for the Champions League. Can only be an opinion clouded by dislike, rather than based on reality. I'm not saying do not dislike him (feel free to like/dislike him), but don't let that dislike blind you to reality

Finneran is far better than Tyjon, in terms of both current ability and potential, He is a 17 year old playing regular football (and impressing) in Newcastle's U21s & getting paid on a par with the first team players at Rovers. Can see him getting his first team debut with Newcastle in the next year or two, whilst still a teenager

or maybe they were just told to hint at work possibly having been done? So that nobody can accuse lies coming from those in charge (this time at least)

4 of those already have 😉 Honor (twice), Powell & Litherland last season, Sergeant this

Not saying that is not the case, but has that been confirmed anywhere?

left footed, fairly cultured, deep midfield playmakers too, Wharton, Edmondson, Vare, Dunn, Ball in the past few years

Litherland has a lot of plaudits in this section of the forum, a year older than Atcheson, but both have the potential to make it at Championship level (at least). Both did ok in National League North loans last season also Dlamini was a surprise selection, a winger (when we don't play with them) who has only played 6 times for the U21s this season, Joseph (an actual striker who has scored goals this season for the U21s) would have made more sense

Even if they are easy finishes, he is in the right place to put them away, we have had numerous strikers in recent years who do not have that instinct He offers very little apart from goals, but if he was a more complete player, we wouldn't have him

Good If he progresses further, he will be off Hopefully he progresses no faster than Rhodes so is here for at least 3 years 😉

Whilst that ownership took them to the top tier, they have also since turned the taps off, every window, their better players are sold and replaced by relative cheap punts from overseas Without knowing too much about it, I believe this may be at the behest of the CCP, who seemed to take a fleeting interest in football about a decade ago, but now seem disinterested and just doing the bare minimum. Inter had a similar issue before being sold a year ago

The half term (ish) report - links should be to each players stats (The posted stats for 7th tier and below look hit and miss at best, Wood for example has been pretty much an ever present, but is recorded on the cited site as having played once) Connor O'Riordan until last week had played almost every minute in the league (3rd tier). Doncasters (& O'Riordans) August was great, but they have won 1 league game since the first week in September, whilst he will almost certainly be recalled, he is not the answer in defence and will be back up to Miller (Carter too if he ever gets fit) Leo Duru has hardly featured is the MLS, but he was named in what looks to be a retained list for San Diego, so anticipate him staying until June at least and possibly having his move made permanent as one for the future Charlie Olson has not featured in the 4th tier, did sit on the bench for a while, played in some cup games Harley O'Grady-Macken has not played a minute in the 4th tier Jack Barrett has sat on the bench in the league (4th tier), played in the cups, has not pulled up trees James Edmondson is a fixture in Macclesfield's side (6th tier), scored a cracker in the FA Cup. would not be surprised (partially due to cost cutting) for him to be back up to Tronstads replacement next season George Pratt did well in the 6th tier before being recalled and is now a regular for Rovers Harrison Wood starts every game for a team who sit 3rd place in the 7th tier, has scored a couple Patrik Farkas hardly featured in the 7th tier Joe Boggan started 1 game, made another fleeting appearance off the bench in the 7th tier, then disappeared completely until his loan ended Blake Wolsoncroft filled in for an injured keeper for 1 game in the 7th tier Jayden Sergeant apparently did well in his month in the 8th tier, started most games, scored, No sure we have too many who can be classed as having done wonderfully in the first half of the season. In terms of minutes played, O'Riordan, Edmondson, Pratt & Wood have done ok, but Doncaster/O'Riordans form has fallen off a cliff since very early September and they now sit second bottom of League 1. Are/were the other 3 playing a level below their ability? Of the rest, the only one who could be considered anything like a success would be Sergeants month in the 8th tier, where he seemed to impress, did start a few, scored, and looked dangerous, which for a 17/18 year old is not to be sniffed at I imagine all of these loans, barring Duru (who looks to be on his way out), and possibly Edmondson (although I would be tempted to try him at League 2 or National League), will be ended during January. Olsons loan is probably the most perplexing, he was a stand out player for a team who just missed out on the tier 5 play offs last season, and then moved on loan to Oldham, who won tier 5 play offs last season to win promotion. In theory, that should be a very similar standard, yet he has not made one appearance for minute in the league this term. I would not be loaning players to any team managed by Miicky Melon in the future (No I am not suggesting he has held them back due to his Dingle history, just that he does not seem to be the best when it comes to bringing through young loan players). I would write one off as being a "bad fit", but for it to happen with 2 of our youngsters at the same time (O'Grady-Macken & Olson) shows a pattern that should be recognised and avoided in future