Loans, loans, loans.

[SouthbourneSpurs]

All these loan deals in the Premier League are making a mockery of the original intention of the loan system. It used to be to give young or out-of-favour players the opportunity to play competitive football and loans were usually made to clubs in lower divisions. I know top-flight clubs today have bigger squads and therefore more players aren't getting regular football (especially when some, like us, haven't even got a Reserve team!), but isn't the loan system as it exists today moving the goalposts?

In today's football we've got clubs loaning players to each other within the same division! I know you can argue that in O'Hara's case he's getting time on the field for Portsmouth and playing against other players of Premier League standard, same for Ars*nal's Wilshire at Bolton. But doesn't the whole thing make a mockery out of the Premier League as a competition?!

We now have a situation where the clubs that manage to avoid relegation or maybe even secure a European place this season are likely to be the ones that have secured the best players on loan deals to help their cause. How will we be feeling if Wilshire scores at the Lane in May to ruin our chance of fourth spot? A season's hard work blown by a player who should be in the Ars*nal's reserves. See my point?

 

[PT]

Loan deals could be the way ahead with money and huge price tags being so far apart for most clubs. Therei s even talk of re-thinking the player contract system with valuations being capped or even made redundant.

 

[SouthbourneSpurs]

Loan deals could be the way ahead with money and huge price tags being so far apart for most clubs. Therei s even talk of re-thinking the player contract system with valuations being capped or even made redundant.

A player contract system and capping is just all talk at the moment. I can see it happening, but when? I like the system they have in the MLS and that could be the way to go, but until then clubs will continue to use the current loan system to gain the upper hand on their opponents before kicking a ball in anger. It takes the pee out of the Premier League as a competition.

 

[PT]

I agree in principle in that with such large squads, a player like Wilshere at Arsenal and Ohara at Spurs need to find regular foorball by way of a loan and at Premiership clubs to keep their progress ticking over.

If squads were smaller like thirty years ago, it would not be able to cope with the modern demands of up to four competitions if the club has European football to contend with.

Loans are here to stay but there could be scope to expand the principle in some fashion so that is more mainstream than it is and it takes the place of massively inflated and quite frankly ugly transfer fees such as Ronaldo for £80m

Any change would also potentially alleviate the heavy reliance on Sky money and the evils with which it is influencing the aspirations of some clubs that over-extends itself in order to viably compete for glory.

It could also level the playing field back thirty years again when there was no such cliche such as the Sky Four. Many more clubs might be able to aspire to dreams such as titels and trophies.

 

[gibbs131]

It is essential since we scrapped the reserve team competition.

It has caused some problems though. Like injuries, players that don't want to come back and the recent Bostock issue.