And our system isn't a meat grinder??? If it was brought under the umbrella of schools/FA etc, more kids would get opportunities and if the finances were properly regulated then that aspect would be circumnavigated. It's hardly as if the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool etc academy car parks aren't full of 50K cars owned by kids, kids that most likely won't make the grade.... This is the aspect I herald not the rest, it makes logical sense to have elite coaching available to all children. Clubs shouldn't be running this aspect, it should be separate and run independently by the FA, with funds from the TV rights etc being channelled into ensuring we focus on developing as many kids as possible. The whole current system feeds the biggest clubs and allows them to hoover up all the talent they can and with about 1 or 2 a year making it, this does not seem very productive. County academies, with satellites spread across the region, linked into schools etc etc would make much more sense and ensure a much larger number of kids were given the chance to make the grade and get the best coaching possible to maximise their potential. A properly run draft system would also spread out the talent, again meaning that it's not all about feeding the richest clubs, even then look at some of the player's who have slipped through and gone on to do well elsewhere from said clubs. I saw an article once following over 200 1st year premier league academy players careers over 4-5 years, at the end only 4 were still at pro level. Cracking system.

Youth development is one aspect the Americans have gotten right. Club's shouldn't be running it, schools and colleges should be.

My wife calls me big Dogg too 👍

Another Scouse false nine, I should have seen it. My football eye 👀 is not what it could be haha.

Who says he is going to play CM? I think he has all the makings of a quality LB! 😂😂😂

Trouble is his injury record is awful, but at least he could play alongside Ayala both on the pitch and on the treatment table.

The most annoying part was I typed Hendry and the bloody phone changed it to Henry. I only noticed when I was quoted and went Doh. It even tries to change Doh to dog. OnePlus avoid at all costs haha. Colin as a CF? Really? And apparently that's true, he was a forward before signing for Rovers. Well I never 👍

I'm sure I remember Henry being moved up top, but prior to the walker era I'm not to sure as I would have been 8 years old or less.

Haha, rather them than me 👍

I didn't know about him, interesting. I was referring to Ntcham of Celtic as I saw an article on NewsNow. Ntcham link

Does the article not say his wage demands are too steep? I'm willing to wager we don't sign a single permanent player this window.

We've seen strikers as full backs and God knows what else over the last few years, so being honest I could believe TM would play that way.

I cut that straight from the BBC site.

Did we really line up like this?

Defender's are coming

I dunno option 3 has appeal haha. After 10 years I just want it to come to whatever end. Preferably soon. Amen to that 👍 No I wouldn't play or pay for the coventrios supposed football, they both send me to sleep

It's madness 😜 I'm beginning to think we won't sign a single player. When will the venkys nightmare end?

So transfer news.....

Not even an apple 🍏 and orange 🍊, it's true it is grim up north. Either that or you're Jewish.

It's no coincidence he played better away from TM and now declines again once back in his realm. TM sucks the life out of player's, hardly any have improved drastically and he has handled BB poorly from day one. If I were Brerton, I'd run my contract down and walk for free.

It's so frustrating as they should be ready at 18/19 physically, we have a decent 11 ala Swansea, they could stay-up and then we don't need to waste our money on loans from other clubs. But TM is pants and he can only keep us up by bringing in better players and not by making our players better. If it wasn't Rovers I'd be laughing my balls off, but it is and I'm not.

So our young (how old are they?) are not physically ready, are they not early 20s? What a joke, other sports manage it and yet we cannot, laughable stuff in such a short career. I'm only 21 at the peak of my bodies development and yet I cannot play 90 minutes of football. TMs coaching in all aspects in amateurish, if our Olympians heard this they'd all be pissing themselves.

Hello old chap, how the devil are you? You should sign for us here at Rovers wink wink, we'll pay you well and we only want 20% of your income wink wink, backhanders, nothing dodgy here old fella. Us Middlesbrough boys gotta look after each other. wink wink, you scratch my back and all that! No no I'm not using my old connections to make money on the side outta the club, I'm an honest bloke, you can trust me wink wink, nudge, nudge.

He's the next batistuta 😂😂😂

In true Chaddy fashion, I mentioned it yesterday 😂😂👍