Academy & U21s

[Wheelton Blue]

13 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

what did you think of Jack Vale's performance and would he be in your 18 playing squad at Birmingham?  

Penalty aside, he took his other 3 goals well. He should get a game on Saturday I think and see what he can do.

I also like the look of the two midfielders, Garrett and Wharton. They lost the ball a couple of times in the first half, but play with their heads up and look to go forward.

Barnes also looks like he needs to be tested at a higher level.

[rigger]

27 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Penalty aside, he took his other 3 goals well. He should get a game on Saturday I think and see what he can do.

I also like the look of the two midfielders, Garrett and Wharton. They lost the ball a couple of times in the first half, but play with their heads up and look to go forward.

Barnes also looks like he needs to be tested at a higher level.

He also took the penalty confidently.

[islander200]

Luke Brennan confirms he is leaving the club.Been here 14 years.Nixon has him down as signing for Wigan.

Joe Ferguson also to depart

[rigger]

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

Luke Brennan confirms he is leaving the club.Been here 14 years.Nixon has him down as signing for Wigan.

Joe Ferguson also to depart

From what I have seen of Brennan this season, he would not have progressed at the Rovers, so maybe best all round. Ferguson much the same.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

21 minutes ago, rigger said:

From what I have seen of Brennan this season, he would not have progressed at the Rovers, so maybe best all round. Ferguson much the same.

Not every player progresses at the rate. Some never progress.  I remember seeing Billy Wilson playing in our “ A “ tam and thinking how does that fat kid get a game at Rovers. About 18 months later he wasn’t a fat kid and he was playing in the first team. The lad that was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch that day was released at the end of the season and had a long career in the Northern Premier League.

[rigger]

24 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Not every player progresses at the rate. Some never progress.  I remember seeing Billy Wilson playing in our “ A “ tam and thinking how does that fat kid get a game at Rovers. About 18 months later he wasn’t a fat kid and he was playing in the first team. The lad that was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch that day was released at the end of the season and had a long career in the Northern Premier League.

But that has no bearing whatsoever on the two youngsters that are said to be leaving.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, rigger said:

But that has no bearing whatsoever on the two youngsters that are said to be leaving.

It just illustrates that some young players develop and some don’t.

[riverholmes]

20 hours ago, bluebruce said:

That honour would go to James Beattie, unless that isn't recent enough for you. 5 England caps less than 20 years ago, as well as proving himself in the Prem repeatedly. There might be an argument to be had over whether it was Gallagher or Derbyshire who had the better career though, for second spot, although Gally was certainly the more technically gifted. Joe Garner would be behind both, having never really done much above League One.

Definitely, agree about Beattie. Forgot about him and what a deal that was for Southampton to sell Davies and get Beattie as part exchange, albeit, the former did eventually prove his worth in the Prem. A shame Beattie didn't make it at Rovers.

Derbyshire's a great shout and still scoring goals in Cyprus, I think. I read that the Olympiakos fans/media called him the English assassin - though, as far as I know, he wasn't very prolific in England after Rovers and struggled, at times after such an impressive rise and breakthrough. According to Wikipedia, his best spell in England, later in his career, was at Rotherham and has had success abroad.

I suppose it's arguable whether he's a Rovers youth developed player given, as I remember, he signed from Great Harwood and went straight into the reserves and the loans and quickly into the firsts. That said, Rovers giving him the chance and the loan at Wrexham, especially, certainly helped him grow and flourish.

Garner's a strange one as he's never been that prolific at senior level (perhaps, a Kevin Davies type player who impresses by being a target) but has been transferred for big money several times. I'd estimate that in total his combined transfer fees might be in the £5 million range. I haven't followed his career closely but I got the impression he was a decent Champ striker for a while but the stats show, again, not very prolific and was a bit of a journeyman of the more lucrative type. He's well remembered at PNE for a stunning long range volley, I believe.

It's been a while since Rovers produced a decent youth striker and there haven't been many in recent years - Ben Burgess might be up there after scoring crucial goals to get Blackpool into the Premier League in 2010. Here's hoping for some of the guys coming through at the moment.

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by riverholmes

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, riverholmes said:

Definitely, agree about Beattie. Forgot about him and what a deal that was for Southampton to sell Davies and get Beattie as part exchange, albeit, the former did eventually prove his worth in the Prem. A shame Beattie didn't make it at Rovers.

Derbyshire's a great shout and still scoring goals in Cyprus, I think. I read that the Olympiakos fans/media called him the English assassin - though, as far as I know, he wasn't very prolific in England after Rovers and struggled, at times after such an impressive rise and breakthrough. According to Wikipedia, his best spell in England, later in his career, was at Rotherham and has had success abroad.

I suppose it's arguable whether he's a Rovers youth developed player given, as I remember, he signed from Great Harwood and went straight into the reserves and the loans and quickly into the firsts. That said, Rovers giving him the chance and the loan at Wrexham, especially, certainly helped him grow and flourish.

Garner's a strange one as he's never been that prolific at senior level (perhaps, a Kevin Davies type player who impresses by being a target) but has been transferred for big money several times. I'd estimate that in total his combined transfer fees might be in the £5 million range. I haven't followed his career closely but I got the impression he was a decent Champ striker for a while but the stats show, again, not very prolific and was a bit of a journeyman of the more lucrative type. He's well remembered at PNE for a stunning long range volley, I believe.

It's been a while since Rovers produced a decent youth striker and there haven't been many in recent years - Ben Burgess might be up there after scoring crucial goals to get Blackpool into the Premier League in 2010. Here's hoping for some of the guys coming through at the moment.

 

Fair point about Derbs, bit of a half developed here thing. I think he was working as staff at the BRIC whilst still at Great Harwood though? Helped out with my 5 and 7-a-side team a few times when we were short. Maybe he was already at Rovers but I don't think so. I know that doesn't mean we developed him of course. I feel like if we sign someone for the reserves though, we have a role in developing them. I'd even say that with Dolan, though to a much lesser extent as he was virtually straight into the first team. Wasn't what he was signed for though, and we gave him the break. Derbs won a cup in Greece too.

Garner, I also thought he had been alright in the Championship for a spell so I checked his record before posting about him. Think there was one 10-goal season at this level, and I'm guessing the goals came early on and had some of us thinking we could use our ex academy player. I don't think we were very prolific at the time either.

Yeh we really haven't made a good striker in many moons. It's been a disappointment and something I reflect on sometimes, especially as we have had quite a lot of what seemed to be highly promising youngsters in that position, well spoken of by regular attendees. But none seem to make the breakthrough. I think that's partly because the most you're going to get given for the first team in that position as a very young lad is probably 5 minutes off the bench, and if you don't score you can be quickly forgotten.

Potentially still some hope with Vale, he seems to be coming along nicely since his loan. Butterworth looked promising briefly in some cameos but now I'm pretty sure won't make it here. I think Sam Burns and McBride may end up in that category too.

I always maintain that with young players especially, momentum and first team football is important in development. Get Vale some game time now, whilst he's hot, and see what happens. It's only a dead rubber game.

[Mattyblue]

Derbs, like Gally, was developed by the Our Lady & St John PE department, of course!

Mr Mooney = super coach.

[Admiral Nelsen]

13 hours ago, riverholmes said:

Definitely, agree about Beattie. Forgot about him and what a deal that was for Southampton to sell Davies and get Beattie as part exchange, albeit, the former did eventually prove his worth in the Prem. A shame Beattie didn't make it at Rovers.

 

 

I still occasionally get angry about that deal, up there with the worst in our history. Arguably the worst.

£7.5 million was a lot of money for a player in 1998. How much in today's world? Around £50 million perhaps? To not only pay that sort of money, but to also throw in a future England international & Rovers fan into the bargain in exchange for Kevin bloody Davies. Dreadful. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

52 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

I still occasionally get angry about that deal, up there with the worst in our history. Arguably the worst.

£7.5 million was a lot of money for a player in 1998. How much in today's world? Around £50 million perhaps? To not only pay that sort of money, but to also throw in a future England international & Rovers fan into the bargain in exchange for Kevin bloody Davies. Dreadful. 

That was Roy Boy, he hadn’t got a clue. The only good signing he made was Henchoz, the rest were bobbins. He paid £5.25 million for Christian Bloody Dailly ! What would that be today ?

[Torgeir]

9 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That was Roy Boy, he hadn’t got a clue. The only good signing he made was Henchoz, the rest were bobbins. He paid £5.25 million for Christian Bloody Dailly ! What would that be today ?

Dailly was a panic signing after Hendry had left. The others really can't be excused. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

10 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That was Roy Boy, he hadn’t got a clue. The only good signing he made was Henchoz, the rest were bobbins. He paid £5.25 million for Christian Bloody Dailly ! What would that be today ?

Eye watering. Didn't help that Kidd was almost as profligate with some of his signings, although as an exception Jansen obviously ended being amazing after Souness got hold of him.

 

I could be wrong, but I think we paid more for Dailly than Chelsea did for Desailly around the same time! Criminally wasteful. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Eye watering. Didn't help that Kidd was almost as profligate with some of his signings, although as an exception Jansen obviously ended being amazing after Souness got hold of him.

 

I could be wrong, but I think we paid more for Dailly than Chelsea did for Desailly around the same time! Criminally wasteful. 

I’d have wrung his neck if I’d have been Jack. Same goes for Kiddo, he signed some shite as well. Larry Grayson and that Per Frandsen. Show pony. I saw Grayson playing right back once and he had about 6 attempts to pass the ball up the line, a basic skill for a decent full back, every one went into touch ! Useless.

Edited May 3, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Admiral Nelsen]

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I’d have wrung his neck if I’d have been Jack. Same goes for Kiddo, he signed some shite as well. Larry Grayson and that Per Frandsen. Show pony. I saw Grayson playing right back once and he had about 6 attempts to pass the ball up the line, a basic skill for a decent full back, every one went into touch ! Useless.

 

Everyone's rightly talking about how Everton could possibly end up going down after spending hundreds upon hundreds of millions on their squad. We'd be giving them a good run for their money in the late 90s.

Irony is we get associated with being money-bags Rovers because of our success until '95 - but actually we we were pretty sensible next to our reputation. Blow outs on Shearer and Sutton, but most of the title winning side cost a few hundred grand or less.

It was the late 90s - after Jack initially tried to rein in the spending - when we really started throwing the cash at everyone. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Everyone's rightly talking about how Everton could possibly end up going down after spending hundreds upon hundreds of millions on their squad. We'd be giving them a good run for their money in the late 90s.

Irony is we get associated with being money-bags Rovers because of our success until '95 - but actually we we were pretty sensible next to our reputation. Blow outs on Shearer and Sutton, but most of the title winning side cost a few hundred grand or less.

It was the late 90s - after Jack initially tried to rein in the spending - when we really started throwing the cash at everyone. 

Yeah, most of it on wasters. That Blake, what a tired player.

[Torgeir]

8 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah, most of it on wasters. That Blake, what a tired player.

Will never forget his ultimate fair play vs. Pompey.

[Oldgregg86]

Brett ormrod could be thrown into the arguement. Had a decent career with Blackpool 

[briansol]

Jon Walters is also someone for the list, who had a decent career. Was very prolific for the youth teams and rated by Souness.  Always bugged me how Walters ruined his Rovers stay. Why on earth would you steal from your team-mates? 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, briansol said:

Jon Walters is also someone for the list, who had a decent career. Was very prolific for the youth teams and rated by Souness.  Always bugged me how Walters ruined his Rovers stay. Why on earth would you steal from your team-mates? 

James Thomas was another one. Scored after about 5 minutes against Bolton. It was all downhill after that.

[blondie]

29 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

James Thomas was another one. Scored after about 5 minutes against Bolton. It was all downhill after that.

James Thomas scored the goal that kept Swansea in the Football League.

[blondie]

On 28/04/2022 at 15:44, JoeH said:

I think there's a chance Durrant gets another year. Looked really interesting since he moved into a central role. Made some very Joe Rothwell-esque runs in games and been much better 2nd half of this season.

Durrant has had a trial game at Sheffield Wednesday.

[simongarnerisgod]

whats happened to ash phillips,has he gone to fight the russians or been kidnapped by the taliban,seems to have vanished

[rigger]

38 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

whats happened to ash phillips,has he gone to fight the russians or been kidnapped by the taliban,seems to have vanished

 

39 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

whats happened to ash phillips,has he gone to fight the russians or been kidnapped by the taliban,seems to have vanished

I think he played the first half for the U18s against liverpool on Saturday.  Looks like he is coming back from an injury.