2022/2023 Pre Season Thread

[Exiled_Rover]

22 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Apart from the pass of the game round the back of the defence to Brereton who should've rounded Hart.

It's not the only part of that report I have issue with.

Jota played on the left for them, for a start. It was their Israeli 19 year old who tore Pickering to shreds. I also thought Carter was fine at RB, but offers nothing going forward obviously. 

[Exiled_Rover]

12 minutes ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

I imagine the starting line up is how we will line up on the opening day.

Then I imagine JDT will be onto his agent to find him another job by September. 

[OsloRover]

Much as I enjoy your reports Goozburger this one was full of errors and strange judgements. Dolan as mom being one of them, not impressed with him today. 

[Paul Mellelieu]

Thought it was a 3pm kick-off.......

[Jimmy612]

I may be wrong, but wasn't it Abada that gave Pickering a chasing, not Jota? Jota looked like he was playing on the left vs Carter.  

Pickering looks mighty fishy to me. He's so slow and I think because of it he tends to narrow up too much when defending. He allows so, so many crosses in to the box. 

[G Somerset Rover]

12 minutes ago, Jimmy612 said:

I may be wrong, but wasn't it Abada that gave Pickering a chasing, not Jota? Jota looked like he was playing on the left vs Carter.  

Pickering looks mighty fishy to me. He's so slow and I think because of it he tends to narrow up too much when defending. He allows so, so many crosses in to the box. 

A pre-requisite for a full back (even more so wing back) has to be pace. If we line up with Pickering / JRC as our full backs / wing backs this season then we'll be in huge danger - regardless of who we (finally) bring in elsewhere.

[BigBar]

44 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Thought it was a 3pm kick-off.......

In some places it was...

[OsloRover]

44 minutes ago, Jimmy612 said:

I may be wrong, but wasn't it Abada that gave Pickering a chasing, not Jota? Jota looked like he was playing on the left vs Carter.  

You’re not wrong.

[rigger]

34 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

A pre-requisite for a full back (even more so wing back) has to be pace. If we line up with Pickering / JRC as our full backs / wing backs this season then we'll be in huge danger - regardless of who we (finally) bring in elsewhere.

I know people will, pooh-pooh this by saying he is too young, but Batty is a better full-back than Pickering. He is fast and tenacious. I know he has a lot to learn, but no better time and place to learn, than now, with us.

[Wheelton Blue]

2 minutes ago, rigger said:

I know people will, pooh-pooh this by saying he is too young, but Batty is a better full-back than Pickering. He is fast and tenacious. I know he has a lot to learn, but no better time and place to learn, than now, with us.

I was talking to Jake Batty's parents at Accy. His season is with the U23s.

[rigger]

1 minute ago, Wheelton Blue said:

I was talking to Jake Batty's parents at Accy. His season is with the U23s.

I would agree and say that is the best plan for Batty. But I would say he will blossom into at least a championship level full-back.

[TimmyJimmy]

Enjoyed the game. If Celtic played in the Championship with us they'd walk it. Some excellent players, Jota, Japanese guy and others.

They took the lead from a deflection. Our attack should have had two more with one on ones with their keeper.

We aren't world beaters but be fair that was a good result after only a couple of friendlies, playing in front of a big away crowd, young lads in various positions. All in all not bad.

Yes we defo need strengthening but we have the kernel of something good at the Championship level. Good pressing, good one touch movement. Some weak performances but not too shabby overall I'd say.

[arbitro]

Today was probably one of the most entertaining per season games I have seen. Over the piece we were second best but there were spells were we were on top and creating good chances. There were some positive signs to me that Tomasson is stamping his mark with a decent press and some good, fast one or two touch play. It's pretty apparent to most people were our weaknesses are and hopefully we are looking to plug them holes with some new, quality signings. The emergence of several youngsters is great but in reality we could only blood one of two and even then they need to be managed correctly. 

[RoversClitheroe]

3 hours ago, rigger said:

I would agree and say that is the best plan for Batty. But I would say he will blossom into at least a championship level full-back.

Seen Batty play a few times and he is absolutely class.

Surprised he hasn't been given a chance personally.

[bazza]

I watched most of the 2nd half on you tube and I thought we gave a good account of ourselves against tough opposition. I think all our players were "ok"; no-one stood out as good or bad.

It's good to see players like Vale, A.Wharton, Leonard and Garrett given regular playing time.

We DO need a few incomings, permanent or loans, to bolster the squad.

Still, I'm pleased with today. It's not all doom and gloom as some would have it.

[BigBar]

I'm not sure the reason so many youngsters have gotten some game time is because of their undeniable ability and more to do with the fact we are paper thin squad wise and and having to play youngsters as opposed to the time being right.

[booth]

6 hours ago, Miller11 said:

Today shows we aren’t a million miles off being a good side, but we have some glaring problems that if not addressed will put us in trouble. There’s an obvious issue if Brereton leaves, but our options up the top end look ok. An experienced central midfielder would be nice, but we need 3 good defenders through the door asap.

We’d have won that today with Nyambe and Lenihan.

And Van Hecke.

Even if Brereton doesn't leave we need another option upfront as we saw last season, but yes we need 3 good defenders as first priority.

[Miller11]

4 hours ago, rigger said:

I know people will, pooh-pooh this by saying he is too young, but Batty is a better full-back than Pickering. He is fast and tenacious. I know he has a lot to learn, but no better time and place to learn, than now, with us.

Very highly rated, and another being looked at by big clubs.

[Guest]

I certainly accept what people are saying about 1st team recruitment and their fears regarding lack of incomings. But these young players aren't just being used because they're all we've got. Plenty of them are actually really promising talents. 

The 18's crop which have now taken a strong hold on the U23's team are the best the club has produced in a decade. There's 7 or 8 players who the PL clubs are more than interested in right now.

Batty is someone the club have done a sterling job with. He came over from the ATG into the main set up at like 14 and within 3 years was playing England Under 17's. Ash Phillips is a more well reported one, with Spurs supposedly all over him. Adam Wharton has already showcased his technical ability in his cameos and Jake Garrett looks just like Lewis Travis did when he first broke in. Jay Haddow was within inches of Forest before getting tied down. Jack Vale was one of the top scorers in the PL2 last year and has 3 GA's to his name in about 120 minutes of pre-season football. Hayden Carter has been on two impressive L1 loans and come back very well prepared for that RCB role.

Choose what you want to focus on, everyone's got a right to that. The lack of incomings is intimidating, but don't let that cloud the really impressive youth prospects we have coming through for you.

Edited July 16, 2022 by JoeH

[Uddersfelt Blue]

1 hour ago, bazza said:

I watched most of the 2nd half on you tube and I thought we gave a good account of ourselves against tough opposition. I think all our players were "ok"; no-one stood out as good or bad.

It's good to see players like Vale, A.Wharton, Leonard and Garrett given regular playing time.

We DO need a few incomings, permanent or loans, to bolster the squad.

Still, I'm pleased with today. It's not all doom and gloom as some would have it.

Apart from the early goal we weren’t at the races in the first half. Celtic were class, their wide players tore us apart with Carter and Pickering at full back struggling.

Midfield was light but most noticeably we couldn’t get out of our own half. We did that to them in the second but the pressing game clearly pays dividends when done well.

JDT is asking for intensity from the players and generally they responded.

A long season ahead if we don’t strengthen in defence and midfield

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

For a mid table Championship team to own 2 of these players out right is damn impressive... Look at the matches played column as well. In terms of goals per game we've got the 2nd and 3rd best goalscorers from the PL2.

 

 

 

[Giant]

A few thoughts on our Scottish Tour. I was by chance due to be in Scotland for our pre-season games there, so it was wonderful to be able to see both games in the flesh. I thought our youngsters were excellent at Dundee, and our first team played really well at Celtic Park. Two great cities to visit, two completely contrasting grounds, both of which I’ve visited often, and two very enjoyable games. A far better pair of fixtures than playing lower league English teams because of the added edge of an England Scotland rivalry. 

 

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, JoeH said:

For a mid table Championship team to own 2 of these players out right is damn impressive... Look at the matches played column as well. In terms of goals per game we've got the 2nd and 3rd best goalscorers from the PL2.

 

 

 

Not only that but we are the only non Prem team in PL2 and we finished above the likes of Chelsea.....

[tomphil]

I think one or two are being a bit harsh on Pickering.

Ok he struggled at times today but he was up against quality he'll rarely have come across before, also the way we set up leaves the full backs exposed.

Last season was his first at Champ level and overal he did ok but seemed to struggle when he came back from injury.  Really all that's missing is a bit of pace that's why he struggles at times. In truth though he isn't a wing back at our level he needs to defend deeper to suit his attributes. 

[riverholmes]

Should Vale make an impact this season, which looks a possibility but, of course, unproven as yet, it will just reinforce, to me, the likely counter-productive and irrational mismanagement by the prior regime in sending out experienced U23s hopefuls (competing in Premier League 2, against Premier League fringe reserves) into non-league. In Vale's case, he was sent to semi-pro FC Halifax on a half-season loan, last year. Dan Pike, went to AFC Fylde for two separate month-long spells, in the sixth tier. Sam Burns had a month at FC United mid-season.

The principle that most clubs operate by is to loan youngsters out to clubs at the highest level possible where they can get reasonable game time. In Rovers case, it seems to me, that that principle was abandoned and players were/are sent out without due diligence or due regard for the progress of the player. I can't prove it but I'm sure that Jack Vale, a prolific Welsh U21 forward would have had, during the transfer window periods, interest from league clubs. The season before, I believe he had an injury hampered spell at Rochdale. Last year, Sam Burns eventually got a loan spell at Scunthorpe, having come back to the club. Connor McBride had interest, it was reported, from league clubs at the start of last season, though, at the time the club blocked all loans. Even Tyler Magloire, whose form has not been great, got a league club loan, eventually.

All this will be forgotten in the case of Vale, if he makes an impact. It might be the case that the spell at FC Halifax, which, as a half-season loan, gave him more time than the bitty one-month deals, was beneficial to his game and mentality to make a breakthrough. David Raya had a season, I believe, at Southport.

Nonetheless, overall, the policy, I feel will be detrimental to the club and other players will not be so fortunate. It is/was an irrational or lazy policy, akin to lining up pre-season friendlies against non-league opposition, in preparation for a Championship campaign. Or as questionable as a Premier League club loaning out highly rated U23 players to play in non-league - or, even at the bottom of League 2.

All that said, my case is based on the presumption that these players could, with the right moves from the club, have got higher quality loans, which I am fairly sure of, in many cases, but cannot, of course, prove.

 

Edited July 16, 2022 by riverholmes