Parsonblue

A 2-1 win - our third win on the run - and an absolutely brilliant game of football. As far as I'm aware Category 1 status is reviewed every three years and as we were reviewed last year we should have another two years at that level before we are due another review. Of course you can opt to leave Category 1 if you wish - which is what Bolton did a couple of years ago to cut costs.

A cracking game of football tonight at Leyland. Two teams playing attacking football and giving one hundred per cent. Everyone in a Blue & White shirt tonight was good, not a weak link in the team against an excellent West Ham team. Tomlinson, Travis and Thomson in particular caught the eye going forward.

He was awful Rev. He had a purple patch when he was about 17 - played for England at that level - got a long contract and has done nothing since. For the past two seasons he has struggled to make the bench for the Under21/Under23's. When he went to Chorley on loan he couldn't get a regular slot in their team.

Don't know when you last watched Mols but he is nothing like Lowe at the moment. Plays any number of forward passes and runs at defenders with the ball. Thomson reminds me at bit of Brett Emerton in that he can play wide midfield or full-back. Strong lad who can run at defenders and deliver decent balls into the box. In truth he has been moved around a bit in terms of positions and it's really only this season that they seem to have settled on the wide midfield position (usually left midfield) for him. Somewhat inconsistent and for me is a lad who needs to go out on loan to a League One or Two team to get some first team experience. I can see why they have given him another contract as he does have potential but I'm not convinced as to how far he might go. The jury is out for me which is why I would like to see him loaned out to see if he can do it at a level higher than Under-23's.

Connor Thomson is the lad that Eric picked up from Carlisle when he was released. Plays wide midfield most of the time. Travis is playing right-back at the moment because Nyambe has moved up to the senior team. Travis is far better in the midfield role that he has occupied for most the season. Hopefully Travis will be the next youngster to be given a contract, certainly deserves one for the progress he has made this season. Travis and Tomlinson make a formidable partnership in the centre of midfield. Keep an eye out for Stefan Mols who is just starting to move up to the Under-23's as he is a really talented attacking midfield player. Not the biggest striker, similar in style really to Joe Garner but not quite as aggressive. He is quick and confident with the ball at his feet. Has an eye for goal and finishes well. Just starting to get some games with the Under-23's. Certainly played well tonight and took his goal extremely well.

Poor night all round to be honest. First half it was fairly even with Tomlinson hitting the post and then the 'keeper making a brilliant save from him. Second half Wolves took control. Travis was literally kicked out of the game. I think three yellow cards were shown for tackles on him alone. Wolves capitalised on individual errors whereas we missed chances. We do lack a quality striker at this level. Never been convinced by Mansell.

Sorry Jal, I was talking about Tre. Agree with you about Alex

From what I've seen he seems to be progressing nicely. Needs to be given a run in the Under-23's at some stage to see if he can do it at a higher level. I like the fact that he's not afraid to get a tackle in and gives as good as he gets. Despite not being the biggest he's not the type to be bullied out of it. As wingers go he's got most of the attributes you want - quick, good at crossing and has an eye for goal.

He's been out on loan at Fleetwood and I have heard he has had a trial with another club but is back in the fold now. Haven't really seen much of him. He had a nasty injury last season and I thought they might give him an extra year - as they usually do with lads who have a bad injury - but haven't heard anything as yet. What I saw of him early season looked quite promising but he seems to have been edged out and as the Under-18's are having a decent season I'm not sure how he will force his way back in.

We are in agreement at last Jal - long may it continue! Chaddy, Jal is absolutely correct in saying that Joe has worked mainly with Billy Barr prior to this season.

Good attacking midfield player, or playing just off the main striker. Can score spectacular goals. He's better in the middle than out wide which is when he tends to drift out of games. The contract delay certainly impacted on his form prior to Christmas but he looked much better on Monday having settled his future for the next few years. Not the finished product by a long way but certainly one who would appear to have a bright future in the game. It would have been criminal to allow this lad to walk away so at least Senior has pulled one good deal off.

Good to see Joe Rankin-Costello signed up on a pro contract.

At the end of the day Jal nobody knows if any young player will make it or not. The only way you find out is by playing them and giving them a decent run of games to see if they sink or swim. Thus far both Nyambe and Raya have impressed when given the chance. Both now need a run of games to see if they can sustain that improvement over the longer period. Where we differ is that you want to get rid before they are given a chance and that I don't understand. As Tyrone said earlier in this thread, there have been numerous youngsters who we might have thought didn't stand a chance of making it and they went on to enjoy very successful careers. Likewise, I've seen youngsters who I thought would make it and they haven't for whatever reason. In the past the Rovers have paid big money to bring the likes of Watt and Fitzgerald into the Academy - long before Venkys - and they have failed to make it. You only have to look back at team sheets from Academy games over the last ten years to see how few players actually make the grade at any club.

You clearly don't watch them.

Well that's one good thing that SEM Kentaro have done if they have brought us these two promising young players.

Clearly, I look at it from a different perspective. I'm interested in watching players develop and some will make it but the overwhelming majority won't and that has always been the case. Just look at the number of players registered with the club at the Football League in the 50's and 60's and look how many actually made the Central League team, let alone the first team. If you have a hang up with folk from Liverpool or Scotland, or indeed, footballers from abroad, that's your issue not mine. I have no problem about where a person comes from. As for Feeney, he certainly wouldn't be in my starting eleven but then neither would Conway.

Why? If a player is a good player I'm not bothered who his agent is.

Two very promising young players, as Rev says. Personally I don't think the Rovers can have too many promising young players like these two.

In fairness, Mahoney is really a right winger. For some reason he reminds me of Hill in his style of play. Like Hill, he is tall but he's not the most robust of wingers, doesn't like a tackle and his decision making, at times, is somewhat indifferent. On his day he can be excellent and is capable of scoring spectacular goals but, like Hill, his good days don't come along all that often and he can really frustrate when he gets into good positions but fails to deliver a decent cross. But he's young, unlike Hill who was at the end of a pretty decent career, and has time on his side. Having said all that, personally, I think it's time he was given a chance to see if he can cut it at first team level. He needs to be playing against better opposition to see if he can cope at a higher level than the Under-23's. If we are not prepared to loan him then we should give the lad the opportunity to prove he is good enough. We made the same mistake with O'Sullivan who was one of the most promising lads to come out of the Academy but we didn't give him the opportunity when he was playing well and then he started going backwards in terms of development. I don't know and I care even less Jal. I'm just glad we have Nyambe and Raya and I hope Mahoney can develop and follow them into the first team squad.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that. The only way you find out about youngsters is by giving them a chance. It's beginning to work with Nyambe - who looked much more confident on Saturday after a few games under his belt. Youngsters will make mistakes but that's how they learn. There is a limit to how much they learn in the Under-23's after a season or so. I'd be more than happy to see Mahoney, Tomlinson, Doyle, Travis, Platt and Wharton be given more time in the first team alongside the likes of Nyambe and Raya. We have some decent lads who have done enough to deserve a chance with the first team and, as you say, it's not like the senior eleven are exactly pulling up trees with their performances.

He certainly had a better game today than last week. I don't know if you are old enough Stuart, but think 'Brian Hill' and you get a picture of Mahoney.

Excellent second-half performance today. Stokes and Platt both scored two and in the second period we looked on a totally different level to Burnley. Brown and Platt were superb at the centre of defence whilst Travis and Doyle attacked well from the full-back positions. Rankin-Costello looked good after his recent dip in form and Tomlinson worked hard in midfield. Stokes, after an indifferent first-half, looked much better after the interval.

Jim was a bit of a cult hero at the time. Certainly the best header of a ball I've ever seen but we didn't really play to his strength - which was in the air. On the ground he wasn't the best by any means. His diving header against Norwich, when he came on as a sub, remains the best headed goal I think I've ever seen. For me, Frank Lord, was the worst I've seen but there are a number of contenders from that era - Les Chappell would certainly run him a close second. A little later there was John Aston who Iley signed to replace Waggy. Aston was playing from memory when we signed him.

It's a long while since I have seen the JW upper as full as it was yesterday. Clearly reducing prices in this stand has an impact on numbers moving from other parts of the ground. Last season there were rows of empty seats behind me but yesterday it was quite full.