v Portsmouth (h) - 15/1/2025

[roversfan99]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Give him a chance RF99. You seems to serious don't rate him at all don't you?.

Why? Cos you don't rate Leonard like some of us do? 

I dont think hes ready now but even his biggest fan I dont think would describe him as generational.

So you think hes a suitable first choice striker for a top 6 chasing side? Why do you want us to sign a striker if we have him plus Ohashi and Gueye as subs?

[chaddyrovers]

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont think hes ready now

Based on what? 

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

So you think hes a suitable first choice striker for a top 6 chasing side? Why do you want us to sign a striker if we have him plus Ohashi and Gueye as subs?

I don't any of them first choice cos I want different options and the ability to go 2 up front. Plus Ohashi is currently injured and been playing for 12 months straight. 

Gueye hasn't got the goals I hope he was going to provide. Ohashi has been good overall but I was worried about his fatigue levels before he got injured

[roversfan99]

Lots of evasion as ever.

[Bronzed A Donis]

On Leonard, he needs a run of games in League 1 to learn some nous and to develop. A striker his age needs to be starting games week in week out. He's not ready to lead the line in the Championship and without games and goals under his belt, he never will.

[bluebruce]

18 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Based on what? 

I don't any of them first choice cos I want different options and the ability to go 2 up front. Plus Ohashi is currently injured and been playing for 12 months straight. 

Gueye hasn't got the goals I hope he was going to provide. Ohashi has been good overall but I was worried about his fatigue levels before he got injured

The manager hasn't shown any desire to play 2 up front, has he?

[chaddyrovers]

7 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Lots of evasion as ever.

 I want different options going into the run in, injuries will happen, I want the ability to go 2 up front in some games. Also pick different attacking line up depending who we are playing. 

I picked Leonard up front in my team tomorrow whilst you picked Dolan to play up front which is totally baffling choice given how we play. Bizarre choice 

[chaddyrovers]

1 minute ago, bluebruce said:

The manager hasn't shown any desire to play 2 up front, has he?

Luton at home, Millwall away. 

Sunderland at home when Leonard scored to draw 2-2

[bluebruce]

14 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Training on the Ewood pitch again, just what you want before a load of home games through January and February.

Brockhall pitches frozen again, presumably. Shame we don’t have any indoor facilities down there or anything…

Wow, haven't learnt our lesson at all. At least the way we play is less dependent on bowling green surfaces now.

[philipl]

Leonard hit woodwork four times last week and missed that easy chance straight after we scored at Boro. So he has the ability to get in the right place at the right time. 

Have to hope he gets his barings a bit better when he is there. Oh and beef up a bit so he doesn't lose out 100% of the time for aerial balls when competing with a central defender.

With Ohashi out for six more weeks and an attacker likely to be a sweating on Pune job at the last minute of transfer deadline day, we have no option but to continue with Harry. 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:26 by philipl

[BlackburnEnd75]

9 minutes ago, Bronzed A Donis said:

On Leonard, he needs a run of games in League 1 to learn some nous and to develop. A striker his age needs to be starting games week in week out. He's not ready to lead the line in the Championship and without games and goals under his belt, he never will.

I think he has to start most of these games in january.

That is until ohashi returns from injury or a striker is signed.

I really do think there is a player in Leonard (I think he's got a lot more potential than Vale for example). If you look at some of performances last season under jdt before his injury they were actually pretty good. Take how he led the line away at Ipswich for example.

It appears the only other alternatives are Gueye or repurposing weimann or dolan.

I think gueye should be brought on after an hour. He hasn't got the legs to play more than half an hour in my mind. Dolan would press really well and is still first choice in the 3 behind the striker. Has weimann actually played up top? Could be worth a shout as he can finish and has it between the ears.

I'd be going Leonard for an hour.

[Mattyblue]

Considering how poor the output from the academy has been re strikers, I suppose just getting a game in the Championship would make Leonard ‘generational’.

[joey_big_nose]

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Considering how poor the output from the academy has been re strikers, I suppose just getting a game in the Championship would make Leonard ‘generational’.

Yes... we've never really produced strikers, and those that we have that have had decent careers we have moved them on to do so elsewhere (Beattie, Garner etc). I always really liked Paul Gallagher as a number 10, such a clever player. Looked like he was really going to make it in the prem but then had to drop down.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

Yes... we've never really produced strikers, and those that we have that have had decent careers we have moved them on to do so elsewhere (Beattie, Garner etc). I always really liked Paul Gallagher as a number 10, such a clever player. Looked like he was really going to make it in the prem but then had to drop down.

Gally was too one paced to thrive in the Prem. He was a very good footballer though.

[joey_big_nose]

Team for me : 

                      Pears

Britain    Batth     Hyam    Beck

  Buckley   Tronstad   Cantwell

  ACD       Leonard   Wieman

 

A small innovation I would make is change from a 4231 and turn it into a 433 with Cantwell on the left side of midfield. Kind of how we used to play with Rothwell on the left of a three under Mowbray. He wants to play deeper anyway and isn't much of a goal threat so let's use him in the midfield to dominate the ball with the other two. He's actually pretty good off the ball so I don't see a defensive or workrate issue in this reconfiguration. Tronstad would hold and Cantwell and Buckley expected to get forward.

Also I think that sort of 433 setup will suit Buckley better too, think his best season was when he played in a midfield three with him, Travis and Rothwell I think in 22/23?

Edited Tuesday at 10:53 by joey_big_nose

[rob_of_the_rovers]

Portsmouth will be fresher after resting most of their first team at the weekend. Hopefully we have enough gas left in the tank after the bust period.

Edited Tuesday at 11:00 by rob_of_the_rovers

[roverandout]

3 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Leonard has a real chance.

The last time I spoke to any of the senior / Academy coaching staff in depth was a week after JDT was brought in. At the end of our meeting (about other stuff) I asked specifically who were the jewels In the crown coming through…he was glowing in general but clear that Rovers had three, potentially generational talents who they expected to play in the PL and for England. Ash Phillips, Adam Wharton and Harry Leonard. I did come on here and pass on the info at the time.

I hadn’t seen any of them play and he described Leonard as the most natural finisher they’d seen. “He always gets himself in the right place and he’s deadly”.

Let’s hope it clicks for Harry. I certainly hope so.

I hope he clicks.  There's nothing better than one of your own making it.  But I just can't see it. I've seen enough of him to come to my conclusion that he's run of the mill forward who might have a decent career but will never be good enough to play at the highest level. We can't go into the rest of the season with a hope and a prayer that he may come good

[RevidgeBlue]

It's about time Cantwell started earning his money. He's been worse than useless recently.

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Based on what? 

I don't any of them first choice cos I want different options and the ability to go 2 up front. Plus Ohashi is currently injured and been playing for 12 months straight. 

Gueye hasn't got the goals I hope he was going to provide. Ohashi has been good overall but I was worried about his fatigue levels before he got injured

Based on the fact roversfan99 has eyes

[roverandout]

How many of our academy products have had really good top flight careers? Dunn, duff, beattie, Johnson?  Even tiny Taylor had a decent top flight career. Then there's Adam Wharton who's going to be a real generational talent 

[Lancaster Rover]

I'd say we have one of the best output records in developing professional footballers of any of the Cat 1 academies, they may not play for Rovers but to some extent that isn't what EPPP was set up to do. League 1 and 2 are littered with lads who came through at Rovers. 

[rigger]

58 minutes ago, roverandout said:

How many of our academy products have had really good top flight careers? Dunn, duff, beattie, Johnson?  Even tiny Taylor had a decent top flight career. Then there's Adam Wharton who's going to be a real generational talent 

If Wharton recovers from his injury.

[roversfan99]

On the likes of Leonard and Buckley, its all well and good saying that the coaches said this and that if indeed they did say those exact words. But 3 points:

- I totally get putting a lot of stock into what these people say, they are professionals and they have worked with them so they are much better placed than us. But equally they arent perfect.

- they will at least subconsciously be biased. They will be more desperate than anyone to see players they coached and worked with succeed.

- the most important part. These comments are outdated. They were making predictions based purely on academy football, where players are in a sanitised environment, developing at different speeds, without any evidence of first team football at that time. So many players do not follow the path that was expected of them, positively or negatively. Sometimes players especially physically might develop quicker than their peers so might stand out which levels out as they get older. They might struggle with the totally different demands of senior football.

I personally think Leonard being very young still has a chance and is just not ready at the moment but might be especially after a loan. Im not saying hes rubbish by any means, there is something to work with. But he shouldnt be a primary part of a side with any ambition of being towards the top of the Championship and it would be unfair on him as much as anyone. Buckley needs a fresh start probably in League 1.

[RevidgeBlue]

11 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I personally think Leonard being very young still has a chance and is just not ready at the moment but might be especially after a loan. Im not saying hes rubbish by any means, there is something to work with. But he shouldnt be a primary part of a side with any ambition of being towards the top of the Championship and it would be unfair on him as much as anyone. Buckley needs a fresh start probably in League 1.

Do you think Leonard is any worse than Gueye or Ohashi?

I don't personally. Hopefully there'll be someone a lot better than those 3 coming in but unless there's two coming in who are a lot better, I can't see the sense in letting Leonard go out on loan. It would only take an injury or two and we'd be completely stuck again.

Plus I don't think we have to register him in the 25 man squad.

[roversfan99]

2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Do you think Leonard is any worse than Gueye or Ohashi?

I don't personally. Hopefully there'll be someone a lot better than those 3 coming in but unless there's two coming in who are a lot better, I can't see the sense in letting Leonard go out on loan. It would only take an injury or two and we'd be completely stuck again.

Plus I don't think we have to register him in the 25 man squad.

Probably not, certainly not than Gueye. Ohashi I would put ahead of him even though he hasnt been setting the world alight.

I also think for Leonard's sake, he needs a loan to get regular game time. He certainly isnt ready for where we are supposedly aiming. Ideally, sign a good striker ASAP, maybe keep Leonard until the end of the window at which point Ohashi wont be far off, and loan him to League 1.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

44 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Do you think Leonard is any worse than Gueye or Ohashi?

I don't personally. Hopefully there'll be someone a lot better than those 3 coming in but unless there's two coming in who are a lot better, I can't see the sense in letting Leonard go out on loan. It would only take an injury or two and we'd be completely stuck again.

Plus I don't think we have to register him in the 25 man squad.

He’s certainly worse than Ohashi, after that it depends which Gueye turns up.