Academy & U21s

[bluebruce]

18 hours ago, KentExile said:

Seems to be working for them, most successful period in their history isn't it?

 

Not yet. They've been in the third tier before. But very good times for them for sure.

[Darrenbot]

On 08/09/2024 at 12:10, KentExile said:

One to keep an eye out for in a few years

Fahuz Amusat U15s striker

Whenever i see things like this these days i end up thinking if he's any good i bet he's sold on the cheap before he's played a full season for us or he'll be poached by a Prem team before he signs a contract.It's what we are now because of Venky's mismanagement,just a training ground for young players until they move on.

[arbitro]

Rovers under 18's played the Dingles today and drew 2-2. A notable name on the Rovers team sheet needs no introduction 😂.

 

[bluebruce]

51 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Rovers under 18's played the Dingles today and drew 2-2. A notable name on the Rovers team sheet needs no introduction 😂.

 

You're right, no introduction needed at all!

Harry Potter will be a real wizard on the pitch, utterly spellbinding. Wand of a right foot. Etc.

[KentExile]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/september/11/rovers-to-compete-in-central-league-cup/

 

 

[arbitro]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/september/11/rovers-to-compete-in-central-league-cup/

Another four games (minium) announced as Rovers are playing in the Central League Cup. With PL 2, International Cup, Lancashire Senior Cup and Premier League Cup there will be plenty of games for them this season.

[bluebruce]

38 minutes ago, arbitro said:

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/september/11/rovers-to-compete-in-central-league-cup/

Another four games (minium) announced as Rovers are playing in the Central League Cup. With PL 2, International Cup, Lancashire Senior Cup and Premier League Cup there will be plenty of games for them this season.

Good thing we've loaned half the squad out then...

[arbitro]

4 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Good thing we've loaned half the squad out then...

To counter that I think it will give opportunities to some of the first and second year Scholars.

[Forever Blue]

It’s vital we loan out as many players as possible. I’d imagine Batty has learned and progressed more in the last 2 weeks in L2 than he has in the last 2 years in the academy games. 

Edited September 11 by Forever Blue

[KentExile]

58 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Good thing we've loaned half the squad out then...

This is the current squad (1st year scholars or higher, and not including the Gilsenans, Leonards etc who will have to feature to get back to fitness) that is not currently out on loan.  I would say that is more than enough to cover U18s & U21s until January when most of those loans end

K - Barrett, Kahn, Honor, Wolsoncroft, Thompson

CB - Litherland, R.Doherty, Olsen, Davies, Pratt, Decandia, Kelly-Quinn

LB - Powell, Leeming, Pates

RB - Duru, Murphy-Worrell, Houghton, Mansbridge, Ramwell

CM - J.Edmondson, O'Grady-Macken, Caddick, Whitehall, Farkas, Shorrocks, Willis, Dunn, Vare, Potter,

AM/W - Bloxham, Biniek, A.Doherty, Strich, Bell, Taylor, S.Edmondson, Dlamini, Sargent, Leatherbarrow, Shaw

S - Tyjon, Mafoumbi, Boggan, Joseph, Baker

 

The loans out for the likes of Batty are for me as much about allowing the likes of Powell to step up a level in the underage groups as they are allowing the Battys to get first team exposure

Edited September 11 by KentExile

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

To counter that I think it will give opportunities to some of the first and second year Scholars.

True, but are they ready for it? If they're not, I'm not sure what the effect on confidence and development could be of regular pastings. At least relegation is gone, so in that regard we can afford the risk. Hopefully it works as a step up for the kids and they develop faster, sink or swim I guess, we'll just have to see which they do.

1 hour ago, KentExile said:

This is the current squad (1st year scholars or higher, and not including the Gilsenans, Leonards etc who will have to feature to get back to fitness) that is not currently out on loan.  I would say that is more than enough to cover U18s & U21s until January when most of those loans end

K - Barrett, Kahn, Honor, Wolsoncroft, Thompson

CB - Litherland, R.Doherty, Olsen, Davies, Pratt, Decandia, Kelly-Quinn

LB - Powell, Leeming, Pates

RB - Duru, Murphy-Worrell, Houghton, Mansbridge, Ramwell

CM - J.Edmondson, O'Grady-Macken, Caddick, Whitehall, Farkas, Shorrocks, Willis, Dunn, Vare, Potter,

AM/W - Bloxham, Biniek, A.Doherty, Strich, Bell, Taylor, S.Edmondson, Dlamini, Sargent, Leatherbarrow, Shaw

S - Tyjon, Mafoumbi, Boggan, Joseph, Baker

 

The loans out for the likes of Batty are for me as much about allowing the likes of Powell to step up a level in the underage groups as they are allowing the Battys to get first team exposure

I'm not really talking numbers though (although some of those positions, like LB, are a little light for two teams and a heavy fixture schedule), I'm talking quality. A lot of the safer hands at that level are out on loan. The rest, looks like a disproportionate amount of first year scholars, think the U21s will suffer. And then the U18s will suffer because most of their best players are padding the U21s out.

Duru shouldn't really be on there, he's in the first team squad now. I doubt he will play many U21 games, just the odd one for fitness. Don't disagree with Batty being loaned out, we really need to start seeing if he can cut it in senior football. Same goes for some of the others. Some though, not heard enough to think there's much point loaning them out as it doesn't seem likely they'll make it here. I know that's a bit cold as they could have careers elsewhere they need to develop for, but I'm more interested in the club's wellbeing. Kids like Finneran and Phillips have shown they don't care about our wellbeing, so I'm not overly fussed on theirs if it comes at the expense of the club in any way. Not to mention getting routinely pasted could hinder the development of those not loaned out.

I'm not actually that bothered, nor saying it's going to be a disaster, I was mostly being glib with my initial post, but I do think it will have a detrimental knock on effect for the youth teams, and by extension, potentially on the development of the rest of the crop.

[KentExile]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

Duru shouldn't really be on there, he's in the first team squad now. I doubt he will play many U21 games, just the odd one for fitness. Don't disagree with Batty being loaned out, we really need to start seeing if he can cut it in senior football. Same goes for some of the others. Some though, not heard enough to think there's much point loaning them out as it doesn't seem likely they'll make it here. I know that's a bit cold as they could have careers elsewhere they need to develop for, but I'm more interested in the club's wellbeing. Kids like Finneran and Phillips have shown they don't care about our wellbeing, so I'm not overly fussed on theirs if it comes at the expense of the club in any way. Not to mention getting routinely pasted could hinder the development of those not loaned out.

I'm not actually that bothered, nor saying it's going to be a disaster, I was mostly being glib with my initial post, but I do think it will have a detrimental knock on effect for the youth teams, and by extension, potentially on the development of the rest of the crop.

The rest, looks like a disproportionate amount of first year scholars

Fair enough point on Duru, I thought twice about including him, but did since he is 19 and only ever played once as a sub in the league.

Re not developing players if they do not look like they will make it here, one of the major draws/selling points that Rovers have for youngsters is that they seem to have a "duty of care"  if they will not make it at our level (or higher), Rovers ensure that players have the best chance possible to make it elsewhere.  And the loans will help with this.  To neglect that would mean that over time, we would be less of an attraction to prospective youngsters

There were 14 first year scholars that I listed  there, which also includes Tyjon, so not that many out of close to 50 that I listed, and certainly not a disproportionate amount. 

The U18s will always be made up of mainly scholars because anyone who isn't a scholar is either over 18, or if they have signed a pro deal early then they will already have progressed beyond U18s (eg Atcheson who even last year was a regular for the U21s signed a pro deal within a few days of turning 17 at the start of last season)

Edited September 11 by KentExile

[KentExile]

 

[Tugayisgod]

55 minutes ago, KentExile said:

 

Match is on YouTube for anybody wanting to watch

[KentExile]

20 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Match is on YouTube for anybody wanting to watch

 

[rigger]

Litherland is the only Rover that looks OK.

[Bohinen1983]

No3 and the deep lying playmaker (Reminds me a bit of Wharton) both look good.

[Exiled_Rover]

53 minutes ago, rigger said:

Litherland is the only Rover that looks OK.

Duru looks decent. Bloxham is cursed with being an attacking player with no pace or height. Loves a pointless step over - no idea how they've got him as the #9.

[rigger]

14 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Duru looks decent. Bloxham is cursed with being an attacking player with no pace or height. Loves a pointless step over - no idea how they've got him as the #9.

Duru isn't playing.

[rigger]

A pretty poor performance, no cutting edge. I doubt if anyone from that squad is going to make the step-up to the first team, anytime soon.

Edited September 12 by rigger

[Bohinen1983]

Powell looks tenacious, I like him. Quick, forwarded thinking and aggressive.  

[KentExile]

46 minutes ago, Bohinen1983 said:

No3 and the deep lying playmaker (Reminds me a bit of Wharton) both look good.

Caddick

[mr bishi]

Think it was Caddick that made a great run first half and played through Stritch, who should have scored.

[LeftWinger]

46 minutes ago, rigger said:

Duru isn't playing.

Duru was there with his girlfriend.

She looked decent.

[LeftWinger]

Powell was the stand out for me at left back. 

Litherland looks decent on the ball.

Caddick looked quite tidy.

Tyjon looked quite lively when he came on.

Mafoumbi reminds me of Ennis. He looked overweight. 

Difficult to see anyone making a break through this season but presumably Lyon are a pretty high level and we didn't get outclassed.