KentExile

Atcheson (18) & Litherland (19) look to me to be capable of becoming Championship standard (at least) centre backs. I expect one of them to be in the first team squad next year as 4th/5th choice, and the other to get a League 2 loan. The academy players with the most potential are probably Tyjon, Dunn & Higgins, who are still 16 (although Tyjon turned 17 a week ago) so too early for them to be loaned out. Obviously the first 2 of them have only 1 year left on their current scholarship deals, and the other has yet to even sign a scholarship deal as things currently stand As well as the 2 full backs that you have mentioned, Powell (19) also looks like a decent attacking left back. Others that we may see in the next couple of years are England U18 keeper Nick Michalski, & young midfielders James Edmondson (19), & Harley O'Grady-Macken (20)

Montgomery's goal for Chorley yesterday, it should hopefully play from the right part Rovers website for some reason stating its his first senior goal, which is untrue. He scored for Marine earlier in the season

or this gem from the story linked below https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25048398.portsmouth-boss-mousinho-win-blackburn-rovers/#comments-anchor Indian Rover 74 hrs ago User ID: 3979625 Stop being partisan and dividing Rovers. We are a small club so our players sense division and inner turmoil. Also by the gods, why do you blame the backroom staff!!! they have done a commendable job working off scraps by Waggot. Do we not realise Waggot is doing his job and ensuring Rovers security on the books. If you want to point the finger then look at Venkys court case. They are delusional yet injected max capital within FFP rules every year. Now they are embroiled in Govt saga. This is what aggrieves me, with them not being transparent about plans They were delusional when taking over Rovers and got milked by Kean, SEM/Kentaro and vultures at the start. After they have been our lifeline in funding and committing to Rovers. Anyway point fingers at Venkys this year not our backroom staff. Venky's had my support but this season the silence is getting to me hence why we need to appreciate Waggot conserving funds if the worst scenario happens with Venkies withdrawing funding

Did he outwit them though? he probably just offered to do the job for less money than the rest of them

I have come to the conclusion that Ismael is a pioneer, and the new non descript, gelatinous blob tactics and formation will become all the rage in a year or two I have inside information about Fridays tactical set up if anyone is interested

You can normally tell what a manager is trying to do, but his "style" is just bizarre, I could list what his team isn't doing all day, but I could not tell you what he is trying to implement to save my life he isn't passing out from the back he isn't playing possession football he isn't playing quick, incisive football he isn't playing direct he isn't playing on the counter attack he isn't pressing from the front he isn't using the wings he isn't trying to play through the middle It defies any logic

I think it relates to how many top flight games are being played at 3pm on a Saturday

Higgins on the bench for the U18s v Man City today, along with a few new names who I presume will be some of this summers intake of scholars He came off the bench for the last 20 minutes as Rovers lost 2-0. The stats indicate it could have been a lot more

Completely agree Rovers however also take advantage of those rules too, in the past couple of years we have poached Tyjon from Rochdale and Eze from Accrington using the exact same rules, and I am sure there will be other less "high profile" examples too. The rules need changing, something along the lines of maximum squad sizes at all age groups to stop richer teams hoarding talent, to the extent that they do, and also much bigger compensation payments (and future add on/sell on % fees etc... there are already rules in place for this which were posted last season due to Finneran's move to Newcastle, but they should be reviewed, and upped in favour of smaller clubs... so it wont happen) when schoolkids are poached

Starts this weekend for Markanday - won 1-0 - withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining with the score at 1-0 - game was played on Thursday night O'Riordan - lost 1-0 Batty - drew 0-0 Olson - drew 2-2 Litherland - drew 1-1 - replaced in the 86th minute with the score at 1-1 Eastham - won 5-1 Wood - lost 2-1 - withdrawn after 86 minutes with the score at 1-1 Barrett - won 3-0 Honor - won 1-0 On the bench Garrett - won 2-0 - Tranmere are now unbeaten in their past 6 games, during which, Garrett has played less than 45 minutes of football - game was played on Friday night Goddard - drew 2-2 Montgomery - won 4-0 - came on for the last 20 minutes, got booked, then scored the 3rd from 30 yards Not involved in matchday squad Vale - lost 4-1 - injured, achilles Duru - lost 1-0 - injured, fractured foot Powell - drew 2-2 Mafoumbi - lost 1-0

Brandon Powell has joined up with Charlie Olson on loan at Altrincham until the end of the season. They could both feature against Felix Goddard's loan team Ebbsfleet tomorrow

Wood didn't score (or start regularly) in the 6th tier a month ago, and turns 21 during the summer, so at this stage it is probably more about him finding his level so that he can move on in the summer

Start this evening for Markanday - won 1-0 - withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining with the score at 1-0 Harrison Wood has joined Warrington Rylands (7th tier) on loan for the rest of the season, they are next due to play on Saturday

Leeds got no sell on for Gray only because they gambled on promotion & inserted a clause onto his deal allowing him to move for that amount if they were not promoted. Rovers got the low fee that they did for Wharton because they/Waggott/Pasha/Venkys "willingly" accepted such a low amount (even with the sell on) after negotiation, at the worst time to sell a player (|January window)

"about £30M"

Starts this evening for Montgomery - drew 1-1 On the bench Olson - drew 1-1 Not involved in matchday squad Duru - won 1-0 - injured There are a few games for our loanees in Leagues 1 & 2 on Sky later this week in case anyone is interested in watching them Thursday 8pm kick off - Markanday - game on Sky Sports Football Friday 7:45pm kick off - Garrett - game on Sky Sports + Saturday 12:30 kick off - Batty - game on Sky Sports + Saturday 12:30 kick off - O'Riordan - game on Sky Sports +

Two very poorly chosen loans at two struggling teams with two managers who have been sacked. The Tranmere interim manager has had a decent run of results (at least in comparison to his predecessor... unbeaten in the last 5), so has kept faith with the players currently in the team, so there is the faint hope that Garrett could still play a part this season if injuries/or a change in form allow

The games that Duru has missed have been through injury, and he is now out for the rest of the season with a stress fracture of his foot Which is of course a worry, but not the same worry as him not playing due to a lack of (or perceived lack of) talent/application/etc

Starts this weekend for Batty - drew 0-0 - replaced in injury time - looks to have a dangerous long throw O'Riordan - drew 0-0 Olson - lost 1-0 Litherland - lost 3-1 Montgomery - won 2-0 Eastham - lost 3-1 Barrett - lost 2-1 Honor - drew 2-2 On the bench Garrett - drew 0-0 Goddard - drew 3-3 - on the bench following a return from injury Not involved in matchday squad Duru - drew 2-2 -apparently has a stress fracture of his foot & is out for the rest of the season No game this weekend Markanday Vale - currently injured Saadi Mafoumbi

It would have been good to see him get his full debut, but it seems Atcheson is further up the hierarchy at the moment (judging by him being named on the bench ahead of Litherland in recent weeks). Maybe at least in part due to Atcheson's size? It will be very interesting to see how Litherland's trademark runs (vaguely Rothwell like for those who haven't seen it, which is mental considering he is a centre back) fare in men's football. I hope (and think) he will do well.

Litherland has signed for Curzon Ashton (currently 5th in the 6th tier and in the play off spots) on loan until the end of the season, could make his debut tomorrow

It is probably in an effort to try to make the masses get excited in the summer when the "new project" involves them being promoted to replace the experienced players (Travis/Tronstad/Brittain/Hyam/Dolan) leaving as the players leaving "do not fit how Ismael wants to play", when the reality is that they just want paying average Championship wages. * Not that Dunn, Litherland, Atcheson, Tyjon, Powell etc do not show promise, just that they will likely be asked to replace some of our better (and most experienced) players

On the bench this evening Olson - lost 1-0 - made his first appearance in about a month on Saturday following injury, so this may be a case of being careful not to have him play too much, too soon

Look at the rest of that U20 squad, several have not featured at first team level. some are on loan at League 1 & 2 clubs, at least one is on loan in non league. So I do not think it is a ringing endorsement of ACDs form this season Goalkeepers: Elyh Harrison (Manchester United), Max Merrick (Hampton & Richmond, on loan from Chelsea), Matthew Young (Salford City, on loan from Sunderland) Defenders: Max Alleyne (Manchester City), Kaelan Casey (West Ham United), Kellen Fisher (Norwich City), Ben Nelson (Oxford United, on loan from Leicester City), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Genoa), Ashley Phillips (Stoke City, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Oliver Scarles (West Ham United) Midfielders: Tobias Collyer (Manchester United), Darko Gyabi (Plymouth Argyle, on loan from Leeds United), James McConnell (Liverpool), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Sydie Peck (Sheffield United), Jacob Wright (Norwich City, on loan from Manchester City) Forwards: William Alves (Cardiff City, on loan from Leicester City), Amario Cozier-Duberry (Rovers, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), George Earthy (Bristol City, on loan from West Ham), Romain Esse (Crystal Palace), Divin Mubama (Manchester City), Trey Nyoni (Liverpool), Dane Scarlett (Tottenham Hotspur)