Academy & U21s

[Fraserkirky]

6 hours ago, Vilesinner said:

Pike looked a real quality player tonight imo. 

Vale and McBride very decent too.

Yeah I watched most of it.

Pike was an animal out there. He was energetic, up and down the right flank all night and he is tough as nails. Reminded me of Lee Dixon. Would imagine he will get his debut before the end of the season. 

I thought McBride looked sensational as well. He is fast and has a great touch already. Looks much better than Butterworth or even Vale for me. 

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, Fraserkirky said:

Yeah I watched most of it.

Pike was an animal out there. He was energetic, up and down the right flank all night and he is tough as nails. Reminded me of Lee Dixon. Would imagine he will get his debut before the end of the season. 

I thought McBride looked sensational as well. He is fast and has a great touch already. Looks much better than Butterworth or even Vale for me. 

Given that the City lad we brought in can apparently play at RB too, I suspect the opportunity to give Pike his debut this season has been and gone, and TM chose to put Buckley there instead...

[bluebruce]

10 hours ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

 

Could be the camera angle, but to me he looks a mile offside when that's played into him.

[rigger]

3 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Could be the camera angle, but to me he looks a mile offside when that's played into him.

The player who it eventually deflects off is playing him on, when the pass is made. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by rigger

[Vilesinner]

5 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Given that the City lad we brought in can apparently play at RB too, I suspect the opportunity to give Pike his debut this season has been and gone, and TM chose to put Buckley there instead...

The new city lad will be cover for Lenihan mostly. Pike should make the squad at some point. 

Yes, the Buckley thing is daft. He has great vision but still looks like a boy; Pike is a man. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Could be the camera angle, but to me he looks a mile offside when that's played into him.

Keeper 💩

[roversfan99]

I think it was the third under 23 game this season that I have watched yesterday.

I thought Pike impressed again, but for more regular under 23 watchers, wouldnt it be better for everyone if they relaxed the rules on senior players?

I appreciate that football with predominantly younger players will be sanitised, but there is absolutely no physicality and I am not convinced at times that it prepares players for senior football, as we have seen with a few recent graduates.

You look at how well we are doing yet none of the team that is top of the league is seemingly anywhere near a Championship side, even the impressive Pike and also Thompson who also gets praise (didnt play last night) couldnt get close when we had no senior options in their positions.

I thought that Dack wasnt at his best but he provides that star quality especially with goals and assists and he always gets into the box which only Armstrong does aside from him, he seemed frustrated at times with the lack of quality from those around him. He also kept coming deep especially first half to try and get involved but he has to play as a 10 for the first team because he is off the cuff and not effective from deep.

[rigger]

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I think it was the third under 23 game this season that I have watched yesterday.

I thought Pike impressed again, but for more regular under 23 watchers, wouldnt it be better for everyone if they relaxed the rules on senior players?

I appreciate that football with predominantly younger players will be sanitised, but there is absolutely no physicality and I am not convinced at times that it prepares players for senior football, as we have seen with a few recent graduates.

You look at how well we are doing yet none of the team that is top of the league is seemingly anywhere near a Championship side, even the impressive Pike and also Thompson who also gets praise (didnt play last night) couldnt get close when we had no senior options in their positions.

I thought that Dack wasnt at his best but he provides that star quality especially with goals and assists and he always gets into the box which only Armstrong does aside from him, he seemed frustrated at times with the lack of quality from those around him. He also kept coming deep especially first half to try and get involved but he has to play as a 10 for the first team because he is off the cuff and not effective from deep.

What I noticed was that no-one on the pitch knew how to tackle

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Vilesinner said:

The new city lad will be cover for Lenihan mostly. Pike should make the squad at some point. 

Yes, the Buckley thing is daft. He has great vision but still looks like a boy; Pike is a man. 

I doubt he is going to get enough game time just being Lenihan's cover, especially with Ayala due back (his inevitable future injuries aside). I'm pretty certain the City lad will be the second choice RB when CB is covered. Pike wasn't given the trust when Nyambe was out, Buckley is above him in TM's ridiculous pecking order. If he keeps playing blinders maybe he will force into contention, if Tony feels like it.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 minutes ago, rigger said:

What I noticed was that no-one on the pitch knew how to tackle

It's fast becoming a game were you don't tackle, especially in the penalty area.

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, bluebruce said:

I doubt he is going to get enough game time just being Lenihan's cover, especially with Ayala due back (his inevitable future injuries aside). I'm pretty certain the City lad will be the second choice RB when CB is covered. Pike wasn't given the trust when Nyambe was out, Buckley is above him in TM's ridiculous pecking order. If he keeps playing blinders maybe he will force into contention, if Tony feels like it.

What about Rankin Costello and Bennett?

[bluebruce]

49 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

What about Rankin Costello and Bennett?

Fair point. I was more talking about him being ahead of Pike, but yeh there are those two for Pike to contend with too. Who knows what the pecking order is now - JRC and Bennett haven't been fit since Buckley made his ineffectual appearances at RB (well he did surprisingly ok in one of them tbf, but just doesn't have the attributes to play there without scaring me).

I would imagine you're right though, that Bennett and JRC, as well as Buckley, are all ahead of Pike for consideration there at present. Plus the City lad like I said. Which, based on what regular u23 watchers say, seems a real shame. Looking at it like that, Tony probably thinks there is a plethora of 'talent' at RB so that he doesn't have to risk a 'kid'. At least, not one that we actually own who actually plays RB....

[Vilesinner]

51 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Fair point. I was more talking about him being ahead of Pike, but yeh there are those two for Pike to contend with too. Who knows what the pecking order is now - JRC and Bennett haven't been fit since Buckley made his ineffectual appearances at RB (well he did surprisingly ok in one of them tbf, but just doesn't have the attributes to play there without scaring me).

I would imagine you're right though, that Bennett and JRC, as well as Buckley, are all ahead of Pike for consideration there at present. Plus the City lad like I said. Which, based on what regular u23 watchers say, seems a real shame. Looking at it like that, Tony probably thinks there is a plethora of 'talent' at RB so that he doesn't have to risk a 'kid'. At least, not one that we actually own who actually plays RB....

Bennet was poor and Pike excellent.

No favour should he given to any player not cutting the mustard.

I would like to see JRC in midfield.

 

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I think it was the third under 23 game this season that I have watched yesterday.

I thought Pike impressed again, but for more regular under 23 watchers, wouldnt it be better for everyone if they relaxed the rules on senior players?

I appreciate that football with predominantly younger players will be sanitised, but there is absolutely no physicality and I am not convinced at times that it prepares players for senior football, as we have seen with a few recent graduates.

You look at how well we are doing yet none of the team that is top of the league is seemingly anywhere near a Championship side, even the impressive Pike and also Thompson who also gets praise (didnt play last night) couldnt get close when we had no senior options in their positions.

I thought that Dack wasnt at his best but he provides that star quality especially with goals and assists and he always gets into the box which only Armstrong does aside from him, he seemed frustrated at times with the lack of quality from those around him. He also kept coming deep especially first half to try and get involved but he has to play as a 10 for the first team because he is off the cuff and not effective from deep.

Would you go and watch the under 23's live when we are allowed back in? 

I'm hoping Pike makes his debut soon

[neophox]

Bennett will leave in summer, Pike will take over.

 

Also I do hope Tyler Magloire does really well at Motherwell where he will need to get physical and come back as a stronger player to replace Branthwaite and Harwood-Bellis when they return to their clubs.

[rigger]

On 01/02/2021 at 23:08, bazza said:

Pike was good. So was Nolan. I was disappointed with Luke Brennan. He had the ball a lot on the right wing but his final touch or decision was regularly poor. 

Top of the league, though.

I to thought Brennan got himself into some great positions, only for him to give a poor pass or wrong decision, time and again. Exactly like the first team. What do they do in training? 

[Rogerb]

7 hours ago, rigger said:

I to thought Brennan got himself into some great positions, only for him to give a poor pass or wrong decision, time and again. Exactly like the first team. What do they do in training? 

Think if the end product was better Brennan wouldn't have been returned from Fylde and would also be closer to the first team

[Rogerb]

7 hours ago, Meesh said:

“We needed competition for the right side of defence and Tyler will provide that,” manager Graham Alexander said.

I think that's manager-talk for "he'll be sat on the bench".

Magloire is 22 and has made just 11 appearances for his loan clubs over the past two seasons, 9 of which have been at National League level. Wharton, albeit a year older than Magloire, made 81 appearances for his loan clubs, the majority of which were in League Two, with a couple of major contributions to promotions to boot.

Next season is do or die for Magloire and his Rovers career. He'll probably be back out on loan for the full season, but if he doesn't get game time and prove that he can defend at League Two level or above (as Wharton did), then I suspect we'll let him go next summer.

Tyler on the bench for tonight's game against Dundee United

[briansol]

7 hours ago, rigger said:

I to thought Brennan got himself into some great positions, only for him to give a poor pass or wrong decision, time and again. Exactly like the first team. What do they do in training? 

I agree. To be fair I think he's left footed and usually plays on the left side. Might explain why he was a bit off with his end product. His crossing from left is usually pretty good. 

[bluebruce]

On 02/02/2021 at 10:06, rigger said:

The player who it eventually deflects off is playing him on, when the pass is made. 

I saw that player. Definitely didn't look like he was playing him on to me. As I say, could be the angle, but looks well off.

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I saw that player. Definitely didn't look like he was playing him on to me. As I say, could be the angle, but looks well off.

The person in the best position to judge (the linesman ) thought he was onside. At this level, that is end of story.

[bluebruce]

Just now, rigger said:

The person in the best position to judge (the linesman ) thought he was onside. At this level, that is end of story.

At every level what the officials decide is the 'end of the story'. But we all know officials can frequently get it wrong in the moment. Obviously the goal counts regardless.

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

 

[Oldgregg86]

Is available to watch anywhere?

[only2garners]

It's on ManuTV but you will have to pay for it.