- May 26, 2004
- 4,797
- 2,139
It would be fascinating to get a greater understanding of how the club, and other elite clubs, look at loans.It’s been a good window, but I’m disappointed we haven’t arranged more youth loans. They can be so good for a young player’s development.
Other clubs seem to have less problems getting lads out on loan. Tommy Bloxham who was picked up by Blackburn after leaving in the summer as one of the few second years to fail to secure a professional contract, has just secured a League Two loan at Harrogate.
Good on him, but is he really that much more in demand than our table topping U21s? It’s certainly not because he is more ready physically. Watching his progress at Blackburn, where he scored on his debut, must be a little depressing for his immediate contemporaries, most of whom have been struggling to break into the U21 team because of the log jam of players.
Do they get lots of offers but turn them down, or do they have to work harder to get the loanee clubs interested? Is it the financials of the deal (both ways), is it game time, playing style, getting players out of their comfort zone?
Do we think they develop better or ‘in the right way’ if they stay? Do some players turn down the loans? Are we burnt by experiences (or lack of) of the past?
Why do some clubs send their players abroad vs down the football pyramid? There are just so many questions