If you say so.

I'd be very curious to find out precisely what he did. From the LT article it sounds like it could be as minor as telling someone our lineup 10 minutes before it was released. I don't know if something as serious as what Shane Duffy did (always amazed he never got investigated for that) comes under it.

Not strictly just about Rovers youngsters, but I notice Biniek and Nsangou are going to the u19s euros with Poland, who will share a group with Malta, but that Wharton and Phillips won't be there as England missed out on qualifying. Can anybody explain to me how shitty little Malta u19s have qualified whilst England u19s didn't? Are they hosts or something? I tried to find online how they qualified but I can't, they're seemingly too insignificant to list matches for. Even transfermarkt only had friendlies.

That's great to hear, time will tell but hope you're right. Hope Phillips turns into that too (with us of course).

Just checked google and Finneran is described as a defensive midfielder...so that's something different I guess, but it's another position we produce plenty. Although I suppose if Travis leaves and this kid comes along, by the time Tronstad is faded we should have an experienced DM in Garrett and this lad will be coming of age. If they both prove up to it. Our CB production line in the last however many years has been ridiculous though.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/23617466.blackburn-rovers-youngsters-given-chance-impress-tomasson/ Rory Finneran, 15, has taken part in the internal games with the senior team. Also 16 year olds Max Davies and Tom Atcheson, both centre halves. Anyone have knowledge of any of them?

Raya's loan was only a 4 month one too. Pike spent more time at Fylde than that overall. I think those loans can be handy for younger players who need a taste of the physicality and stakes of first team football, but agree I'm not sure what it achieved for the likes of Burns and Pike. I think it's just been desperation to get them experience when we've struggled to get a league loan sorted.

@BRFC4EVA you still living down that way?

Absolutely, didn't mean it as any kind of slight on his ability and potential. Just that, as we agree, he's unlikely to be ready for the first team. You never know of course, Dolan was brought in on the same assumption, but at this point in time it can only be believed that JDT and GB (or perhaps more a case of the U21 boss) have brought him in as an U21 player initially. If he performs better than expected early doors, maybe he can break into the fringe. Think there'll be a lot of senior competition by the end of the window though.

Was 4th in line the other day. Think they're just mixing up bench duties.

I gather he only played twice for Spurs U21s (who got relegated and finished 3 places below ours) and also twice for our u21s when he was on trial. So no, I think we can assume he isn't ready for the first team. Likely to spend much or all of next season trying to establish himself in our u21s first.

That sounds like a pointlessly convoluted load of old bollocks.

No longer Rovers Ladies! Now Rovers Women https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/june/20/a-new-era-starts-now/

Nope. Old enough to remember when defeat away to Coventry mathematically cost us the title, and a little earlier.

I'll have to take your word for it, I don't remember a single thing about his game! I do notice he played 11 games in his loan and we didn't bother signing him.

I see Hyam got his debut...in the 90th minute. I mean wow, what an opportunity to prove his worth...still, he will be happy with a cap at least.

A bit of shite too, mind. Andresen (I don't even remember him so I can only assume he wasn't up to snuff), Ostenstad, Samuelsen, Tore Pedersen, all dossers. King (during his time with us, though personally I liked him) and Bohinen (again, didn't mind him) would probably split opinion a bit. Gamst, Berg, Bjornebye, undoubtedly great signings for us. We should have made a lot more of King and he went on to have a very good career. It's probably a bit of an even split all considered, with Tromstad of course still to be decided.

I'm not surprised I forgot him! I should have remembered King though.

Our first Norweigan since Pedersen? Or am I forgetting somebody?

Looks like they haven't even finished sorting out their coding yet, judging by all those <h2> markers.

Many of our young attackers have seemed exciting over the years, until it comes to breaking into the first team. Then they never really quite manage it. Not since Dunn and Duff. I hope we're due one to buck the trend, but I think it's harder for youngsters to break in up top. If they don't score pretty quickly (and they'll often start out with just some cameos) they tend to be dropped in favour of experience. God knows how Vale managed to get so much game time.

His first pro deal was already negotiated and waiting to be signed as soon as it was allowed, but then his agents delayed and presumably renegotiated anyway.

I agree, we need to try to get him into goalscoring positions more often. I actually feel that since January and obviously excluding players who are no longer here, he looks the most clinical finisher at the club right now.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/23576445.blackburn-rovers-frustrated-lack-efl-opportunities-players/ I share his frustration at the lack of EFL opportunities we've been able to manage for our youngsters. We clearly have one of the best academies in the country, playing at the top youth level, churning out a string of Championship level players, and yet pro clubs don't seem as interested because the main team isn't in the Prem. I hope we can work on this somehow. You can't force clubs to take your youth players and use them, but the use of the phrase in there of something like the phone doesn't ring enough...maybe we can work on improving our networking with other clubs and starting these discussions ourselves instead of hanging back and waiting for it to happen. I'm not saying this is entirely our fault either, I do agree with him there's probably an unfair perception of our youth players not being as glamorous due to not being attached to a Prem club. I'm sure we've had more youngsters who could have made an impact at League One and Two levels if they'd had the chances, than have had the chances. That said, some of our youngsters loaned out have disappointed a bit (albeit sometimes from lack of game time), but that's the nature of loaning youth players.

I was aware of that Friedel performance and thought about mentioning it, but I didn't actually see it. I remember hearing some very excited commentators talking about how he was keeping them at bay single handedly. Honestly, what a fucking keeper.