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.

Its the sideways and backwards passes that suck opposition players in, creating space so that it can be switched. When the game is level, or when the opposition is chasing the game, its a useful tactic if you can beat the press. The problem Rovers have, is that they also employ the same tactic when we are behind and the other team has no need to press us to get the ball back and are happy to let us waste minutes passing the ball between Pears and the defence Completely agree with your comments on Travis. I thought he had a great game today

edited my post 🙂 thanks

Starts today for Markanday lost 3-0 - got man of the match for Chesterfield, although based purely on the result, it was probably a case of him being the least bad, rather than the best Chesterfield player today Atcheson & Montgomery lost 4-0 Edmondson won 2-0 Eastham won 2-1 Michalski & Farkas lost 4-3 Honor won 4-3 On the bench Garrett remained on the bench as they drew 1-1 O'Riordan remained on the bench as they lost 6-1 Gamble remained on the bench as they won 3-0 Davies came off the bench for the last 5 minutes in a 2-1 win Not involved in matchday squad Batty won 3-0 - Batty was "feeling the back of his knee", so was not risked Vale won 2-1 Olson drew 3-3 Wood drew 1-1 Mullarkey-Matthews lost 3-2

I don't think anyone would. I know I watched the first team game. But there was no reason not to mention that the U18s are also in action today. For the record, the U18s came back from 2-1 down to win 5-2, 3 goals in 5 minutes in the second half. Boggan hat trick Dlamini and Higgins with the others

U18s play Forest today, kick off 12:30 line up and score updates here

Saadi remained on the bench during a 2-1 win this eve

Mainly moaning at the ref and things like kicking the ball away/standing over the ball to prevent a quick free kick. The moaning is just silly, but preventing a quick free kick/break is commonplace and obviously encouraged by managers as an equivalent of committing a foul to stop a quick break and "taking one for the team" According to the same article, Cantwell is also sailing close to a ban (4 yellows so far), I would imagine this is for much the same reasons

Dolan suspended tomorrow, https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24706584.blackburn-hit-fresh-blow-attacking-absences-pile/

Starts tonight for O'Riordan won 1-0 Atcheson & Montgomery won 3-0

Live here for those who cant make the game. Kick off 7pm

It was a comment made in jest, hence the silly emoji which accompanied it. Moran is a technically adept player who more than capable of hurting us if he is allowed to do so, but as we know from experience, he will go hiding if the going gets tough. Its up to Rovers to make sure that he goes hiding tomorrow.

If Moran is the one tasked with putting him under pressure, Buckley would have all the time in the world 😉

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/november/05/preview--rochdale-v-rovers-under-21s/

I have corrected his job description for you 😉

ACD is injured/not fit https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/november/04/senior-trio-out-of-stoke-showdown/

Starts tonight for Michalski & Farkas as they lost 4-1

Pears in team of the week for 2 different stats sites. Whilst I don't think he was awful at the weekend, surely there were a few better performing keepers who didn't concede 2 goals?

He took all the free kicks for Arsenal against our U21s last week. Looked quite technical, but I agree, Other positions are surely a greater priority for what will surely be a tiny budget, and Eustace wouldn't play him ahead of Travis and Tronstad, so seems a waste. Edit - Just thought that it might make sense (from Waggotts perspective) as a cost cutting measure if for instance Bakers loan is cut short

Seems the "official line" is that he is injured

Edmondsons goal for Macclesfield yesterday This is also ones for the fans of "proper 1-11 numbering", Edmondson wearing #3 and playing as an attacking midfielder lol

Ipswich's wage budget when they were in League 1 was £19.8M which is about average for a championship club, then they would have had promotion bonuses + the wages whoever they signed once they were in the championship https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/24205704.ipswich-town-accounts-2022-2023-financial-year-revealed/ And £5M of transfer fees last season too with no sales https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ipswich-town/transfers/verein/677/plus/?saison_id=2023&pos=&detailpos=&w_s= Luton's wage bill in their promotion season was apparently £27.6M, a £10M increase on the previous season, which I think was mainly on expensive loans https://swissramble.substack.com/p/luton-town-finances-202223