Academy & U21s

[oldjamfan1]

Updates from that one would be most appreciated folks

[Hanks]

2 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Updates from that one would be most appreciated folks

If only I had a smartphone

[Guest]

Rovers boast a 23's side made up of 75% Under 18's players, but Burnley do too. Get the feeling with Rovers already through, Burnley confirmed as not through, the two clubs have both come to a decision (maybe even together) to play some of the younger lads in this one.

Kicks off at 2pm, no video available anywhere but Rovers Twitter are providing updates.

Sam Burns (man of the hour on this thread recently) starts up front.

[Tom]

1-0 Rovers, Pike long ball gets caught in the wind and catches out Jensen in their nets!

Wonder if he’s the son of the beast?

[MarkBRFC]

It's not Brian's son, I know "the beast" quite well he lives on the other side of the town I live in.

His son's are both on the books of Everton, one under 13 and one under 16.

[Mike E]

Maybe son of John then?

[Angry_Pirate]

I think the problem originally for Zimba and then Burns is that the U18s didnt have a recognised striker before the season.

Burns is a RW and will revert back to one next season, and the likes of Sam Durrant, Zak Gilsenan and Brandon Lonsdale are not going to lead the line as they are all too small... so Zimba was forced into the #9 role due to his size. And despite his goals has generally struggled with the physicality and role of it.

Shame for him as I think he would have walked a contract had he been allowed to stay a bit deeper.

[Guest]

A lot of academy players contracts ending within the next month across all the age groups. With the youth football season already over, there's no expectations at any level so far been expressed that any youth players will be offered this one month extension that the likes of first team footballers have been.

Does anybody know which Under 18's/23's players are set to be released?

[Guest]

On an Academy note, just been told by a friend that Leeds have shown an interest in young Luke Brennan. Interesting one. https://www.footballinsider247.com/leeds-united-set-sights-on-signing-blackburn-rising-star/

Edited May 22, 2020 by JoeH

[Exiled_Rover]

On 22/05/2020 at 11:50, JoeH said:

On an Academy note, just been told by a friend that Leeds have shown an interest in young Luke Brennan. Interesting one. https://www.footballinsider247.com/leeds-united-set-sights-on-signing-blackburn-rising-star/

I've no idea who he is, but apparently Liverpool and Brighton are looking to poach him too.

Fingers crossed COVID-19 shatters the current football pyramid, because it's sickening at the moment. 

[bluebruce]

On 26/05/2020 at 11:30, Exiled_Rover said:

I've no idea who he is, but apparently Liverpool and Brighton are looking to poach him too.

Fingers crossed COVID-19 shatters the current football pyramid, because it's sickening at the moment. 

Apparently the uncertainty produced by covid is actually one of the main reasons we haven't offered him a deal yet.

[Guest]

Confirmation that young Jack Evans is leaving the club. Announced it himself on Twitter. Would expect retained list soon.

[Sparks Rover]

And Doyle 

[skous18]

Does anyone know if Butterworth is back from injury?

[neophox]

Paton, Buckley, and Rankin-Costello along with Mols all got talent. Buckley and Rankin-Costello has already showed they can cope with championship football and are still raw andf young with potential. We also got Chapman and Brereton who I think can be real good players with confidence. They got the ability and Chapman has looked really good in training. I think we have a strong team at the moment with only Dack out. The young ones are knocking on the door and it would be interesting to see if Lewis Thompson could play his way at left back in to the rovers 18.

[roversfan99]

23 minutes ago, neophox said:

Paton, Buckley, and Rankin-Costello along with Mols all got talent. Buckley and Rankin-Costello has already showed they can cope with championship football and are still raw andf young with potential. We also got Chapman and Brereton who I think can be real good players with confidence. They got the ability and Chapman has looked really good in training. I think we have a strong team at the moment with only Dack out. The young ones are knocking on the door and it would be interesting to see if Lewis Thompson could play his way at left back in to the rovers 18.

Not sure about how you know about Chapmans training performances and the rest is speculative but have Buckley and Rankin Costello really shown that they can cope in the Championship? Buckley has looked physically incapable and quite a bit of the standard in each game apart from at Charlton where he played as a 10 and did well. And Rankin Costello played only a few games but looked a little overawed and couldnt have an impact. Not writing either off or anything, both are very young but so far they havent proven that they are Championship standard.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Not sure about how you know about Chapmans training performances and the rest is speculative but have Buckley and Rankin Costello really shown that they can cope in the Championship? Buckley has looked physically incapable and quite a bit of the standard in each game apart from at Charlton where he played as a 10 and did well. And Rankin Costello played only a few games but looked a little overawed and couldnt have an impact. Not writing either off or anything, both are very young but so far they havent proven that they are Championship standard.

I would imagine he has watched the YouTube of training.

I am happy that's we have 3 good talents players coming through and we look like we have more good prospects coming there. 

Very pleased that Carter and Thompson new deals

 

[Guest]

IMO Joe Rankin-Costello will be a starter for us within a few seasons, no questions asked. I don't know about Buckley though, very weak physically. 

Lewis Thompson is a gem but the issue is that the defensive positions are the hardest to break into for a youth player, especially as a club pushes for promotion. He'll get chances if we don't sign two left-backs though.

Edited June 10, 2020 by JoeH

[Guest]

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SQUAD | PLAYER | (POSITION) | AGE | [NOTES]

U23 | Andrew Fisher - (GK) - 22 - England [19/20 on loan at MK Dons]
U23 | Joseph Hilton - (GK) - 20 - England
U18 | Jordan Eastham - (GK) - 18 - England
U18 | Aidan Dowling - (GK) - 18 - England

U23 | Lewis Thompson - (LB, LM) - 20 - N.Ireland [19/20 on loan at AFC Fylde]
U23 | Hayden Carter - (CB) - 20 - England
U23 | Scott Wharton - (CB) - 22 - England [19/20 on loan at Northampton Town]
U23 | Matthew Platt - (CB) - 22 - England [19/20 on loan at AFC Barrow]
U23 | Tyler Magloire - (CB) - 21 - England [19/20 on loan at Rochdale AFC]
U23 | Louie Annesley - (CB) - 20 - Gibraltar
U23 | Sam Barnes - (CB) - 19 - England
U18 | Daniel Pike - (RB) - 18 - England
U18 | Isaac Whitehall - (CB, RB) - 18 - England [ UNDER 18's CAPTAIN]
U18 | Jake Garrett - (LB) - 17 - England
U23 | Joe Grayson - (CB, CDM) - 21 - England [Injured for another three months est. / Son of Simon Grayson]

U23/1ST | John Buckley - (CM, CAM) - 20 - England
U23 | Brad Lyons - (CM) - 23 - N.Ireland
U23 | Tom White - (CM) - 23 - England {19/20 on loan at AFC Barrow]
U23 | Stefan Mols - (CM, RM) - 21 - Spain [ UNDER 23's INTERIM CAPTAIN]
U18 | D'Margio Wright-Phillips - (RW, LW) - 18 - England - [On loan from Manchester City / Son of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Grandson of Ian Wright]
U23 | Ben Paton - (LM, CM) - 19 - Canada
U23/1ST | Joe Rankin-Costello - (CAM, CM, RM, RB) - 20 - England
U18 | Luke Brennan - (LM, LW) - 18 - England
U18 | Zak Gilsennan - (CAM) - 18 - Australia (Chosen) - [Dubbed the Irish Messi - https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18344284.rovers-youngster-dubbed-irish-messi-opts-australia/)

U23 | Daniel Butterworth - (ST, CAM) - 20 - England [Injured for another month est./ UNDER 23's CAPTAIN]
U23 | Jack Vale - (ST, LM, RM) - 19 - Wales
U18 | Sam Burns - (ST, RW) - 17 - England
U18 | Chanka Zimba - (ST, CAM) - 18 - England

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So there's a full run down following youth releases announced so far, of the Under 18's/Under 23's. Not all the 18's are included here, but the more promising/featured for the 23's player are here. What strikes me is just how many bloody centre-backs we have. Not much going forward in the Under 23's, and they have struggled to score goals in Dan Butterworth's injury absence. Can't imagine we'll be holding onto all of those defenders when the retained list is announced, but we'll see.

The Under 18's have made it to the FA Youth Cup Semi-Final after beating Arsenal 4-1 at Ewood Park. They've been great and that cup run is mightily impressive. Luke Brennan is saught after by multiple sides incl. Liverpool and Leeds United. D'Margio Wright-Phillips is only on loan, will they make that permanent? Joe Grayson and Dan Butterworth hopefully back for any new season which takes place

Should we be keeping hold of Scott Wharton and Matthew Platt? Both are 22 now, so decisions will surely have to be made soon?

[MarkBRFC]

I think any of those lads that are 22/23 will surely have to move on? None of them are going to get any first team football here.

I think Hilton, Thompson, Carter & Mols should be around the first team by the time next season starts alongside Buckley, JRC, Butterworth etc.

It's surely worth trying these lads out and persevering with them rather than signing any out of contract journeymen who will command a much bigger wage? 

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

I think any of those lads that are 22/23 will surely have to move on? None of them are going to get any first team football here.

 

I agree. Lyons, White, Wharton and Platt for me need to be moved along now.

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, JoeH said:

IMO Joe Rankin-Costello will be a starter for us within a few seasons, no questions asked. I don't know about Buckley though, very weak physically. 

Lewis Thompson is a gem but the issue is that the defensive positions are the hardest to break into for a youth player, especially as a club pushes for promotion. He'll get chances if we don't sign two left-backs though.

He may well be but at the momemt he has yet to prove that he is capable of Championship football. Of course he is only young and he has only made a couple of starts and a couple of sub appearances but he made no impact in any of those games and seemed a little overawed and I was unable to see what he had that made him such a prospect in that limited game time.

But he is only young so time is on his side and the same with Buckley.

[chaddyrovers]

3 hours ago, JoeH said:

IMO Joe Rankin-Costello will be a starter for us within a few seasons, no questions asked. I don't know about Buckley though, very weak physically. 

Lewis Thompson is a gem but the issue is that the defensive positions are the hardest to break into for a youth player, especially as a club pushes for promotion. He'll get chances if we don't sign two left-backs though.

Big fan of Rankin-Costello and he has been prospect for us for many years. 

Our academy is our future and we have to bring even players through. 

Thompson, Pike, Carter, Barnes, Whitehall, Burns are next in the pipeline to come through

I would released Fisher, Grayson, Wharton, Platt, Mols, Lyons and White. Mot going to make it here in our first team so released them so they can secure contracts at other clubs if they can

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by chaddyrovers

[bluebruce]

14 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

He may well be but at the momemt he has yet to prove that he is capable of Championship football. Of course he is only young and he has only made a couple of starts and a couple of sub appearances but he made no impact in any of those games and seemed a little overawed and I was unable to see what he had that made him such a prospect in that limited game time.

But he is only young so time is on his side and the same with Buckley.

It's not true that JRC hasn't made any impact in any of his games. I forget the opposition, feel like it was Sheff W, but he came on and set a goal up directly, had a hand in another, and looked good. Not hit those heights since though but has looked better than you're giving him credit for.