Toth injured his ankle during international training

start this eve for Honor won 2-1

Well that didn't end well https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/november/15/report--rovers-under-21s-1-3-burnley-under-21s/ https://x.com/academy_brfc/status/1857438434266148951

0-0 at half time

Yuki is now a full international Came on for the last 10 mins

Do we have any ideas who the trialist on the bench may be?

Interesting that going from the numbers, Bloxham seems to be at right back today, and also looked to have started there in the abandoned match earlier this week. Especially considering that Rovers have 2 right backs on the bench today.

Atcheson doesn't have the explosive acceleration that Phillips does, but for me is better on the ball, which coupled with his build, will see him progress to at least Championship level.

Interviews in the LT today with Batty and Markanday. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24725314.markanday-loan-proving-blackburn-right-future/ https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24724398.blackburn-rovers-talent-first-loans-first-team-dreams/ Reading between the lines, it sounds like Markanday wants to do similar to Gent and move on to be first choice somewhere. So can see Rovers either selling in January or in the summer (after triggering his option). Markanday will be 24 during the summer so probably the right call if he is not going to become first choice at Rovers, which is unlikely to happen unless he pushes on or unless Rovers are relegated (which may delay a decision on him until the summer) Batty sounds happy to come back as cover/competition, but is out of contract in the summer, so that would obviously need sorting. Given that Batty is 4 years Markanday junior, can see him signing a 2 or 3 year contract with an option to see if he can make the breakthrough.

Eustace's thoughts on Markanday being recalled/staying at Chesterfield. Article also mentions O'Riordan & Garrett https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24723419.blackburn-rovers-stance-markanday-january-recalls/

Leonard as the 10 behind Gueye according to this

No mention as of yet of a live stream, which given how laggy the last 2 streams from Accrington have been, is probably no great loss

Starts tonight for Montgomery & Kahn, Farkas on the bench Markanday rested Atcheson & Michalski away on International duty Marine lost 2-0 - former Rovers U21s Charley Doyle and Stefan Mols also featured in this game, Mols scoring a penalty for Curzon City of Liverpool lost 2-0 - Farkas came on for the final 30 mins Chesterfield won 3-2

Just to be clear, I am not blaming him for those 2 failures, I think we all have suspicions on which direction the finger should really be pointed, but his name is associated with them nonetheless.

Quite mad, given that his (*) 2 major failures, are both linked to the MLS (O'Brien moving to the MLS after the failure to sign him, & failing to buy McGuire from an MLS club), that he gets a job at an MLS club I would have thought his career opportunities in the USA would have been blocked off on that basis * If not his failures directly, they are very heavily associated with his tenure

Initially seems an odd destination on the face of things, seeing as Michalski is already on loan there until January. Although makes some sense as Michalski is away with the England U18 squad at the moment, and Kahn's loan is only until early December Kahn should make his debut tonight Others who may feature tonight are Farkas (also City of Liverpool) Montgomery (Marine) Markanday (Chesterfield) - has been rested Game is on on Sky Sports + Kick off at 7pm I would imagine Atcheson will not feature for Marine having been called up for Northern Ireland U19

The answer to that question possibly depends on how many divisions we fall during the years of Venkys neglect/managed decline. Edit - 18 currently out on loan, Saadis loan team played on Friday night, then the rest on Saturday

Meant that our least mobile defender on the day (Batth) was in the middle of the 3 at the back when Rovers had the ball so the defensive unit was more protected and solid * Not that Pickering and Hyam are particularly mobile, but Batth is the least agile of the 3 Amusingly enough, Hyams move to the right comes less than 2 weeks after he was quoted saying he prefers playing on the left “I must have played 95 per cent of my career on the left,” he grinned. “I am happy playing and there so are few left-footed centre-backs about.“I have become so used to it that it would probably feel a bit strange playing on the other side now. I just want to be on the pitch.”

Pep was manager of Barcelona B for a year in 2007/8. Iniesta, Xavi & Messi were already established with the first team at this point, Pep could maybe take credit for developing Busquets as he was involved in the B team at the same time. Edit - not to say that Pep didn't utilise those players very well once he was manager of the first team

This may be a very unpopular take, but the past two games with Pickering playing instead of Beck has enabled Rovers to go back to a back 3 when in possession, (rather than 2 full backs who are more comfortable going forwards in Beck and Brittain) and this seems to have helped with build up play (I know Rovers lost and didn't score against Stoke, but the build up play was still pretty good, they just didn't take their chances). I am not saying that Pickering is better than Beck, just that having one attacking full back and one who tucks inside to make a back 3 in possession definitely seems to have benefits to Rovers, and was working well in the early weeks of the season before injuries made it more difficult to implement. Fingers crossed we can bring back Hill from Bournemouth (or someone similar) on loan in January, and play him and Beck as full backs for the second half of the season.