Academy & U21s

[philipl]

New Saints are out of the Conference League knocked out by a Luxembourg outfit so Harlock isn't going to benefit from European football. Hamrun and Gzira from Malta are playing in the third qualifying stage of the Conference this evening so keeping fingers crossed.

I can only guess the arrangement is so Rovers keep an interest in case Jared dramatically blossoms during his year away.

[arbitro]

54 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Agreed, another strange one. Like you say, why extend for a year just to send him to a level we'll learn nothing from his performance at. He'll be 21 next month, sounded promising at times. I can only think we extended it to give him time to find a new club. Doesn't really benefit us though, other than in showing our young lads and prospective youth signings that we take care of our boys.

We did the same with Dan Butterworth. Gave him a year then loaned him out for pretty much all of it.

[bluebruce]

8 minutes ago, philipl said:

New Saints are out of the Conference League knocked out by a Luxembourg outfit so Harlock isn't going to benefit from European football. Hamrun and Gzira from Malta are playing in the third qualifying stage of the Conference this evening so keeping fingers crossed.

I can only guess the arrangement is so Rovers keep an interest in case Jared dramatically blossoms during his year away.

It'd have to be some dramatic blossoming indeed to make us give a new contract to a nearly 22 year old on the back of how he played in the Welsh league. He'd need to score 15 or more from midfield I'd imagine.

Pretty sure it's all been done for the player's benefit not so much ours.

[philipl]

Just now, bluebruce said:

It'd have to be some dramatic blossoming indeed to make us give a new contract to a nearly 22 year old on the back of how he played in the Welsh league. He'd need to score 15 or more from midfield I'd imagine.

Pretty sure it's all been done for the player's benefit not so much ours.

And what is wrong with that?

Making sure the players' careers who don't quite make it are taken care of costs Rovers little but is an excellent recruitment point when parents are considering which Cat A Academy little Johnny should go to.

Earning a wage you can live on at Dundalk, Halifax and TNS is as important an insurance policy from investing so much blood sweat and tears in football when finishing from an Academy as Ash going to Spurs and getting at least half a million a year and possibly double that.

 

[bluebruce]

34 minutes ago, philipl said:

And what is wrong with that?

Making sure the players' careers who don't quite make it are taken care of costs Rovers little but is an excellent recruitment point when parents are considering which Cat A Academy little Johnny should go to.

Earning a wage you can live on at Dundalk, Halifax and TNS is as important an insurance policy from investing so much blood sweat and tears in football when finishing from an Academy as Ash going to Spurs and getting at least half a million a year and possibly double that.

 

I must have missed the part where I said something was wrong with it. In fact my original post makes the very same point about it being helpful for potential youth recruits.

[philipl]

Under 21s away at Chelsea this evening in the first game of the new fangled season.

Chelsea likely to have an extremely strong line-up.

[Polky]

[philipl]

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/match/chelsea-u21-vs-blackburn-rovers-u21-english-premier-league-2-2023-08-11?tab=match-day

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, Polky said:

Does anyone know what has happened to George Pratt ?

[Guest]

Just now, rigger said:

Does anyone know what has happened to George Pratt ?

Must be injured. He's got one year left on his contract, so he's still here.

[KentExile]

1 hour ago, Polky said:

Had to google Donnery

Looks like a trialist from Lincoln

https://www.sofascore.com/player/julian-donnery/1489555

No Batty, Gilsenan, Hilton or Barnes, so guess they are all with the fist team squad, given Gallagher is back in the squad and and Wahlsted is available, will be interesting to see who gets in the squad tomorrow

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by KentExile

[Guest]

What of Jay Haddow? He plays for Japan U21s, and I thought we were fending-off interest from in him from Premier League clubs last summer, yet he never seems to be noticed in our U21s.

[Rogerb]

24 minutes ago, goozburger said:

What of Jay Haddow? He plays for Japan U21s, and I thought we were fending-off interest from in him from Premier League clubs last summer, yet he never seems to be noticed in our U21s.

Came on as a 77 minute substitute. 

[rigger]

23 minutes ago, goozburger said:

What of Jay Haddow? He plays for Japan U21s, and I thought we were fending-off interest from in him from Premier League clubs last summer, yet he never seems to be noticed in our U21s.

Haddow is an average player, he does not stand out at U21s level

[ItsRoverZ]

Chelsea 6 - 1 Rovers U21s

As i posted it was 5-1 Chelsea added a 6th

Finished 6-1 to Chelsea 

Edited August 11, 2023 by ItsRoverZ

[Madon]

59 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Had to google Donnery

Looks like a trialist from Lincoln

https://www.sofascore.com/player/julian-donnery/1489555

No Batty, Gilsenan, Hilton or Barnes, so guess they are all with the fist team squad, given Gallagher is back in the squad and and Wahlsted is available, will be interesting to see who gets in the squad tomorrow

 

No Junior Nsangou either? Not sure if he's still primarily U18s but thought he had been with the U21s recently. He's a winger which we are lacking.

[philipl]

Nsango scored in a mid-week behind closed doors full u21 game against Accy Stanley on Wednesday,

Biniek is a winger and got our consolation at Chelsea tonight. Nsango was played by Poland as a number 10 in the recent UEFA u19s in Malta.

[unleaded]

Blackburn Rovers U18s Michalski, Murphy-Worrall, Powell, Litherland (Houghton 65), Doherty, Finneran, Bell, Stritch Nsangou (Boggan 81), Shaw (Shorrocks 65), Dlamini (Mullarkey Matthews 73).

Stitch Scored …Ended 1-1 with Wolves getting a late goal .. Nice to see Finneran getting fast tracked ….Under 18s is looking very young these days…

[joey_big_nose]

On 09/08/2023 at 18:33, philipl said:

And what is wrong with that?

Making sure the players' careers who don't quite make it are taken care of costs Rovers little but is an excellent recruitment point when parents are considering which Cat A Academy little Johnny should go to.

Earning a wage you can live on at Dundalk, Halifax and TNS is as important an insurance policy from investing so much blood sweat and tears in football when finishing from an Academy as Ash going to Spurs and getting at least half a million a year and possibly double that.

 

Agree with this. Our goal should be to be the most attractive club to join in the country for young promising players. I would say we can't be far off that atm, given the amount of graduates getting into the team, and showing we treat unsuccessful graduates well is a big part of it too.

[only2garners]

9 hours ago, unleaded said:

Blackburn Rovers U18s Michalski, Murphy-Worrall, Powell, Litherland (Houghton 65), Doherty, Finneran, Bell, Stritch Nsangou (Boggan 81), Shaw (Shorrocks 65), Dlamini (Mullarkey Matthews 73).

Stitch Scored …Ended 1-1 with Wolves getting a late goal .. Nice to see Finneran getting fast tracked ….Under 18s is looking very young these days…

They get younger every year unleaded........

[Mike E]

10 hours ago, unleaded said:

Blackburn Rovers U18s Michalski, Murphy-Worrall, Powell, Litherland (Houghton 65), Doherty, Finneran, Bell, Stritch Nsangou (Boggan 81), Shaw (Shorrocks 65), Dlamini (Mullarkey Matthews 73).

Stitch Scored …Ended 1-1 with Wolves getting a late goal .. Nice to see Finneran getting fast tracked ….Under 18s is looking very young these days…

I love Finneran, such a complete player for his age. If Wharton is Pirlo, Finneran is Keane.

[rigger]

21 minutes ago, Mike E said:

I love Finneran, such a complete player for his age. If Wharton is Pirlo, Finneran is Keane.

Robbie or Roy ?

[G Somerset Rover]

44 minutes ago, Mike E said:

I love Finneran, such a complete player for his age. If Wharton is Pirlo, Finneran is Keane.

I won’t bother getting excited. A PL side will snatch him off us for peanuts in the next couple of years I’m sure. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

Robbie or Roy ?

Roy.

[47er]

3 hours ago, only2garners said:

They get younger every year unleaded........

When we have so many young players in our 1st team squad, I guess it follows that our youth teams are going to  be on the end of some pastings.