Academy & U21s

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

16 minutes ago, rigger said:

Get down to Leyland tomorrow night to see how Dack really is.

If we were mid table we wouldn’t be thinking of playing Dack in the first team for a while yet.

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

If we were mid table we wouldn’t be thinking of playing Dack in the first team for a while yet.

To tell the truth I don't think most people who have seen Dack recently, are pushing for him to be in the first team

[roversfan99]

Playing with and against kids in an uncompetitive environment is a means to an end for a player like Dack, or indeed any senior player. As long as he is getting in minutes without getting injured, that is all that matters. Hopefully he will be back in the squad either at Fulham or for the 3 home games that follow, as we need his ability to sniff out chances and put them away even if it is in cameos initially.

[Mattyblue]

Players returning from long term injury are always going to be playing within themselves in U23 rehab games.

Personally don’t think you can glean much from them… a little like pre season  friendly performances as a collective. 

[rigger]

7 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Players returning from long term injury are always going to be playing within themselves in U23 rehab games.

Personally don’t think you can glean much from them… a little like pre season  friendly performances as a collective. 

Well I think you are totally wrong. When you are returning from injury you have a tendancy to push yourself. Sometimes even a little too much, too early. To me Dack is not running in a competative environment at 100%. As I have said before, I hope I am wrong, and that my opinion is complete bollocks. 

[Mattyblue]

Not a chance rehabbing players ‘push themselves too much’ in the U23s, it’s all about getting their fitness up and some sharpness back.

The very last thing they and their club want is a relapse of a star player because they’ve overdone it in a youth game.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

He isnt in a competitive environment and wont be as long as he is playing with and against kids.

[rigger]

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He isnt in a competitive environment and wont be as long as he is playing with and against kids.

Have you actually seen a recent U23 game, if you think they are not competative, you are mistaken.  Most of these kids as you call them, are professional athletes,who are playing for their futures.

Edited February 27, 2022 by rigger

[Sparks Rover]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

Have you actually seen a recent U23 game, if you think they are not competative, you are mistaken.  Most of these kids as you call them, are professional athletes,who are playing for their futures.

Dack will be well within himself against those muppets.  You don't seem to grasp the difference between a top professional playing top of championship/bottom of premier and some u23s who just making numbers up.  He's a footballer, they are all just athletes.

He will waltz through these games with plenty to spare....

Edited February 27, 2022 by Sparks Rover

[bluebruce]

For all the talk of him not pushing himself and not playing that well, it should be remembered he has still scored 2 goals.

[rigger]

On 27/02/2022 at 22:52, Sparks Rover said:

Dack will be well within himself against those muppets.  You don't seem to grasp the difference between a top professional playing top of championship/bottom of premier and some u23s who just making numbers up.  He's a footballer, they are all just athletes.

He will waltz through these games with plenty to spare....

Has Dack ever played, top of championship/ bottom of premier ? He is a footballer coming back from injury, with unproven fitness. To me he did not set the world on fire when he came back from his first knee injury too soon.

[Sparks Rover]

12 minutes ago, rigger said:

Has Dack ever played, top of championship/ bottom of premier ? He is a footballer coming back from injury, with unproven fitness. To me he did not set the world on fire when he came back from his first knee injury too soon.

I think it's fair to say that Dack is a top of the championship player at least.  Huddersfield are shit, he'd walk into their team...🙄

If you don't understand the difference between someone like him who a club were considering paying 10m+ for and a few academy lads running their deals down until they get released then forget it.   Half of them will be playing at Radcliffe Borough on the weekend...or equivalent 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Sparks Rover

[rigger]

49 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

I think it's fair to say that Dack is a top of the championship player at least.  Huddersfield are shit, he'd walk into their team...🙄

If you don't understand the difference between someone like him who a club were considering paying 10m+ for and a few academy lads running their deals down until they get released then forget it.   Half of them will be playing at Radcliffe Borough on the weekend...or equivalent 

No, I think it is fair to say that at one time Dack could well have been a top player. He might still be, but until he proves he has fully recovered from his injuries, no-one will be offering 10 million for him. I have never compaired him to other academy players. What I have said is, that in my eyes he doesn't look fully recovered. Were the other academy players end up, has no bearing whatsoever on how Dack recovers. 

Edited March 1, 2022 by rigger

[rigger]

U18s cup at Ewood tomorrow, 19:00. Come and see the future.

[bluebruce]

Hayden Carter scored from 30 yards (looks a bit closer to 25 to me but who is counting?) for Pompey.

Carter goal

LT Article

[riverholmes]

Carter and Magloire look to be the Rovers loanees to have established themselves in their new teams. The others are coming off the bench. 

[bazza]

5 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Hayden Carter scored from 30 yards (looks a bit closer to 25 to me but who is counting?) for Pompey.

Carter goal

LT Article

When I read Carter had scored the winner for Pompey I presumed he'd headed in from a set piece.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

25 minutes ago, bazza said:

When I read Carter had scored the winner for Pompey I presumed he'd headed in from a set piece.

Me too.

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, bazza said:

When I read Carter had scored the winner for Pompey I presumed he'd headed in from a set piece.

Aye, and he said he has never hit one like that even in training, so I wouldn't expect a recurrence any time soon lol

[Guest]

19 hours ago, riverholmes said:

Carter and Magloire look to be the Rovers loanees to have established themselves in their new teams. The others are coming off the bench. 

Saw DB at Fleetwood last night whilst on assignment. Struggled to impose himself and was brought off at HT. They're using him as a LM in a proper 4-5-1 which certainly doesn't suit him.

[bluebruce]

It was hard work finding the score, but we seem to have exited the FA Youth Cup in fairly embarrassing fashion. Game nearly over I think, score 0-3 to Forest, at Ewood. A team near the bottom of the league our lads are near the top of. Our U18s form has dipped off badly lately. Think this is the fourth straight defeat? Although two of them to City, who top the league.

[briansol]

6 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

It was hard work finding the score, but we seem to have exited the FA Youth Cup in fairly embarrassing fashion. Game nearly over I think, score 0-3 to Forest, at Ewood. A team near the bottom of the league our lads are near the top of. Our U18s form has dipped off badly lately. Think this is the fourth straight defeat? Although two of them to City, who top the league.

Watched the game. Very poor performance against a bottom team in their own league, who they beat 3-1 last time. Lacked desire and confidence. Credit to Forest who game with a game plan and was deadly on the counter against some really poor defending. Highlighted by Pratt who had 40 yards to cover for the second goal, but kept jogging in the middle. Everybody was far below their usual standard. You also wondering why the management team didn't change up the tactics earlier. 

4 straight losses now as the season is faltering badly. Without Ash Phillips the team looks without any leaders as well.

[bluebruce]

1-3 in the end, late goal from Gamble.

[rigger]

The least said about the U18s tonight the better. Not one Rovers player got any credit from the poorest performance I have seen.

[riverholmes]

Interesting that Ash Phillips was out with an injury picked up on international duty. That's one of, it seems, a number of injuries he's picked up this season. They seem to all have been relatively minor but I think it should be a matter of concern for Rovers, considering his age and the regularity that he is playing for U23s, U18s and internationals, all against players above his age.

Rovers rotate their goalkeeper for the U23s, virtually every match. I would look to give Phillips some rest. This season has been blighted by major injuries to Isaac Whitehall, Lenni Cirino, Sam Barnes and others, so some caution and reflection might be helpful.