2022/2023 Pre Season Thread

[chaddyrovers]

51 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I didn't watch yesterdays game so I of course take your word that the pair impressed.

Garrett was very impressed and made a couple of good tackles and stood up to one of their players when he squared up to him. 

51 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

But you are making gigantic conclusions based on a 60 minute friendly at the very start of pre-season against a changed Stanley side. 

You cannot possibly state with such assertiveness that they are "good enough players" at Championship level at this stage. If they prove not to be quite ready then you are in a position whereby you could need to keep playing them if either/both of the main 2 (Buckley himself hasn't proved himself deeper in first team football) even if they are struggling.

Maybe his opinion is based on much more like When I said I thought Jake Garrett, Jack Vale, Ash Phillips and James Brown were ready for the first team now. Yesterday performances only endorsed my view. Before you say it was friendly I would say it was a game for our tackles, fouls and incidents 

51 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Even if you had one or both of them around the squad, we would still need a couple ahead of them, they will get game time if they are good enough or failing that, send either/both out loan like with Carter and Wharton, get a better temporary replacement and if they do well, get them back in a year and then put them in with something to back it up.

Why loan players who can play a part in first team squad and then loan in another player who will just play a bit part role? how does that make any sense 

[Mattyblue]

I certainly agree with you on your last point, I’m all for blooding our own Academy grads over loaning in extremely raw players like Clarkson and Branthwaite who just hold back the development of our own lads.

Edited July 10, 2022 by Mattyblue

[jumpin']

In the second game, was Barnes one of the centre half’s? I thought if it was him, he stood out with Vale.

When Wharton jnr matures physically, he’s going to be decent.

 

[roversfan99]

47 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I certainly agree with you on your last point, I’m all for blooding our own Academy grads over loaning in extremely raw players like Clarkson and Branthwaite who just hold back the development of our own lads.

I would even say though that neither of those unsuccessful loanees who ultimately did not improve of us still didn't impede anyone's development. 

Branthwaite came along with Harwood-Bellis when we had an injury crisis when January came around, the former was clearly inferior and soon lost his place. Clarkson came, wasn't very good but Buckley continued to keep his place and we sent Clarkson back as soon as possible.

Sometimes especially when as often is the case our budget is minimal or non-existent, a loan can improve our team temporarily whilst allowing one of our own youngsters who is still a rookie to play week in week out and prove themselves a division or two below rather than be 3rd/4th/5th choice here.

The question when analysing a potential loanee is is his better than what he is coming into replace in the immediate future. It should be as straightforward as that but I do feel that there is the additional difficulty in justifying loanees on simply whether they are good players are not. 

[Mattyblue]

Branthwaite could’ve worked, big lad, strong, but poor decision making, however it was only a mid season loan anyway as we plodded about in mid table, no harm done.

However, Clarkson looked extremely lightweight and would never be cut out for the Championship in only those 9 months he’d be here. Surely scouting would’ve spotted this? But were those loanees in the TM era ever scouted to any real degree before coming in? Or just ‘we’ll he’s in a big club’s academy, he’ll do’.
 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Mattyblue

[Miller11]

Just watched the first game. It’s never the same watching the video back as it is being there, but here goes…

You could be forgiven for thinking we still had our old manager. Hopefully JDT can coach the Mowbray out of them quickly. Really pedestrian and we only really looked like doing anything when Brereton got on the ball. Thankless task playing in midfield in that formation.

I don’t think Magloire looked any worse than any of the other defenders… but that’s the faintest of faint praise. We were hopeless at the back. I suggest we get on replacing those “easily replaceable” two pretty bloody quickly, or we are in trouble.

You can see why Markanday never got a look in at Spurs, he’s doesn’t have the physical attributes to play in the Premier League. Saw a few glimpses though.

Pickering was decent in their half but rubbish in ours.

Only a friendly, and a first one at that, but lots of work to be done.

On the booing, there was one loud individual boo mixed in with the unenthusiastic clapping picked up on the recording. More annoying was the tasteless Jack Walker song being sung by a few presumably of Dingle persuasion.

[Mattyblue]

I always find it interesting at Accy to think just how many of those in the ground are lapsed Blues, and how you now justify to yourself supporting someone else.

[neophox]

Thought their second team had some 1st team players starting....their captain played in the second game against our younger team..

[Atko's Engine]

2 hours ago, goozburger said:

On a general note, it was a great idea from Tomasson to have two 60 minute games. An hour is a good number to give to 22 players as a first friendly game. Think it should be done again next season.

Coleman seemed to appreciate it too, I agree it seems useful all round. It stops the players getting too leggy in the last 30, & gives more fringe players the chance to shine & make a mark.

[R0verb0y]

We - I mean BRFCS - have got me worried.

Does anybody know why we're showing the Dundee friendly as "Cancelled", while the club website - when I last looked before looking back on here - shows it's due to start in 2 days, 23 hours, 2 minutes and I forget how many seconds??

I haven't yet bought my train ticket to Dundee - still waiting for my new Railcard to come through - but I've got my hotel room booked and my ticket for the game.

So why are we showing it as cancelled?🤔

[R0verb0y]

Ah, of course. Thanks @goozburger , that makes sense.

I was just panicking because I'm - and I'm sure I'm not the only one - hoping to 'tick' another ground where I've seen us play.

[Exiled_Rover]

5 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

I always find it interesting at Accy to think just how many of those in the ground are lapsed Blues, and how you now justify to yourself supporting someone else.

You don't have to justify yourself - I just wouldn't have a conversation about football with you if you switched allegiances. 

[Mattyblue]

Good an approach as any, as that’s always worked for me when an east Lancs person says he ‘supports’ Liverpool or Man Utd.

[tomphil]

6 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

I always find it interesting at Accy to think just how many of those in the ground are lapsed Blues, and how you now justify to yourself supporting someone else.

You can't.

The only conclusion is you weren't much of a true blue in the first place.  Had similar arguments with 'life long Rovers' iv'e known who bailed to become diehard Chorley fans for a while.

Pathetic in my book but each to their own.

[Ossydave]

I know a few rovers fans who go watching Stanley, mainly when we're away or don't have a midweek game. I can see why though, it's a decent day out. I'd probably go and watch them during an international break to be fair but that's about it.

[Mattyblue]

That’s fair enough, but I’m talking about folk that were Rovers fans, and now wax lyrical about Stanley, go most weeks etc, haven’t been to Ewood since. About half a dozen on my Facebook fit that description.

[Crimpshrine]

Quite a few boycotters who go the Stanley for a football fix but will be back at Ewood when Venky's depart.

[Mattyblue]

The ones I know won’t, they aren’t ‘boycotting’, they’ve just gone supporting a club in their area. They don’t give Rovers a thought.

Will the ones you mention go back either? Specifically Accy based lads? Once their kids start going too?

Our heavily dominant position in Hyndburn has gone, probably for good. And that is very worrying for a club with a small catchment area to start with.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Mattyblue

[Upside Down]

Tjen I would argue that they were never Rovers fans to begin with.

You can't change your team. It's a part of you.

So for me yes, Rovers till I die.

[Mattyblue]

The ones I knew were never avid fans like saddos like us posting on brfcs and the like, but most had STs for years.

Can’t understand it personally, but there they are on the Clayton End…

[islander200]

I can understand people not going anymore due to the owners but could never agree with changing to another club to support.

Used sicken me when I lived in London ,the amount of lads who grew up a stone throw away from a club but walking around with Manchester United shirts on 

[Upside Down]

20 minutes ago, islander200 said:

I can understand people not going anymore due to the owners but could never agree with changing to another club to support.

Used sicken me when I lived in London ,the amount of lads who grew up a stone throw away from a club but walking around with Manchester United shirts on 

That's what makes it so hard to deal with what has happened here over the last 12 years. Its not even like you can just go and support someone else. 

[Crimpshrine]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Will the ones you mention go back either? Specifically Accy based lads? Once their kids start going too?

Our heavily dominant position in Hyndburn has gone, probably for good. And that is very worrying for a club with a small catchment area to start with.

It's a fair question and a very good point about the kids - some of them may never have been to Ewood so may not want to go there even if their parents do return post boycott. It's very sad.

Without doubt our support in Hyndburn has dwindled. Thanks Venky's

Boycotting is a personal choice but I never expected Venky's to last this long. I don't watch Stanley and I could never change allegiance. I'll be back the minute Venky's are gone and I'm longing for that day to come.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, islander200 said:

I can understand people not going anymore due to the owners but could never agree with changing to another club to support.

You support one club and you stick by them through the good, bad and ugly tmes. 

[Mattyblue]

Yes more Accy, Clayton really. And Huncoat always seemed to be full of Dingles anyway!

Of course, Rishton and ‘Arrod is still very strongly Blue, but even there Stanley are doing far more community engagement in schools etc than we are, which is just ridiculous - but then maybe Swag thinks virtual young fans with their NFT’s are more important, so he’s happy to leave Accy to it…