Academy & U21s

[KentExile]

Alex Baker on the bench after being injured for 2-3 years.

No Litherland or O'Grady-Macken, so they may be with the first team again

 

 

 

 

Edited December 10 by KentExile

[rigger]

Good to see Pratt is back after injury.

[KentExile]

lost 3-2, Strich & Rhys Doherty for Rovers. 

I did watch the first half and Dunn looked very good, taking the ball off the defence in tight spaces and spraying passes all over

[riverholmes]

National league side, Oldham played a second-string but that did include Rovers old boy, Joe Garner, who scored what was described as a 'brilliant 'goal in a report. I see that Brandon Powell and maybe, Michalski, returned from their loan clubs to play here. For me, if they're on loan, they should stay away. I personally don't feel it helps the stability of the team or the player if they're coming and going. 

It'll be interesting to know how the young side played. It might be the case that the likes of Dunn are fast-tracked as his seniors are out on loan. Though a young side, for me, the worry is that Jack Vale, Connor McBride and Dan Butterworth, for example, were tearing things up at this level (or at least consistently standing out). McBride was even nominated for the PL2 8-man shortlist of players of the season, alongside Cole Palmer and Liam Delap, a few years back. He now competes with Oldham in the National League for Rochdale.

But, of course, they didn't make it - and Vale doesn't look like he will, though injuries have hit him. So, if the current U21s aren't even reaching that level, or even the level of a Sam Burns, Sam Durrant or Dan Pike, it makes you wonder what we're looking at. Some have time on their side, others don't.

Edited December 11 by riverholmes

[Madon]

Sorry if I've missed it but what's happened to Mafoumbi?

[rigger]

16 minutes ago, Madon said:

Sorry if I've missed it but what's happened to Mafoumbi?

He isn't good enough.

[KentExile]

U21s won 4-2 away at Leeds this evening, O'Grady-Macken, Biniek & A.Doherty (2) with the goals

 

Edited Saturday at 08:37 by KentExile

[KentExile]

From the Leeds site, sounds like Biniek had a good game

https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/u21s-report-leeds-united-2-4-blackburn-rovers

 

[Mashed Potatoes]

3 minutes ago, KentExile said:

From the Leeds site, sounds like Biniek had a good game

https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/u21s-report-leeds-united-2-4-blackburn-rovers

 

He was 20 in September and I would have thought needs to be in and around the first team squad by the end of the season to be worth holding on to.

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

He was 20 in September and I would have thought needs to be in and around the first team squad by the end of the season to be worth holding on to.

I don't personally see him breaking through here.  He does take a good set piece though

[KentExile]

U18s won 3-1 away at Boro, Boggan & Joseph (2) with the goals

 

Edited Saturday at 14:01 by KentExile

[riverholmes]

5 hours ago, KentExile said:

From the Leeds site, sounds like Biniek had a good game

https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/u21s-report-leeds-united-2-4-blackburn-rovers

 

Sounds like he may have played as a central forward with some success - though it’s not clear. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to continue there, if the case, to see what he can do. Generally, as far as I know, he’s been played wide.

Edited Saturday at 13:37 by riverholmes

[KentExile]

3 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

Sounds like he may have played as a central forward with some success. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to continue there to see what he can do. Generally, as far as I know, he’s been played wide.

I think he has played the last few weeks mostly as a centre forward, rather than in his usual deeper role as a 10.  I am fairly sure he hasn't played wide this season 

Edited Saturday at 13:39 by KentExile

[KentExile]

U18s are away to Sheff Utd this evening.  Apparently Tyjon has been injured recently, although no mention of what the injury is

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/december/17/preview--sheffield-united-under-18s-v-rovers-under-18s/

 

This article states "Darragh Tuffy's youngsters".  I was under the impression that Ryan Kidd was in charge of the U18s?

 

Kidd's LinkedIn states that he is lead U18 PDP coach https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kidd-1895366b/?originalSubdomain=uk

Tuffy's LinkedIn states that he has recently (October) changed to be Lead U18 Coach https://www.linkedin.com/in/darragh-tuffy-84819094/

Rovers site states Tuffy is U18s lead coach, and contains no mention of Kidd (pretty sure he used to be included here) https://www.rovers.co.uk/club/staff/

Tuffy was named as the "U18 assistant boss" after the previous game with Sheff Utd was postponed recently https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/december/06/tuffy--we-re-all-gutted/

 

Is Kidd still with us?  Has he moved on?   Or has his role been changed?

 

Edited 16 hours ago by KentExile

[KentExile]

Live stream on Sheff Utds YouTube, kick off at 7pm

 

Edited 10 hours ago by KentExile

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Lost 3-2.

[KentExile]

came back from 2-0 down (great equaliser from Vare), but lost late on

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, KentExile said:

came back from 2-0 down (great equaliser from Vare), but lost late on

 

A bit unlucky really. Their winner was the only save our keeper had to make in the second half. He wasn’t stopping that one though.