Rovers old boys

[Alv]

We can join the Central League. I think we left it when we went to the National League.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but why don't we take part in a reserve league ? Does one still exist which we could compete in ?

We have not taken part for a number of years now. I think we were struggling to fulfil some fixtures when we had injuries, or congestion in first team fixtures, which is why we resigned.

I assume equivalents of the old Central League or Midland League still exist.

 

[Sparky]

Thanks for the reports from those who saw the game.

pleasing that mumbongo looked decent and that Mcalear and Hughes did well. I still have reservations about playing merrie and O’Connor together as a midfield two so hopefully they,ll have some competition

 

[Boz]

pleasing that mumbongo looked decent and that Mcalear and Hughes did well. I still have reservations about playing merrie and O’Connor together as a midfield two so hopefully they,ll have some competition

Although O’Connor has been below par the last couple of games, I don’t see Merrie as a purely defensive midfielder and MM seems to have come around to this way of thinking though it’s good to have an option in McAlear. More concerning is that Morris hasn’t been at his best in recent games so if Hughes is doing well then it gives us the chance to give him game time when Kieron is struggling. Don’t think he’s a central midfield option though.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

We have not taken part for a number of years now. I think we were struggling to fulfil some fixtures when we had injuries, or congestion in first team fixtures, which is why we resigned.

I assume equivalents of the old Central League or Midland League still exist.

Yes, I think we just don't have enough players. At the moment, there are 31 pros, including all the youngsters and the three long-term injured, which is about the same as last season at this stage. We could not field a reserve team now without bringing in a lot of youth players or making some first teamers play extra games. Neither option is sensible. However, if we sign more development players next season, it will start to become viable as well as desirable.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

I remember pre palios, before we dropped into the national league, the first team was supported by the reserves, then the youth team, with the u16s supporting the youth and so on down the age group in the academy. All these teams player against league clubs.
This is not there now.
What we have is just the first team playing other league clubs.
The existence of youth, schoolboy, and occasional, the first team squad play a friendly.T
this was on the back of our second year in the national league, and youth team pulled out of the FA youth league last year.

To my mind this is a lack of foresight, as we seen last night.

Previously we have mainly played second year youth and first team squad players in this competition and reserve games were similar with more squad players involved.
As I said from my view, the quality on show last night has deteriorated from a couple of years back.

I do believe we are not investing in the club's future by not having a youth squad in the league and also a reserve team. The academy decision is strange in the fact that the FA do pay for the majority of running an academy.
Even national league, North and South, Welsh, Scottish league clubs have academies. We are one of very few that don't!

Squad players would rather play in national league than sit around here at Prenton Park. And it probably pays more!

Does anyone think any of last night's youngsters have a chance of playing regularly in our first team?

 

[Sparky]

Makes me wonder about hughes. Is he a proper centre mid as not seen much of him in that position. He’s played out wide and has good quality on delivery into the box but he’s not a proper winger as such. Is he one of those where in mickys current
4-4-2 there is no natural position for him to play regularly? Perhaps still early days for him to be fair

I remember adam McGurk and thinking he’s not a striker, not a winger, and he could never really nail down a regular starting place (although he was injured a lot)

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Hughes spent a lot of time in the middle last night and played well. I think he can play centrally when he develops physically. His style actually reminds me a bit of Jeff Hughes.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

He could be one of those players that are called 'utility's players.
Which means they can adapt to different positions as well as his natural position..

Could use possession better,mind you, it's not like it's international players around him!

 

[Boz]

Viewed some rather clunky footage of the Nantwich game on their website. McAlear looked the pick of the Rovers line-up from that. Otherwise there was a testing cross from the young full-back near the end and good approach play around their box, but Lomax's goal aside, that didn't convert into much to test their keeper. Hewelt got nowhere near any of the penalties apart from the saved one which was hit straight at him, but did make a few decent blocks and stops during the 90 minutes.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Manny Monthe scores a late winner for Walsall, his first goal since scoring for us in January 2020 (against Ipswich I think). The Saddlers are flying now under Mike Flynn.

Otis Khan scores for Grimsby.

 

[Sparky]

Nice for Nors to get a goal yesterday and another hat trick for Mullin. Peter Clarke doesn’t seem to have improved Oldham’s defence as they were tonked 4-1 at a strong Notts county wide.

 

[Ian]

Peter Clarke doesn’t seem to have improved Oldham’s defence as they were tonked 4-1 at a strong Notts county wide.

To be fair, he will be collecting his pension soon.

 

[drwhoman]

I see that Jay Spearing has been in hospital with Addison’s disease. It is a hormonal deficiency issue that has to be treated long term with steroids if he is to avoid serious future health problems.

 

[MancunianWhite]

I see that Jay Spearing has been in hospital with Addison’s disease. It is a hormonal deficiency issue that has to be treated long term with steroids if he is to avoid serious future health problems.

Good luck to Jay

 

[bigmart]

Peter Clarke has his loan at Oldham extended till the end of the season

 

[Sparky]

Peter Clarke has his loan at Oldham extended till the end of the season

The way oldhams results have gone since Unsworth got the job, I can see Clarke being caretaker player manager fairly soon

 

[Sparky]

Two in two games for Nors

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Otis Khan scores for Grimsby for the third game in succession.

 

[O4anotherplayoff]

Kaiyne Woolery has become a free agent after his contract in Turkey was terminated early.