Talking points from Rovers’ penultimate pre-season friendly against Leeds United.

 

THE ADDITION OF ATMOSPHERE

After 17 long months, supporters were back inside Ewood Park. A friendly it may have been, but only in name, this had a sense of occasion. It was a proper game.

Much of that will have been down to the fans, there was never a chance of players going through the motions given the emotion that was coming from the stands.

You need only see from the celebrations of both sides when the ball found the net, how much they welcomed the support they were received.

Thomas Kaminski and Tyrhys Dolan, as well as Harry Pickering, having to be introduced to the supporters showed just how long they have been absent.

There was a great reception too for Ben Brereton, who could have imagine, 17 months ago, his name ringing around the stadium?

This was the perfect build-up 10 days out from the opener against Swansea City.

It showed how fans will respond to a side giving everything, no matter the difference in quality or the age and experience of those on the park. Wearing the club’s colours and not giving an inch will get their backing.

 

ACADEMY ACHIEVEMENT

Six Academy-produced players started the game, with a further three used off the bench.

Any fears of it being a long night for a depleted Rovers squad were allayed from the early stages, with Jake Garrett and Jacob Davenport quickly getting into their work in the middle of midfield, not taking a backwards step, and far from overawed, as they flew into challenges.

At the back, Tyler Magloire and Hayden Carter stood strong alongside skipper Darragh Lenihan. Carter won countless headers, near faultless in the air, while Magloire showed off his strength and athleticism.

What the immediate future holds for them will depend on any potential transfer business, the timescale of Scott Wharton’s return and interest in the pair, but at least one is expected to be kept around to be around the first-team, and on this evidence, both showed themselves to have the capabilities of being up to the task.

Garrett starred in the second half of the season for the Under-23s, rewarded with a four-year deal in the summer, and he showed his fearlessness from the off.

Lenni Cirino, another breakthrough star for the Academy side last term, caught the eye in his 20 minute cameo, his run forward winning a free-kick from which Connor McBride scored, his second goal of pre-season.

McBride is the only player to have found the net in pre-season so far, and he has something of a happy knack infront of goal, the ball attracted to him in the box, while his ability from the penalty spot also helped in him chalking up 12 goals last season.

He seems to have overtaken Jack Vale in the attacking stakes, while Dan Butterworth, unused against Leeds, is also in the mix to be an attacking option for Mowbray.

In a time of concern for supporters at aspects of their football club, the work of the Academy continues to be a shining light.

 

CLARITY ON CLUB'S POSITION

While rightly noting the pride at seeing so many homegrown players producing the good against Premier League opposition, it does raise question as to how Rovers found themselves in a position of needing to field such a team 10 days out from the start of a new season?

Yes they have injuries, and players who will be back within the next month,  but the squad looks particularly threadbare.

While great to see so many youngsters getting their opportunities, you would want them to come as a reward for their performances in training and development for the Under-23s, not simply because they were the only available options. They did their chances of further involvement no harm, and as things stand, they will be required for the foreseeable future.

To those who have watched the Under-23s regularly, seeing some of the young players star on the first-team stage wouldn’t come as a surprise. As so often in the past however, doing it once with the adrenaline of a debut in the veins is one thing, repeating that consistently is where it can fall down. That is where experience counts for so much.

There was an experience gap in the Rovers squad, with only two players over the age of 24, and given Tony Mowbray’s post-match comments, it seems any prospective additions are unlikely to tick the experience box.

Money is clearly tight, even with a raft of departures, but at least some clarity has been provided by the manager as to the current position they are in. It may not have been what people want to hear and does raise further questions, but it puts the club’s position in focus, though more details from the club’s hierarchy would be welcomed.

The is an argument as to why should Rovers be bringing in Premier League loanees when they have several promising ones of their own? Why bring on youngsters from other clubs when there are Academy graduates waiting for an opportunity? There is some validity to those points of view, not least given Rovers come up against several of those players in Premier League 2 and more than hold their own.

There are exceptional cases, not least in the case of Harvey Elliott, a player not making it in the first-team of Liverpool but his quality taking him beyond Under-23s football. Proof will be on the players Rovers are able to bring in, and how they perform.

What that does do is put extra pressure on Rovers to ensure their loan dealings right, though Mowbray’s track record in that record has seen many more hits than misses.

 

WORK TO DO

Almost a week to go until the start of the new season and Rovers have plenty to work on between now and the visit of Swansea. The biggest issues centre around fitness and it is imperative that Mowbray has more options to choose from, a little help in the transfer market would also help do the trick.

The Leeds friendly was always going to be a test physically, as well as tactically and technically. While Rovers fought and battled valiantly, they didn’t keep the ball well enough.

Adam Armstrong at times found himself isolated in attack, too many hopeful balls forward handing possession straight back to the opposition.

That was understandable given the opposition’s pressing style, and the step up in level, but it did leave Rovers without an attacking foothold for spells in the game.

McBride’s deflected free-kick was just a second goal of pre-season, and across the pre-season games they haven’t tested the opposition goalkeeper enough. However, a reaction after the poor performance at Bradford this most definitely was.