Academy & U21s

[philipl]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-arsenal-liverpool-manutd-30543751?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_campaign=football_newsletter2&utm_medium=email

New structure not as bad as I had feared.

Rovers should be decently seeded given the average of the last 3 finishes count.

A competition for all 26 Cat A Academies with an end of season 16 club knock out.

[KentExile]

16 hours ago, rigger said:

I have only seen Walker in one game, so I cannot give a valid judgement, but in the game I did see he was very impressive up front. He harried defenders and made good runs. I would say still behind Vale and Leonard, but could well overtake them. 

17 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Where's Ethan Walker in the pecking order? He wasn't sent to Austria, but he's stood out when I've briefly watched the U21s.

He strikes me as being similar to Joe Nuttall, in that his physical development (he is 21 this week)  helps him to stand out at U21s level, so he is one of the more experienced and more physically developed guys at that level.

As Spartak said, loaning him out to see how he manages in men's football is probably the best thing for him now

15 hours ago, philipl said:

From video footage, he looks a big lad with an impressive turn of pace.

I might be wrong but I have a recollection of him having injury troubles.

He did spend a fair amount of time injured in the first half of last season from memory

Edited July 25, 2023 by KentExile

[Upside Down]

On 25/07/2023 at 05:27, Mashed Potatoes said:

He's 21 later this week so really needs to be pushing for first team action fairly soon ; perhaps a loan out to Division 2 or National League would be a good move.

Aren't we in division two? Or do you mean the new division two, or the new new division two?

Why does this have to be so confusing!!!!

[rigger]

17 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

Aren't we in division two? Or do you mean the new division two, or the new new division two?

Why does this have to be so confusing!!!!

I thought we were in the Championship ?

[Upside Down]

1 minute ago, rigger said:

I thought we were in the Championship ?

2nd Tier. Whatever it's called this week.

[bluebruce]

On 24/07/2023 at 21:09, philipl said:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-arsenal-liverpool-manutd-30543751?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_campaign=football_newsletter2&utm_medium=email

New structure not as bad as I had feared.

Rovers should be decently seeded given the average of the last 3 finishes count.

A competition for all 26 Cat A Academies with an end of season 16 club knock out.

Still sounds fucking stupid, pointless and unnecessary to me.

[rigger]

8 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Still sounds fucking stupid, pointless and unnecessary to me.

It has taken away the competition element of relegation/promotion. Man city will win the league every season, all the rest just amble about. I think it will be piss poor to watch.

[philipl]

🏆 #Rovers have been drawn in Group A of the Premier League International Cup alongside Sparta Prague, Hertha Berlin, Nice + PSV. 

Each English side plays each European side once, with Leeds, Nottm Forest + Wolves also in Group A.

The top two (and possibly third) go through.

I hadn't appreciated Rovers had qualified again. PSV usually have a crop of exciting youngsters. 

[Polky]

Ennis starting for the U21’s

[islander200]

3 minutes ago, Polky said:

Ennis starting for the U21’s

Who are the trialist brothers on the bench?

[davulsukur]

Ennis off at half time.

Not sure if that means he can only do 45mins or he only did 45mins to keep him fresher for the weekend?

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

[1874]

I don't get it. 16 teams qualify for a playoff. So if Rovers finish the initial phase in 16th and Man City finish 1st we play Man City. What happens if Rovers win. Do we play the next from top to go through or the next from bottom. Would we get a different draw than Man City would have got if they went through.

[rigger]

47 minutes ago, 1874 said:

I don't get it. 16 teams qualify for a playoff. So if Rovers finish the initial phase in 16th and Man City finish 1st we play Man City. What happens if Rovers win. Do we play the next from top to go through or the next from bottom. Would we get a different draw than Man City would have got if they went through.

They have not put too much thought into the construction of the league. They have not even considered any team beating City in the knock-out stages.

Edited August 3, 2023 by rigger

[AspRover]

Pat Gamble given senior shirt no. 15, seems unusual for a player who hasn't made a first team appearance yet. How close to the first team squad does he look? I don't get to watch the u21s very often living down on the south coast.

[Spartakfenni]

3 minutes ago, AspRover said:

Pat Gamble given senior shirt no. 15, seems unusual for a player who hasn't made a first team appearance yet. How close to the first team squad does he look? I don't get to watch the u21s very often living down on the south coast.

I watch u21’s at home when they don’t clash with the first team. In my opinion he’s a long way off being ready for a senior debut. He’s too slow and his distribution is not good enough.

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, AspRover said:

Pat Gamble given senior shirt no. 15, seems unusual for a player who hasn't made a first team appearance yet. How close to the first team squad does he look? I don't get to watch the u21s very often living down on the south coast.

If we are playing two center-halves, I would say Gamble is nowhere near the first team, yet. If we play with three center-halves, he is still nowhere near.

[AspRover]

I guess shirt numbers are a bit meaningless these days, but I'd expect #15 to be given to someone first team adjacent. Smacks of the 'automatically assign numbers' button in football manager.

[LeftWinger]

13 minutes ago, AspRover said:

I guess shirt numbers are a bit meaningless these days, but I'd expect #15 to be given to someone first team adjacent. Smacks of the 'automatically assign numbers' button in football manager.

Jansen was number 15 when he first came - so it's always a number I've liked.

[lsp82]

Brad Lyons just scored for Kilmarnock against Rangers. Didn't know he had ended up there. 

[bluebruce]

On 04/08/2023 at 13:37, rigger said:

If we are playing two center-halves, I would say Gamble is nowhere near the first team, yet. If we play with three center-halves, he is still nowhere near.

What if we play with ten centre halves?

[rigger]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

What if we play with ten centre halves?

He might make the bench.

[arbitro]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/august/09/jared-joins-tns-on-loan/

Jared Harlock leaves on a season long loan to TNS. Effectively his Rovers career is over but I don't understand why we exercised the extra year on his contract. With TNS being full time I assume he'll be training with them every day.

 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Jared Harlock leaves on a season long loan to TNS. Effectively his Rovers career is over but I don't understand why we exercised the extra year on his contract.

Harlock, Baker, and Cirino had their options taken this summer. I'm not sure if the club triggered those options, or if the players were able to, but all three were told they could leave. I presume that was meant as being able to leave on loan for their last chance saloon at another contract at Rovers.

[bluebruce]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2023/august/09/jared-joins-tns-on-loan/

Jared Harlock leaves on a season long loan to TNS. Effectively his Rovers career is over but I don't understand why we exercised the extra year on his contract. With TNS being full time I assume he'll be training with them every day.

 

Agreed, another strange one. Like you say, why extend for a year just to send him to a level we'll learn nothing from his performance at. He'll be 21 next month, sounded promising at times. I can only think we extended it to give him time to find a new club. Doesn't really benefit us though, other than in showing our young lads and prospective youth signings that we take care of our boys.