Academy & U21s

[1864roverite]

5-1 Durant 

[1864roverite]

Good result and impressive from the DS

[roversfan99]

I still cant really understand how they can be so dominant at under 23 levels yet none of the side is close to the first team. Surely some should be pushing?

[chaddyrovers]

Very impressive display..

They all know the formation and how to play it. 

8 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I still cant really understand how they can be so dominant at under 23 levels yet none of the side is close to the first team. Surely some should be pushing?

Is the manager willing to play Pike or Eastham or Burns or McBride or Durrant? 

Also alot of these players have been playing together for under 16's to u18 to now the under 23's. So they understand each other game plus Billy Barr and Mike Sheron have worked with them for a number of years now

 

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by chaddyrovers

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I still cant really understand how they can be so dominant at under 23 levels yet none of the side is close to the first team. Surely some should be pushing?

Because they're still young and Championship football is a massive leap in standard from U23's. 

[MarkBRFC]

Pike has to be worth a look end of this season/next season doesn't he?

Can't see Nyambe being here so we might have our replacement already lined up given half a chance.

[1864roverite]

In answering the question posed, this squad is getting experience, it’s impressive to watch and it is very clear each player knows his position and what is expected of him as part of the team. The passing is crisp at times and the football flows across the pitch, it really is good to see.

In saying all of this these players are kids and are still growing. Some need to fill out but be in little doubt there are several who could easily make the grade. Billy Barr and his staff have done very well and continue to do so. 
 

In today’s game Southampton players were bigger in stature but each and every Rovers player stood up to be counted. It should have been 7 or 8 because they create chance after chance from all parts of the pitch.

If this is the future for our club then long may it continue.

Pike, Burns, Whitehall, Cirino and Anniesley were all impressive.

[Exiled_Rover]

I will say this - whoever scouts for our Academy does a bloody good job.

McBride and Nolan stand out in that side - they're both products of other Academies. Seems like a lot of our players are cast offs from elsewhere.

[chaddyrovers]

 

 

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

10 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

 

Some really good football there. That guy who scored the last looks a good player (Durrant?) and also the right full back (Pike?). 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Considering the state of the pitch that was a brilliant performance. Looks like we wanted it a lot more than Southampton did.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[1864roverite]

What was good is that the one touch football was positive rather than being sideways negative!

[rigger]

What has happened to Thompson, anyone ?

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, rigger said:

What has happened to Thompson, anyone ?

Weird one. LRC seems to be doing well and LT can't get a look in now. Baffling as I was a huge fan but sometimes players can stop progressing for one reason or another. Happens at different stages for different players I suppose.

[Guest]

22 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I still cant really understand how they can be so dominant at under 23 levels yet none of the side is close to the first team. Surely some should be pushing?

I think there are some who are pushing. Pike is probably the closest out of the XI that started in the Southampton win, but let's not forget that the side that won 5-1 isn't even close to our best XI at that level.

Durrant has struggled for game time ahead of the likes of Vale (now on loan) & Brennan (now injured). That side has lost its captian Dan Butterworth, it's replacement captain Stefan Mols. They're without the next replacement captain Joe Grayson who's out on loan (better than Saadi who played CB).

90% of the side that just beat Saints comfortably, played U18's football last season. Come the end of 2021/22 season I think then we can assess how many are ready (or have made it) and decide whether this crop are a success.

16 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I will say this - whoever scouts for our Academy does a bloody good job.

McBride and Nolan stand out in that side - they're both products of other Academies. Seems like a lot of our players are cast offs from elsewhere.

Agreed. The ones who are here from the age of 6 are often out performed by the ones we bring in at scholar age from other clubs. The best prospect under Billy Barr right now is Dan Pike and he came from Liverpool. Trav the same. JRC United, as with Butterworth too. 

I think we get that bang on for sure, but Burnley's Cat One will challenge this sooner rather than later. Dolan & Nolan are possibly the best steals our academy recruitment have managed in a very long time.

Edited March 9, 2021 by JoeH

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, JoeH said:

I think there are some who are pushing. Pike is probably the closest out of the XI that started in the Southampton win, but let's not forget that the side that won 5-1 isn't even close to our best XI at that level.

Durrant has struggled for game time ahead of the likes of Vale (now on loan) & Brennan (now injured). That side has lost its captian Dan Butterworth, it's replacement captain Stefan Mols. They're without the next replacement captain Joe Grayson who's out on loan (better than Saadi who played CB).

90% of the side that just beat Saints comfortably, played U18's football last season. Come the end of 2021/22 season I think then we can assess how many are ready (or have made it) and decide whether this crop are a success.

Agreed. The ones who are here from the age of 6 are often out performed by the ones we bring in at scholar age from other clubs. The best prospect under Billy Barr right now is Dan Pike and he came from Liverpool. Trav the same. JRC United, as with Butterworth too. 

I think we get that bang on for sure, but Burnley's Cat One will challenge this sooner rather than later. Dolan & Nolan are possibly the best steals our academy recruitment have managed in a very long time.

But even with those considered better, Vale cant get into Rochdales squad, Brennan struggled at Fylde, Butterworth has barely played any football in 2 years, Mols couldnt get a game in the amateur leagues in Spain and Grayson cant get a game for Oxford, when he played here v Oldham he looked well out of his depth.

The worry with Pike would be when we had no available right backs, he still didnt play. So how close is he?

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

The worry with Pike would be when we had no available right backs, he still didnt play. So how close is he?

The closeness of a player to the first team is only determined by one person. I think the academy is producing enough talent to water the first team crop, perhaps its being under utilised. The problem isn't the water though for me.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

Vale cant get into Rochdales squad

Didn't Vale get injured shortly after joining them there?

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, JoeH said:

The closeness of a player to the first team is only determined by one person. I think the academy is producing enough talent to water the first team crop, perhaps its being under utilised. The problem isn't the water though for me.

Of course, although it seems that those loaned out seem to have had mixed fortunes. I have long since suggested that the under 23 set up in general is too sanitised to set youngsters up for senior football. Possession obsessed, no pressure football against fellow kids. Its just a little confusing that I see the results and the league table, yet there doesnt even seem to be anyone on the cusp, Pike and McBride were on the bench the other week simply to make the numbers up with seemingly no intention of being used, and I am unaware of any stand out player that is likely to break through imminently. As you say, maybe that is partially a fault on the manager. Is Pike the stand out, and if so, is he good enough to compete with Nyambe and Rankin Costello?

At the end of the day, even if none of the current crop do break through, the numbers we do get through more than justify it so it is not a criticism of Rovers really.

[chaddyrovers]

32 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Pike and McBride were on the bench the other week simply to make the numbers up with seemingly no intention of being used, and I am unaware of any stand out player that is likely to break through imminently. As you say, maybe that is partially a fault on the manager. 

It's down to the manager to use them. He didnt. So he is at fault. He is very cautious using young players. 

 

36 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Is Pike the stand out, and if so, is he good enough to compete with Nyambe and Rankin Costello?

Yes. He should have played when Douglas played right back.

[roversfan99]

11 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

It's down to the manager to use them. He didnt. So he is at fault. He is very cautious using young players. 

 

Yes. He should have played when Douglas played right back.

To be fair, we won that specific game so the decision was justified, but in general, something isnt quite right. But I have misgivings about the current system in general.

[Lucimo]

13 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

It's down to the manager to use them. He didnt. So he is at fault. He is very cautious using young players. 

 

Yes. He should have played when Douglas played right back.

He's not so cautious using other clubs young players though is he 

[chaddyrovers]

14 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

To be fair, we won that specific game so the decision was justified, but in general, something isnt quite right. But I have misgivings about the current system in general.

Who says we wouldn't won the game with Pike in the team. Mowbray need to braver to blood these talent players. I've seen alot of these players over the 2 prior to the last 12 months with lockdown measures in place 

The under 23's current system? 

[Hanks]

Under 23's away at arsenal tonight, you can catch the first half before the Brentford game kicks off on Twitch 

 

[Hanks]

https://www.twitch.tv/arsenalofficial

A link for the above