Ghost of Clough

Rules restrict the U21 sides to fielding a maximum of 2 players who are over 21 and have made more than 40 first team appearances. All of the players used in their first team squads this season fall into one of those two groups.

I don't think McQuire qualifies for England. To be honest, it seems risky plying a 16 year old keeper at CB anyway.

Ask Bolton fans? 80k turned up at Wembley to watch Bolton win 4-0 against Plymouth in the Finallast season

No set date, but probably later this week since we'll play in 2 weeks time.

Yes, Gill was the LB in that game. I felt Bogle had shown himself to be good enough to be backup. The opportunity to have a more regular presented itself when Wisdom was injured. We also lucked out on that occasion because no clubs in L1 wanted to take the risk on him as he didn't have any first team experience.

If it was a one off, I would agree with you. However, it's a consistent pattern from when Warne first became manager. Opportunities to guve academy players minutes to prove themselves and to give first teamers a little rest to prevent burnout. Warne has also repeatedly come out with comments suggesting he: doesn't trust young players; thinks it's disrespectful to the opposition to use them for a meaningful amount of time; has a blind view that you need to be a League 1 level player just to play 10 minutes in a game; and also comes out with excuses why he didn't bring them on ("ran out of subs").

I dont see any being ready for Championship football in the next couple of years. I like Moloney and Gill. Moloney has struggled with injuries over the past few years and needs a solid year at U21 level this season, and follow it up with soke games out on loan next year. He's a former England youth International, but injuries have stalled his progress a lot. Gill is still only a first year scholar but played a lot for the U18s last season. As long as he continues to progress, he'll need a full season in the U21s next season, with loans out the season after. I would have Cox pencilled in as first team backup in the LCB position next season. He's very well suited to the way Warne wanted Cashin to play at the start of the season.

Feb is the perfect time for Warnock. He doesn't like it in the dugout during cold winters anymore.

Just picking up on your Weston comment. The crisisism isn't that Weston should be playing full 90s. There were two very clear opportunities to use him in the last 2 games. The first was against Barnsley. We were 3-0 up after 80 mins played and still had 1 sub break to use (3 subs remaining). Weston absolutely should have been brought on. At worst, it would give Collins (our only fit forward) a little rest. At best, Weston feels rewarded and has the chance to earn a more permanent role in the squad.

There are only 3 players to have come through Rotherham's academy during Warne's time as manager, and still be playing league football. For comparison, it would be very disappointing if our club produced fewer League footballers than that every season. The only success story for Warne is Ben Wiles. A CM who made 193 appearances for Rotherham's first team. 17/18 - 134 mins in the EFL Trophy 18/19 - 1159 mins (Championship) 19/20 - 40 apps (League 1) 20/21 - 45 apps (Championship) 21/22 - 53 apps (League 1) 22/23 - 30 apps (Championship) then a £2m move to Huddersfield Jerry Yates - a CF who made his first team debut the season before Warne became manager. He played 46 times (scoring only 3) before being sold to Blackpool for £200k in 2020 before eventually earning a move to Cardiff for £2.5m last summer. 14/15 - (before Warne) 5 mins in the league 15/16 - (before Warne) not used 16/17 - 1089 first team mins (Championship), introduced during an injury crisis 17/18 - 855 mins (League 1) 18/19 - loan to Carlisle (League 2) and played in 29 games, then returned to Rotherham for 237 mins across 7 games (Championship) 19/20 - last minute sub in 1 League 1 game, and 35 games on loan at Swindon (League 2) Josh Kayode - another CF who made all 37 his Rotherham appearances under Warne (3 goals) 17/18 - 51 mins in the EFL Trophy 18/19 - short loan to Chesterfield (National League) where he played for 140 mins 19/20 - 17 mins in the EFL Trophy, followed by 22 games at Gateshead (National League North) and 5 games at Carlisle (League 2) 20/21 - Another loan to Carlisle (League 2) where he played in 36 games 21/22 - 1178 first team minutes spread across 28 games (League 1) 22/23 - 26 mins in the League Cup prior to a loan at MK Dons where he made 9 appearances I refer you back to the Fan Forum - earlier that day, Warne attended an U21 game, with Weston scoring a hattrick. Warne didn't even know his name. He also thought he was watching U21 football prior to our first team games on Saturdays when it was actually U18s.

2 RWBs, 1 RB, and 2 LBs. We need a left wing back to make the switch to the 3/5 at the back which Warne desires.

I don't believe any of them to be 'true' 1. I can criticise a manager (or player) but still support the team on matchday 2. I highly doubt Clowes doesn't have a contingency plan in case he felt he needed to sack any member of staff 3. We're "in this mess" because our former owner agreed to spend more than he could actually afford. If we had changed managers just as often, but with a style of play in mind and a sensible budget, we wouldn't have gone into administration. 4. A manager willing to look at the long term picture by recruiting accordingly and introducing academy prospects is looking at the long term picture.

Based on form this season (with the exception of LB where we lack players who can stay fit): GK: Pope RB: Walker CB: Stones CB: Guehi LB: Shaw/Chilwell CM: Ward-Prowse CM: Rice AM: Bellingham RW: Saka LW: Gordon CF: Kane

For last season, our revenue will have been higher with similar losses

Isn't he a wing back, plays predominantly on the left? Definitely one to keep an eye on for when we make the permanent shift to 3/5 at the back under Warne

Just the type of winger we need. A 28 year old who has only scored more than 2 goals in a season twice

Are they checking to see if the ball came off the defender?

Macedonia not getting the Maguire one was a worse decsion than that one from Lewis

Has anyone claimed we should be starting anyone from the academy on a regualr basis? At most, there have been a handful of people who have claimed the likes of Brown should have been given the odd start when our other players were out of form. I think it's also common sense to use the academy to ease the physical burden on the relatively small first team squad. Warne wants to play a high intensity style of play, which the older players in our first team struggle with when playing Saturday-Tuesday for several weeks on a row. Giving them a few minutes here and a game there is a key part in their development to ensure they are ready to play a regular part in the first team in the future. It's rare for a player to go from a handful of games at U18/21 level to being a first team regular. Instead, it's a gradually increase in exposure, and often with a loan or two. The best chance for then to earn a loan is by putting their name in the shop window when they play for the first team - those games show potential suitors if they're mentally ready for first team football, whislt only their technical ability can be seen from youth football.

1. We could have paid a fee in the summer but chose not to. 2. We will pays fees for players we bought in the summer depending on promotion and sell-ons. 3. We signed 4 players who are 30 or older in the summer, when younger players were available (even on a free). 4. We would have a younger squad if we used the academy more than we have been,

What is a 'solid base'? When looking at the most used 11 (by mins played in all competitions) we're using fewer new signings than the top 2 sides in the league - both finished below us last season too. Derby: 3 Portsmouth: 7 Oxford: 5

Did you bother fact checking before making that claim? Barnsley, Carlisle, Charlton and Oxford made just as many signings as us (12). Bristol Rovers, Burton, Cheltenham, Exeter, Portsmouth, Port Vale, Reading, Shrewsbury, Stevenage and Wycombe made more signings Of the sides signings fewer players than us, the majority signed 11.

Promotion is the aim, so I can't see us selling either in January without replacing them. If replaced in January with permanent signings, then it keeps the turnover of players down in the summer. If not sold and we win promotion, then I would expect them to sign new deals.

10 straight wins, but the first two were under Davies and the last with Mac. Even Jewell beat them in the League Cup. Clough won all 6 of his games against Leeds.

I can't be bothered to look further back, but here is my own post after only 1 month of Warne being manager, highlighting the concerns.