Faulkner??

[Spud]

Great, confident interview from Bobby, & Grant seems to have changed his stance slightly, from "we don't see him breaking into the first team next season" to "let's see what he can do in pre-season".

Good luck Bobby.

[Monkcaster_Rover]

Great news. Go on Bobby.

[DonnyOsmond]

Great, confident interview from Bobby, & Grant seems to have changed his stance slightly, from "we don't see him breaking into the first team next season" to "let's see what he can do in pre-season".

Good luck Bobby.

Might be looking at using certain areas of the budget elsewhere and only bringing in two center backs? So he'd be the 4th choice.

[Ryaldinhio]

From the times I saw Bobby in a Rovers shirt he should be pushing first team. Proper CB. Strong, aggressive, good positioning, rarely beat in the air, threat in opposition box. Come back to last pre-season fittest by a long way from memory.

Add to that the fact when he did play for us he played in a really poor team at the time, I really don't know why we haven't done more with this kid.

I hope he blows their socks off in preseason and gets a chance with us before just being sent on loan.

One thing though, if there were multiple league clubs offering him a contract I expect we could get him loaned to a league club quite easy if he isn't in first team plans.

[dknward2]

Good news, really hope he pushes on in preseason to give Grant the decision to make to keep him in and around the first team, hopefully long term him and jay as our main centre backs

[Usher wide.]

Glad all’s been sorted & Bobby can now show his desire to be a real contender for a place in the first XI.

[steve@dcfd]

Great, confident interview from Bobby, & Grant seems to have changed his stance slightly, from "we don't see him breaking into the first team next season" to "let's see what he can do in pre-season".

Good luck Bobby.

Might be looking at using certain areas of the budget elsewhere and only bringing in two center backs? So he'd be the 4th choice.

We only need two center backs but let’s hope we get them of the right quality and hopefully league 1 experience.

[selby]

  On the face of it we could have on our hands two central defenders that could well go on to be above division one standard already here, who knows, personally that would not surprise me.
   We do however need one possibly or with Bailey one, ideally Championship standard either experienced at that level or capable of reaching that level.
  To be honest I see the base we have here at the moment if Bailey is included which could be his best position IMHO now potentially one of our strongest areas if they are all fit, its that part where we need another either to come through or acquire.
   From what I have seen apart from at Nottingham Forest there is not a lot about outstanding in those areas and certainly better in the non league scene IMHO a very good young left sided player who played with Bobby at Buxton Kieron Burton only 22yrs old. no mug at all and cant believe he is playing at that level.

[moses]

I watched Buxton away at Rushall Olympic and was impressed with Keiron Burton. Rushall were poor but he looked one of the best on the pitch.

[Metalmicky]

   From what I have seen apart from at Nottingham Forest there is not a lot about outstanding in those areas and certainly better in the non league scene IMHO a very good young left sided player who played with Bobby at Buxton Kieron Burton only 22yrs old. no mug at all and cant believe he is playing at that level.

Born in York I believe.... You should email the club selby - he may be one for the scouts to look at.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I think Bobby has made the right choice and Selby's thoughts suggest to me he's doing all the right things to be successful.  None of us know if he will make it for us, such a tough jump to make but it sounds like he has the right mentality for it.

The current coaching setup have also done quite well bringing players on.  I'd like nothing more than seeing our youngsters make the first team and be successful onwards at higher levels either with us or elsewhere.

I think the club deserve a bit of credit, they could easily have let Bobby go but he's been given an opportunity.  I doubt that would have happened 3 years ago.

[Pancho Regan]

Nice to hear the interview with Bobby. I wonder why Liam Holden was speaking with a metal bucket over his head?

Anyway, good luck Bobby, get yourself ready for pre-season, show Grant what you can do and work yourself into the reckoning for the first team squad.
Look what happened last season when we lost Woody and Olowu through injury at the same time. You never know when an opportunity will present itself.

[selby]

  Two ways to go the way I see it, We have three on the books of you include Bailey, and is it Senior played quite well  there for us, and go for another class act preferably left sided  with Bailey and Faulkner right.
  Or go along with a combination of two of those three and bring in someone Keiron Burton from Buxton and leave him there on loan and monitor with a call back.
  A real class act Zach Abbott but could be out of reach making his first team debut in the FA cup semi final and England age group player although a year in division 1 would be a good loan.
  Ben Perry has just had a loan at Northampton playing 17 games  a tough tackling mid fielder and play maker, two of the few u21s I watched I thought special and think a lot of clubs could be after those two if Forest let them out on loan.

[ravenrover]

Counting McGrath out again,?

[CheeseToastie]

Why would grant head into the season starting two centre halves that were playing national league north football last season? He's clearly going to bring someone in and Bobby isn't going to walk straight into the team. Grant clearly likes McGrath so he's already on the back foot

[selby]

  Who has said that Cheese Toastie, If I was the manager I would be looking at a class act new signing and Bailey starting the season  with Bobby and McGrath playing the cup games as back up and given their chance that way.
  And Raven I am looking at our results and goals against before Anderson and Bailey were teamed up together the reason why I would look at it that way and would be looking to try and replicate our finish, not the games before that when we were losing ground.
  We are a division and a class higher and need a start to the season or we can be on the back foot from the start.
  If we play McGrath we need to sign some pace alongside him  as the standard of strikers will be a lot higher and in most cases faster thinking and more mobile in this division.
  Such as Collins at Bolton and Kelman at Orient (who hopefully will be back at QPR) have quick feet in close positions and pace and turn defenders with the ball at feet and are way above the standard we came up against last season one on one, and we have lost the recovery pace of Olowu, which is one of any new player in central defences main priority of anyone coming in as well as being a good defender or we will be found out very quickly as they study our away games such as Chesterfield,  Harrogate, and Walsall who just ran straight at us.

[Alan Southstand]

It would help if we had a solid defensive midfielder in front of the 2 centre backs, Selby! Something we didn’t get to grips with until the second half of the season. On that score, Broadbent improved no end but I think we still require that nasty piece of work protecting the 2 cb’s.

I agree we need to replace Olowu’s pace but we also need an experienced head back there, who can organise. We’ve lost 2 very experienced guys in the defence! Let’s see what GM has up his sleeve.

[Draytonian III]

Just to clarify when was Bobby Faulkner’s last appearance for Rovers in the first team ?

[Chris Black come back]

Subbed after 35 minutes in the 3-2 FLT defeat away at Mansfield Town on 10 October 2023.

[selby]

  Someone said he is now our longest serving first team squad player which made me laugh if its true, he was 18 then CBcb  and came off injured that took two operations as the first one failed and the rest of the season to recover.
  He is not a young lad now as green as grass, as an ex player and agent has said to me, I have watched him as a boy, he is a man now, after watching him have a right physical dust up in a match.
  I think Bailey and a new player will start the season in central defence by the way unless McGrath and Bobby have really outstanding pre seasons, and those two could play in the early EFL and League cup games, both having to prove they can play up a level.

[IDM]

I don’t think McGrath has anything to prove, after last season..

[Shawndrfc]

Yeah you don’t give McGrath the dumber 6 shirt if you aren’t planning on him being a starter

[Danmckay456]

McGrath is a far better defender than Faulkner , we definitely will bring in two centre backs to push the others on

[selby]

We all have our opinions of what a good defender is, mine is winning the ball when you don't have it, not looking good on the ball when not under pressure, Wood and Anderson have had two good careers heading, tackling, and getting the ball quickly out of the danger area any way possible, and knowing where the danger is in their own penalty area and closing that area down, and being able to do it when they were under pressure.
  Its a different level next season and some will find it difficult to lift their game to the level required.
  Every promotion side we have ever had have had good players the season we got promoted who were found wanting the next level up it's the norm.

[Danmckay456]

So what makes you think Faulkner  can step up more than McGrath who shone last season and will no doubt start in front of Faulkner

[selby]

   Danmckay456 I don't, I am a wait and see, I think at the moment Bailey is our best central defender and can play either side, Grant will bring another in who will be a starter, Both Bobby and McGrath will have to prove good enough.
   If Jay was a certain starter, he would have been straight back in last season when fit.
   He had dropped back and was not on it before he got injured as was the team as a whole, the last ten games nearly a quarter of the season without him being another great run of results to finish the season and he played a minimum of minutes even when fit.
   Do you think McGrath is a certain starter? and we have a new defence coach.
   Do you think he is a certain starter? I don't think anyone is and every position is now to play for, and we have a different defence coach to start with.
 He finished the season on the outside looking in as a bench warmer, and has a lot to do like Bobby this coming season and it is the way it should be, nobody is an automatic pic in this game at the top.
 

[Danmckay456]

Credit to the players who came in but there is no way Bailey is going to be centre back he’s too important to our midfield , McGrath was nowhere near fit near the end of the season and why would you break up a partnership if they were doing the business on the pitch , injuries gave wood / Anderson opportunities like when Olowu got injured he would of had to wait to get back in had it not ended his season

[selby]

  Danmckay456, we have a new defence coach and new players in a new season at a higher level.
  Who do you see as certain starters? Bailey is the omly one I see in central defence, and Olowu was the only one who had a great season there last season until the last ten games.

[Danmckay456]

Sterry maxwell will be starters

[selby]

  Yes I go with Sterry  and Maxwell for me and expect a new Keeper and the rest up for grabs.