I really like Rowe. He works his socks off, has bit of ability and genuinely seems to care.
His weakness is he needs a second or two to decide what to do. Not uncommon with young players. He has not enough experience yet to play by instinct which is what good experienced footballers do.
At centre back you don’t get the second or two to make your mind up which is why it is unusual to see young centre backs. Hesitation often leads to a goal chance. The rare exceptions are either very talented or extremely confident or a bit of both.
For me Rowe needs a full season or two at first choice right back. He is the best at that position currently at the club and probably at least as good as anyone we will find in the bargain bin. At full back you can get away with the odd defensive lapse and often get a chance to make a recovery tackle or block. This will boost his confidence and allows him to become an experienced defender. Then move him to centre back when he is ready.
Having a full back that is decent in the air is very useful at set pieces as well. What we save on bringing in a right back we use to bring in a decent centre back as cover for Boyce and Taft. Young is not (yet) the answer to that for the same reasons as above.
