Nelson

[eastender]

Signed on loan from Leicester

[Spud]

Admiral? Give us a clue.

[roversdude]

This will go down well, hope he’s got thick skin. Good luck to the lad

[Filo]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

[Dutch Uncle]

Will he wear squad number 111?

Welcome Ben 

[ncRover]

1st choice England u19 centre back. Sounds good to me.

We have 6 contracted centre backs and 3 are out injured. On reflection, I think a loan makes sense in this position.

[steve@dcfd]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

He played in Rochdale defence when we won 4.  3

I’m assume we have signed Ben because our defenders are weeks away from starting. Let’s hope he does ok but I do not understand Copps strategy let’s hope he does.

[roversdude]

Hope he’s as brave as Bobby

[Filo]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

He played in Rochdale defence when we won 4.  3

I’m assume we have signed Ben because our defenders are weeks away from starting. Let’s hope he does ok but I do not understand Copps strategy let’s hope he does.

I have seen him play then

[normal rules]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

 he is an England u19 for a reason.
I wish him well. He is young, should be fit and energetic and hopefully will come with a willingness to impress.

[Filo]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

I bet DS and JC haven’t seen him play either. But he is an England u19 for a reason.
I wish him well. He is young, should be fit and energetic and hopefully will come with a willingness to impress.

Like I said, not to put a downer on him. If Faulkner was fit would this have happened and if so why did we send Faulkner out on loan?

[Padge_DRFC]

Looking forward to the signings that cost us soon from the money saved on who's left.

[selby]

  I hope he has a change of luck, started seven games for Rochdale, won 0, Drawn 1. Lost 6 can we give him his first victory?

[roversdude]

Wasn’t the official word that Bobby needed to improve on the ball

[DonnyOsmond]

Data wise just based on defensive ability there isn't much at all between Bobby and Ben, literally wouldn't be able to say who's better. On the ball Nelson is a fair bit better though.

[steve@dcfd]

By the End of January beginning of February we should have 5 of our CHs fit unless any of them are leaving in this window. Then we will have Younger fit in February. So at this moment to cover for the three CBs system we needed a loan.

[dickos1]

Looking at the way schofield wants us to play he was always going to bring in a centre half that’s very good on the ball.
I don’t think it matters much how he did at Rochdale

[roversdude]

Can’t fault any of the signings so far

[NigelJ]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

I bet DS and JC haven’t seen him play either. But he is an England u19 for a reason.
I wish him well. He is young, should be fit and energetic and hopefully will come with a willingness to impress.

Like I said, not to put a downer on him. If Faulkner was fit would this have happened and if so why did we send Faulkner out on loan?

Faulkner was sent out on load as Oluwu was back to fitness. However, Oluwu and Faulkner then got injured in the same week.

[turnbull for england]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

Phil Foden  been playing since he was  16  age and ability aren't exclusive

[Batleyred]

The lad said our style of play will suit him far better.

Welcome

[bpoolrover]

Is a bit of a worry that one of the few defences I have seen this season that is worse than ours is Rochdales and he struggled to get in there side but maybe will be different here

[sedwardsdrfc]

We do need better ball players in defence to control games.

It is a shame we sign other teams younger players rather than try our own. Faulkner is unlucky with injuries but even if fit you feel he’d not get a proper chance.

Maybe if we sell him to a bigger club we’d be in for him on loan.

[RugbyRover]

A few words from a really happy Ben

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNQSUiX05c&t=16s

[The Beast]

Not to put a downer on this I’ve never seen him play, but, he’s the same age as Faulkner, (I know Faulkner is currently injured), but if our own 18 year old defender is deemed not good enough yet, why are we loaning a defender that struggled for game time at Rochdale?

He played in Rochdale defence when we won 4.  3

I’m assume we have signed Ben because our defenders are weeks away from starting. Let’s hope he does ok but I do not understand Copps strategy let’s hope he does.

Is this the player who one of the posters on here was waxing lyrical about?

[BiargeBob]

I am not sure you mean me, but this is what Selby said and my reply:-
  In the game v Rochdale we played against a young player slightly older than Bobby Faulkner at central defender for Rochdale.
  It looks like he went completely unnoticed  as there has been no comments on here, he is valued at millions, is on loan from Leicester City, in the current England u19s squad that won the Euros and playing in the group stages, has played u16s for Scotland, u16s u18sand u19s for England, and nowhere near as good a stand out player at division 2 level as Bobby Faulkner IMHO.
   Just saying like.
Totally disagree Selby, he looked like a Rolls Royce compared to the rest of the players on the pitch. As good as Faulkner is I think you should take off those rose tinted glasses.
  Just saying like 
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[steve@dcfd]

I remember that so let’s see what he does for us

[Branton Red]

I wish the boy every success as he faces the difficult challenge of acclimatising to League football whilst simultaneously learning how to live away from his Mum and look after himself.

From a Rovers perspective however I'm in baffled bewilderment at how anyone can look at the current squad and think what we need is more youthful inexperience particularly at centre half.

We have a (yes currently injured) 18 year old centre half of promise who has more than looked the part when he's played this year. Someone Rovers could develop to their long term benefit.

Yet his opportunities are restricted and he's farmed out on loan whilst we're seemingly happy to give opportunities to another club's unproven youth. A bemusing strategy.

Are Rovers' still a senior men's football team or merely a testing centre for other clubs' unproven youth players?

What possible benefit is derived from being the latter in terms of short-term success or long-term squad building?

[Campsall rover]

We would be very foolish to bring in a permanent signing at CB
We have Olowu, Younger and Faulkner to come back.

A loan signing at CB is sensible. We are not going to get a proven experienced defender on loan are we.
This lad is highly rated. He didn’t play for England U19’s and got a Euro winners medal because he is rubbish.

Maybe he had an injury that prevented him from playing regularly in the Rochdale team. They are very poor as a defensive unit and that won’t have helped his game or confidence.

Yes we aren’t brilliant either, but I think this lad can do a temporary job for us.
Obviously DS doesn’t rate Long so we had to bring someone in.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Don’t mind us bringing in a young loan. Fact is we need players in the position now because of our own injuries. But I do hope we give our own players of promise a real chance to play.

If we don’t do that then what’s the point of our youth team and giving them pro contracts. Don’t mind them been raw if we see the benefit of us preserving with them