Montgomery called up for Scotland U20s https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/22/kristi-called-up/

Or a new contract signing for one of our stars like Lorenze Mullarkey-Matthews 😉

I would argue that it works when you have far better players than your competitors (which doesn't necessarily equate to the best of the world). Like the Dingles under Kompany, or Southampton under Martin at Championship level, but hopelessly exposed in a higher division. Kompany has gone on to be fine at Bayern, at least in Domestic games (I would argue due to the gulf in class between Bayern & everyone else), but their Champions League performances have not been stand out Would imagine Russell Martin would also look like the genius that he thinks he is if he were in charge of Rangers or Celtic. (maybe with the exception of Old Firm games).. but would again be hopelessly exposed in European games

a fair guess it was 24th June last season https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24403125.john-eustaces-blackburn-rovers-in-tray-pre-season-begins/

This is all that I have seen announced so far https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/may/05/dates-for-your-diary-ahead-of-2025-26/ https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/april/23/pre-season-training-camp-confirmed/ Presumably they will have some in house training at least a week or 2 before the training camp

fixed it for you 😉

Just be grateful, be quiet, & get behind the lads & lasses ffs! 😉

Are we getting Andy Murray instead?

I read that as Judge Judy for a second, I thought you had a secret to tell us 😉

Strich has looked ok in patches, and is still a teenager, so that one I can understand, low cost, low risk. Wood though is 21 before next season kicks off, and had 3 very unimpressive loan spells this season (all at pretty low levels), has always looked like he could nick a goal at U21 level, but seems miles off it in men's football, reminds me of Joe Nuttall in that regard (not in style)

2 flaws in that reasoning Sales do not impact the transfer budget - the other (more recent) Gestede interview/podcast Our 3 year projects never last more than 18 months 😉

Whilst the main talk of the retain list is obviously for the first team, this is what we now have available at U21 & U18 level. Some of the below is plagiarized from a previous post I made (in case it looks familiar) Do we have enough keepers with only 8 spread between 2 teams? 😉 Players who will be 21 or over by the start of next season - Barrett, Goddard, O'Riordan, Pratt, Garrett, Montgomery, Wood, Leonard * = out of contract but new contract offered GK - Michalski, Barrett, Goddard, Honor, Kahn, Thompson, Wolsoncroft, Holt CB - O'Riordan, Atcheson, Litherland, Pratt, Davies, Olson, Decandia, Kelley-Quinn LB - Batty *, Powell, Pates, Leeming, RB - Duru, Houghton, McIlroy (technically a centre back, but has played right back for the U18s this season) CM - Garrett, Montgomery, O'Grady-Macken,, Dunn, J.Edmondson, Farkas, Vare, Mansbridge, Potter, Ball AM/Wingers - Tyjon, Wood, A.Doherty, Strich, Dlamini, Leatherbarrow, Sergeant, McCoy, Clanford, Lister, Mullarkey-Matthews * S - Leonard (presumably to build fitness), Boggan, Mafoumbi, Joseph, Higgins, Cryer Also Odogun, although I am not familiar of his position, from his instagram, it seems like we have taken him from Wolves No mention of Silver Eze, in either the retain list or new scholarship intake, so assume he has moved on I was a little surprised to see Rhys Doherty on the released list rather than having his option triggered, Whilst never looking like he could eventually break into the first team, always looked comfortable at U21 level & could play across the back 4, which would have been useful given a lack of depth at right back (in the youth teams). Although it should maybe be noted that Litherland, Montgomery, Leeming, Olson & Decandia have all played at right back on occasions. Adam Caddick by the same token always looked ok, but I can more understand his release as he was surpassed by Isaac Dunn last season and there are plenty of other options in central midfield

Forshaw I imagine they have low balled and will approach him late in the window (similar to McFadzean last summer) if he hasn't sorted himself out by then

erm.... as I was saying, we have about 5 training keepers 😉 Madness My previous comment aged like milk, lol

If you are referring to Eastham, Goddard & Kahn, they are all out of contract this summer. Hilton also left in January That being said, I still see little point in Barrett being given a new contract

2nd Saturday in June, as per the image Wils posted earlier today

Time to rejoice everyone, Hedges contract option has been triggered, meaning that similarly to Hyam, they were unable to actually negotiate an extension with him. the same story also seems to indicate Kargbo will play left wing, & Hedges right wing next season, which in turn indicates Dolan will leave without being adequately replaced Blackburn Rovers have triggered their clause to extend Ryan Hedges' contract by a further 12 months, The Lancashire Telegraph can reveal. The Welshman's terms were set to expire this summer, though Valerien Ismael made it clear he saw Hedges as part of his plans for 2025/26. Therefore, it was always likely that Rovers would take up their option at the least. Talks about fresh terms until 2027 were first mooted in December, as reported by The LT. However, little progress has been made on that front since then. With Blackburn Rovers needing to inform their players of their intentions by May 17, Rovers have decided to extend his deal by 12 months. That gives the two parties more time to iron out a new deal, should they still wish to. The club's official retained list does not need to be made public until June, though it's expected to be published this week, as is customary. There are unlikely to be any shocks, with it well-known that Rovers want to keep Danny Batth, Andi Weimann, Adam Forshaw and Tyrhys Dolan. Ismael is confident he can help Hedges improve his output next season. Last season was hampered by long-term injuries, whilst 2024/25 saw his numbers drop after switching to the left-wing. There have been internal discussions about a return to the right side next season, the role he played his best football in under Jon Dahl Tomasson previously. "Yes, definitely. Ryan, I expected him to be here next season," Ismael told The Lancashire Telegraph last month. "I spoke with him already. So now I think it's about the club (to sort it out). I think he's a player who's got that energy, that intensity. "With my way to play, it will be good for him. It's about to get a good pre-season for all of them. If we're able to go through that pre-season. "Six, seven weeks of hard work together to get that intensity. Then I think we can get much more out of Ryan." Hedges is currently sidelined with an ankle injury sustained against Sheffield United. He is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season, though.

might be useful for you to post the link so that we can determine one way or the other 😉

We shall have to hope that whoever our new loan manager turns out to be, knows what he is doing then. The hiring of someone in that position would imply to me that the plan is to get more players out on loan than this season, and/or at clubs that are a better fit for their development

Ah yes, forgot that the League publish the lists later on But in my defence, the club normally do so at some point before that

If the plan is that Barrett is going to be an overage keeper for the U21s allowing Michalski to go out and gets a full season or 2 out on loan at a good level, then signing him up makes some sense. Although if this is the case, then it is a damning indictment on what the coaches think of the other goalkeepers Rovers have at that level. Personally I would have loaned out Michalski, have Solomon Honor as the U21 keeper next season, and Barrett would not have been given a contract (If injuries are picked up, recall rules for keepers are different as Bournemouth showed with Travers a while back) Makes much less sense however, if the plan is to have Michalski be first choice for the U21s,

Double tournament winners in Poland for some of our 2011 born and 2013 born players🏆🥇Well done to all the players staff and travelling supporters who represented the Academy and the club so well on and off the pitch U14s & U12s (I think) have both won tournaments in Poland I do wonder if with the first team not using the bus at the moment, they did a road trip through Europe with them, or got a last minute deal on EasyJet 😉

The first part is true. Michalski is Rovers best young keeper The 2nd part could be misinterpreted. Whilst Michalski has played for England U18s, he is not their first choice goalkeeper as your post could inadvertently lead people to believe, he has 3 caps at that level totaling less than 90 minutes, and was omitted from the squad last time around whilst still being eligible This is not to have a dig at Michaski, just to make sure that we are not getting ahead our ourselves with his development. He is not England's stand out in his position in his age group, he is one of several talented young keepers that England have at that level Also, as previously mentioned, he is now 18

The club had to let the players know by Saturday just gone (17th), but have no obligation to make the list public, so your guess is as good as anyone's

Hilton left in January, Eastham, Goddard & Kahn are out of contract this summer. Michalski & Honor are the 2 who are currently in contract from the U21s. Then we have Wolsoncroft, Thompson & Holt in the U18s