Often Partisan

You Can’t Win Anything With Loanees

Birmingham City fielded what is thought to be their youngest ever starting XI on Saturday with an average age of just 21.8 – which was only brought up to that level by the presence of 34-year-old Peter Lovenkrands and 31-year-old Brian Howard.

I think we all remember Alan Hansen famously telling Match of the Day viewers that “you can’t win anything with kids”. Of course he was wrong as the team he was referring to at that time – Manchester United – won the title. Whilst I don’t think Blues are going to be anywhere near even the top six come the end of season shake up, I think Lee Clark’s emphasis on younger players could work out in our favour.

Clark himself has stated how in an ideal world he would prefer to not have to rely on youth so much. Prior to the game there was some concern on social media amongst Blues fans that Reece Brown had missed out although as was pointed out in Tatts’ match report the kid needed a rest – after all we cannot expect a seventeen-year-old to turn in performances week in, week out already. The team is playing the kids because that’s all they could afford to bring in in the window and because it’s all they have – yet not all is lost.

Whilst I must confess it does stick in the craw a little that we played five young players from the two Manchester clubs rather than our own youth, I think we have to understand that it’s more likely that younger players from the top sides in the country are more talented than our own. For example Tyler Blackett may only be a month older than Amari’i Bell but there is a gulf in experience – whilst Bell has played for the development squad and Nuneaton Town, Blackett had turned out for Blackpool including a match against us at St Andrews.

I don’t think it would be so bad if there was a chance we could take the players on if they impressed, like we did with Seb Larsson and Fabrice Muamba after their respective loans from Arsenal but in the current financial state Blues are in that just isn’t going to happen. It’s also concerning that of those five players the only one we definitely have until the end of the season is Federico Macheda; both Tom Thorpe and Blackett can be recalled after February 28 if Manchester United require it whilst Albert Rusnak and Emyr Huws’ loan periods are up on February 22 and March 1 respectively. I don’t even want to think about Lee Clark having to change his team plans again because he’s lost another batch of players after promising performances.

The fact is, whilst the emphasis on youth isn’t as bad as some make out the fact Blues are so reliant on loan players is. There is no way that a team can be built properly to play a league season when players are coming in and going in the manner that they have. Blues have now used an incredible forty players so far this season and we’re still in February. The club is crying out for investment from somewhere and my fear is that still won’t be forthcoming for the forseeable future.

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91 Responses to “You Can’t Win Anything With Loanees”

  • mark says:

    any news daniel on thorpe injury……because if that’s serious he will obviously have to dip in the loan system against no doubt???…………………..

  • StaffsBlue says:

    It must have been a young team, because we fielded 6 teenagers last season, against Burnley, and that was thought to be our youngest ever side. I’d be interested to know how much difference there was between the two sides (average age-wise.)

    I think, at the moment, we have to go with whatever gets us the points. We need another 20 points I would think.. once we reach that target, we might be able to relax a little bit. It’ll be interesting to see which players will be used in the next few weeks, as 4 of our next 5 games are away from home. Will he stick with the kids, or bring a little bit of experience back. At least Lee Clark has a few more options now.

  • DaveBCFC says:

    Whilst Tyler Blackett may have had a little more experience over Bell, I felt that he looked completely out of his depth compared to Bell’s performance against better opposition last Tuesday.

    It was grossly unfair for Clark to drop Bell, and I sincerely hope he shows a little more faith and loyalty to his own players in future.

    Likewise, the decision to drop Brown after a good run of form was a little more than surprising.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      Bell’s inexperience was also exposed against Leicester a few times, especially with the winning goal from Vardy. But, his time will come again. It’s ideal for Lee Clark to be able to, as he says, “dip them in and out.” As for Brown, Clark was advised by the fitness team that he needed rest. Not much point having a fitness team if you don’t take notice of them.

  • mark says:

    like staffs mentioned DaveBCFC clark got more options to play with…………hopefully Ziggy realized that he also needs to put more effort in, as clark got also more options up front………….
    Man city have also realized what a talented young player we have in Reece Brown……

  • Agent McLeish says:

    Well done to LC and the team. Great performance considering the late addition of players and the situation at the club.

  • mark says:

    wonder what swop or deals have been done, blues covered their bases by giving Reece a contract hopefully he not interested in them, and wish to continue his development with us………amazingly the mirror jump on it maybe the only time they are actual lol

  • Richard Granfield says:

    It appears a condition of the loan agreements is that the Manchester players play first ream football, so get priority over our permanent players.

    • Blueboy88 says:

      If that is true then shame on us..

      The decision on who plays should be with the coaching staff based on form , formation, & the opposition, not the whim of the loanees club

      • Richard Granfield says:

        Blueboy88
        In an ideal world LC would be in control of who plays and to a certain degree he is. But as we have seen before with Dan Burn, the loaner club dictates terms and if those terms aren’t met, the loan doesn’t proceed.

        • chas says:

          Where did you get your info from, Richard ? I am not saying you are wrong, I don’t know , I am just wondering , that’s all .

          • Richard Granfield says:

            I have no inside info. but if you put yourself in City and United’s shoes, why would they loan players to Blues? The only rational answer is for them to experience first team Championship football. The alternative is for Blues to play them in the Development Squad and that would make no sense for either Blues or the Manchester clubs.

          • tmsblues says:

            Chas I put this to you last week as confirmed by Staffs too. Clark outlined ti Viera in which games the City loanees would play. No doubt he did the same with Utd youngsters(exc Macheda). Clark says this is what he’s done so it shows he’s agreeing to have the team picked by proxy! It can’t be good for those left out. I was pleased to see Howard and Martin play after all they want to win contracts with us !!

        • blueboy88 says:

          The fault-line in all this is with the amount of loanees we currently have , half the team will pick itself regardless of form or results..

          Which can’t be right >

    • steve says:

      Wouldn’t want to be the one to tell Robbo he’s being dropped for a young loanee.

  • Mineheadblue says:

    I take all of the comments above….but we are where we are in relation to funding and investment and for the first time this season, I’ve still got a grin on my face after the performance on Saturday. Well done Lee Clark and well done ALL lads. I’m also happy that we’ve got Macheda for the rest of the season. Lets just hope that the conclusion of the trial brings about positive change.

  • edd77 says:

    That pass from Martin on sat was fantastic, where he sent macheda through before Burke scored,quality

  • Nick says:

    You CAN win with loanees……………..has everyone forgotton the season we had Niklas Bentner, Fabrice Muamba and Sabastian Larsson all on LOAN. We came second in the league.

  • Paul Carter - a lover of BCFC he says:

    Shows exactly the job Lee has on his hands. Hats off to him for getting these loans as they may well be the deciding factor in keeping us up. Agree it’s not ideal but given the constraints it’s the best we could hope for and I for one think he’s done a great job again.

  • Bluenosesol says:

    Lee Clark’s priority is to ensure we have a squad of players who can secure our league safety. In the current situation that is all that matters. As Richard observed, if he takes in youth loanees on short term deals, he has to commit to the parent clubs to actually play them. This all affects his ability to pick the best team available and also undermines his ability to play tactically. Massive credit to Lee that we are not ten points adrift by now, which is where anyone would expect us to be given the onerous circumstances we find ourselves in.

  • Alan Watton says:

    Lets face it we are where we are. Clarke is putting out a competitive team, which when you think we had lost Eardley, Bartley, Burn, Robinson. Murphy, Hancox, Spector, Mullins. Elliot .Mclean, Linguard, and now Thorpe is an achievement in itself.

    Blackett looked quite assured until he lost his best mate and looked no better than Bell and certainly not Hancox . Thorpe sadly really looked the real deal but Austin did ok.
    They all will benefit with a weeks training together.
    Good to see some stirrings amongst the protesters. Lets have that banner behind the goal at Charlton next week where it can be give a proper airing with no interference

  • Chris W says:

    Fair comments, I think all we can hope for is some consistency until the end of season.
    This month is going to be pivotal for the future of BCFC, or rather BIHL.
    I’m not sure if I watched the same games but I thought Bell played better against Leicester than Blackett against Derby.
    I didn’t want to really comment on individual performances as it would be unfair giving the time they had as a team together.
    Saturday there were a lot of headless chickens and some bright sparks, this will improve with time together, and I don’t mean that in any way critical of LC or the players.
    LC and the team will work with them and we will see a big difference come Charlton.
    The important thing is we have cover in all departments, we still have Robbo to come back, we can keep players fresh and have a decent bench to alter things as we did on Saturday with Burke and Macheda.
    As you say it can only be good for our young players to be around these talented players.
    On a lighter note, I heard a rumour we have been offered an American School Bus till the end of season in place of the official team coach.
    KRO+DNM

  • Poppa999 says:

    I think we can improve with this side as that was their first outing together and Derby are a settled and formidable team.
    My only worry is, any fresh investment might evaporate with signs of unrest and even abuse at fan level.
    KRO

  • dave mann says:

    lot of balls shown saturday comming back the way we did and culd end up being a good
    point, blackett had a nightmare and gave away a rediculous penalty but a good game by
    the team generally and the gap to the bottom three is now 6 points instead of 5 so quite
    happy there, the protests were great but we have to do this in a live game to get through
    to more people.KRO.

    • StaffsBlue says:

      No such luck Dave. The list on Sky goes up to 29th March. QPR are on 3 times.. so are Leeds (who are 11th. Why them?) The midlands teams, Leicester, Derby and Forest get 3 games between them. No sign of Blues.

      • Paul Carter - a lover of BCFC he says:

        Agree that any flags really need to be shown on TV at a live game in order for the majority of our fans to be able to see them.

      • Big Bill says:

        What’s wrong with Midlands Today and Central News carrying the protests, and THEN the good old BBC making it National and THEN International News?

        Leeds have been getting plenty of “Fan Protest” coverage recently, so we must get the “nationals” to cover Blues.

        • Wingman Blue says:

          Regarding Leeds’ profile, because of their history in the Revie years, they are seen by the local media as the biggest club in Yorkshire. Unfortunately we aren’t seen as even second in the Midlands. It hurts, but there’s an element of never having the ‘big’ reputation, that the losing of makes news.

          • Big Bill says:

            Yes, I agree with your assessment Wingman. Leeds ARE seen as the “biggest” team in Yorkshire, and we are not (currently) the biggest team in the Midlands, which means we must all work even harder to get that publicity we need to make an impact.

            Tickets are going nicely for Charlton on Saturday, over 1200 sold so far, and more are available AND another 500 have been requested SO, everyone, get yourselves down to The Valley and let’s make some NOISE!!!

  • ChrisG says:

    I think you have to take your hat off to LC for what he’s doing & without whinging & moaning. However, it would be really interesting to see what he could do if he did ever get any money to spend!!!.

  • Tony says:

    If its true Viera is picking his players for selection its no bad thing, his selections have to be better than Clarks. Also to compare Larson to any of these kids is ridiculous.

  • Pedants R Us says:

    Taking nothing away from the point of your piece, the bit about the average age for Saturday’s starting lineup being 21.8 and Blues lowest ever is cobblers. More like 24. Work it out for yourself.

    The average for the Leicester game was lower, but still well over 22.

    • almajir says:

      Going by what Tatts said, I believed him…

      I checked

      Randolph (26), Caddis (25), Thorpe (21), Packwood (20), Blackett (19), Huws (20), Howard (31), Adeyemi (22), Rusnak (19), Lovenkrands (34), Novak (25)

      Total = 262 – divided by 11 is 23.8
      Outfield players – 236 – divide by 10 is 23.6

      Even with the seven subs Doyle (28), Martin (24), Macheda (22), Brown (17), Burke (30), Reilly (20), Lee (22) it doesn’t change much – to 23.6

      • DoctorD says:

        The 21.8 figure comes from averaging the ages of the nine youngest players in the starting XI i.e. leaving out Lovenkrands and Howard.

        • Chris W says:

          As with most stats they can be manipulated to what you want them to show.
          LC’s 42 game unbeaten run at Huddersfield seemed impressive till you break it down to how many games the drew from winning positions etc.
          We went 10 games unbeaten, again impressive on paper, but we never won any home games, now it’s not so impressive.
          Saturdays Average ages by years:
          Starting line up average 23.8
          Finishing line up average 24.54
          Match day 18 man squad average 23.6
          KRO+DNM

  • Oldbluenose says:

    Considering there was barely a few days at our club for most loanees, [ Macheda, only a couple of hours ], That was a fantstic performance and fighting spirit shown, which makes one feel a ray of hope for the rest of this season,!!.

    It will be a crying shame if Tom Thorpe’s only appearance for us was just those few min’s, as his class was so apparent, ?.

    Under the conditions of the loans by the Manchester clubs, I think L,C’s choices are made for him but all of them show good aptitudes so hopefully bodes well for us.

  • mike b says:

    hi all………..has anyone seen or heard from ziggy….???

  • Paul Carter - a lover of BCFC he says:

    Me mate, I’ve seen him loads of times

  • castanucci says:

    it’s almost getting to the point now where Clark is receiving universal praise from fans, media and pundits alike.

    We could end up in a situation where he has got himself a move to a club with a transfer pot, engaged owners and a healthy squad. Who would blame if he went?

    If we stay up this season, and he got an offer, I wouldn’t begrudge him the move, he would have earnt it.

    I was one of the ones who wanted him out, but I’m a Lee Clark convert, PRAISE THE LORD!

    KRO

    • Chris W says:

      I was the same, wanted Clark out, but I did say at the start of the season I would give him a second chance.
      I still have reservations, but who can criticise him with what he has had to endure so far this season and we still have a third+ to play, like the team on Saturday, how can you complain when they were still working on who was who.
      Credit where credit is due, and I do believe we will be lucky to keep him in the summer.
      Then we will start all over again from scratch, “Better the devil you know”, I wonder where we would be if LC had been allowed to keep some of those youngsters and been able to strengthen rather than rebuild every transfer window.
      KRO+DNM

      • StaffsBlue says:

        A lot of good points there Chris.

        • Chris W says:

          Thanks Staffs, I try to be fair as much as possible, credit where due.
          I would hate to be in LC’s shoes every window, never knowing who he will have to pick from, and this time he has bought in half a team.
          Makes you wonder how much BIHL, CY, PP or whoever is actually controlling the purse strings, is holding back or has available.
          We seem to conjure up something every window.
          Just hope all these new guys can gel into something solid and they have thick skins because the end of season run in is going to tough, exciting and I feel very, very close.
          I said at the start of season we had a squad that should comfortably finish 10th/12th, I still believe that, but the points between mid-table and relegation will not be that vast, like when we were relegated, one goal and the whole world would have been so so different.
          KRO+DNM

          • StaffsBlue says:

            Every time Lee Clark starts to get the team playing well and picking up a few results (pre-Xmas) he gets the rug pulled from under him (post-Xmas.) It must be soul-destroying for him sometimes, knowing that whatever he does, someone p*sses on his bonfire. But, he never moans about finances, players being sold, injuries, etc etc… he just gets on with the job. It seems that the only thing that riles him, is when players don’t give 100% to the club, the way he does.. and he’s entitled to feel like that. If some can’t/won’t do what’s asked, ship ’em out and bring someone in who can. Just like every other manager.

          • Big Bill says:

            Like I said earlier……..

            Zigic is surely HISTORY now!!!

          • Chris W says:

            I think since he has arrived at Blues he has never been afraid to drop players.
            I still believe things went on behind the scenes which resulted in certain players being shipped out or not played, player revolt, managers attitude to seasoned players, players attitude to a new manager, until LC writes his autobiography we will never know.
            He isn’t so open now and it seems at lot of “footballing reasons” are more prevalent these days.
            He does have a little dig about finances, but he knows he can’t change that, he knows the tools he has to work with and basically gets on with it.
            He is never going to build a Ferrari, but he will keep the old Ford ticking over until a new shop opens.
            KRO+DNM

  • des says:

    If Lee Clark can keep us safe from relegation this year then that is a massive success imho. we live in hope that the ownership issue will be sorted before the next window closes, HOWEVER please Blues fans bear in mind we are not the only team in this league with money problems Qpr Bolton Blackburn Leeds all have MASSIVELY worse debt positions than us, in fact QPR will be first club to fall foul of FFP rules if they dont win promotion.

    KRO

  • simon says:

    Did anyones else think that Blackett was poor? I’m open to everyones opinions but aside from his best jackie chan impersonation (only those few blinded by loyalty were protesting), he didnt offer anythign on the overlap. He passed more backwards than forwards and he seemed to stand off far too long.

    It may have been the way clark played, setting out the diamond. Caddis also had no support going forward. The amount of times he was left with 2 to mark/run at him. As soon as burke came on we had some width, someone offering an option and some good balls into the box.

    Packwood i thought was probably our best player on the day. I’d keep the faith with him, especially as he’s home grown

    • TR7 says:

      I don’t like slating any willing players , especially young lads , loanees and new arrivals etc , but yes I did think Blackett had a very poor game . The times he did overlap or ‘bomb on ‘ seemed to be exactly the wrong decision and we were left wide open. However , dropping Bell back in again after Tues night ,could have scarred him for life. Clarke probably spent the whole pre-match talk having to actually introduce these guys to each other, so lets hope time will iron out the understandable lack of cohesion we are currently displaying and give these boys some familiarity and confidence in each other.

  • Paul Carter - a lover of BCFC he says:

    It’s really simple Simon, the better the quality of player the better we’ll play and these loanees are fantastic.

    Agree re Packwood

  • ErnieD says:

    The Charlton game is massive for us, if we can grab another draw we have a chance of staying up. Experience down there will really help, so let’s keep our fingers crossed. You never know who LC will pick from week to week in our midfield, so lets hope the right names come up this weekend. I know Chris Burke can frustrate at times but when he’s not there we look toothless. we can’t moan about lack of experience when he’s sat on the bench….

    You have to give credit to all the youngsters for the point at the weekend, but I have to say the front two looked really poor against a poor defence and added nothing, (Derby have conceded more than any club in the top 14 and only have 3 clean sheets all season..to put that in context we have twice as many clean sheets and have conceded fewer goals) well done to the lads who got on the score sheet though really pleasing to see…

    • Shirley Blue says:

      Novak and Lovenkrands are a very poor combination and very poor individually. Zigic and Macheda up front has got to be the first choice surely.

      • Big Bill says:

        I agree that Novak and Lovenkrands are not the “real deal” (and never will be) but they were the “best” we had to start with last Saturday.

        Forget Zigic. He really is HISTORY.

        It will soon be Macheda and Lingard up front (= “Man Utd Duo”).

  • Why did Clark leave out Burke till the 75th minute?
    He’s a ‘numpty ‘ for doing that.
    No justification whatsoever.

    • Bluenosesol says:

      In case we went 3-1 down and needed an impetus to pull it back to 3-3.

    • Chris W says:

      Since statistics are being banded about today, it was the 69th minute.
      After Tuesdays performance I thought Burke was poor, he couldn’t cross the road let alone a ball, his corners never beat the first man and he wasn’t making his runs, he was letting Caddis go down the line.
      I thought he was carrying an injury at the time, maybe he was and LC rested him.
      Maybe, despite all he said in the papers, an offer came in and it wasn’t accepted, so his mindset wasn’t right.
      Many things happen in a dressing room that supporters never hear unless someone comes forward.
      LC was far too open and transparent last season, now he keeps things in house or quotes “Footballing reasons”. The only criticism re: Burke’s substitution would be bringing him on 10 minutes earlier for Adeyemi, who, imo, still looked unfit. Everything else on Saturday and given the circumstances I was comfortable with.
      KRO+DNM

      • StaffsBlue says:

        For a winger, Burke’s crossing is abysmal.. as you said, he couldn’t cross the road. He seems to be all for cutting in and shooting with his left foot now. That’s great when it comes off… but when it doesn’t, he doesn’t seem to have much else in his locker these days. As you also said, he allows Caddis to bomb on instead… but then Caddis gets caught in no-man’s land when the move breaks down.

        As for Adeyemi, he doesn’t seem over his injury properly yet. He’s not been imposing himself on a game like he usually does. Maybe he should sit out another couple of games, and come back fit and refreshed, because the normal Adeyemi is a must in the side.

        • TR7 says:

          I took a Derby fan to the game , and was just explaining to him about Burke’s ‘random’ crossing ability and how he can cut in , set himself up and whack the odd goal in with his left foot when bingo it happened . He just looked at me , and I said , ” like that ” .
          A moment to savour believe me.

        • Chris W says:

          Once the “New Kids on the Block” get to know each other and have a couple of games under their belt we may see players rested, LC is never shy to “Tinker” as is often quoted, now he has options and I can see this happening more so.
          If it keeps all parties happy and we get the results I won’t have a problem with it, but change for the sake of changing never works.
          Burke is another conundrum, Leicester he was ineffective, was that down to Leicester’s marking or a tired Burke, Derby was inspirational and effective, but it also bought Caddis into the equation, many around me were saying Caddis should have been taken off, until Burke came on, then he became “The Man” suddenly, shows how fickle some Blues supporters are.
          KRO+DNM

    • EDD77 says:

      Says I the bham mail Burke and Brown down to the advice of the sports science department were among the subs ,so that’s why they didn’t start

    • Paul Carter - a lover of BCFC he says:

      Cos he’s the manager who makes the call.

      Burke is much better as an impact player

  • MR says:

    Hang on a minute. Am I the only one who thinks the drafting in of youth players has happended whilst LC has had other options? He claims he is forced to loan in and blood young players but as a manager he is the one who;

    1. Fell out with Zigic – one of our most effective and experienced players
    2. Loaned out Mullins – not a world beater but more than capable of doing a a job as a very experienced player
    3. Loaned out Elliott – again a very experienced player who given a decent run can do a job in midfeidl
    4. Loaned out Ambrose – I think his under use has been a criminal waste of a talented player. Yes the player has a responsibility to shine in training and prove he wants a place in the team but LC has repeatedly failed to bring out the best in this player.
    5. Left Burke on the bench!!!!! Whilst claiming he had no choice but to play young loanees
    6. Brings in a player with some first team experience in Martin…then plays a rookie centre half from Man U just to keep them happy (I presume)?
    7. He still has Shinne, Allan, Lee, Reilly and Ferguson to pick from but he drops them / doesnt pick them in favour of recently loaned kids from Man C and Man U??

    I dont buy this is all down to the financial situation, he’s still had a decent squad to pick from.

    All just goes to prove LC hasn’t got a clue as a manager and I still say the sooner he leaves the better.

    KRO.

    • Big Bill says:

      Move along now. Your comments are mostly, I said MOSTLY, old hat (especially the one about Zigic).

      We have a new team now, haven’t you noticed? It happens in football (ask David Moyes!!!).

      Let’s get behind Lee Clark AND of course the Team and get a WIN at Charlton.

      • Shirley Blue says:

        We haven’t got a new team. They are not our players and they potentially could all have gone back by the end of February. Does Blackett deserve to stay in the team ahead of Hancox when he is fit for example?

    • Art Watson says:

      No you’re not the only one.

      But you have to admire the loyalty of those fans who continue to support LC and those who still believe he’s a good manager.

    • Shirley Blue says:

      There were a few odd things went on last season as well – Fahey for example.

    • Tony says:

      agree with all your points Mr, he has loaned out better players than he has signed

    • Pete says:

      Finally, someone else who sees he has bought a lot of it on himself.
      Yes he has had his hands tied in most respects, but he changes things too quickly.
      Falls out with people, or just decides they are not in favour today.
      Dudka in and out, Howard good debut then nothing for two games. Elliot didn’t get a run. He meddles and discards too often.
      Rather than youth, we are crying out for balance, the right works ok but the left is empty all the time…

  • bluenoserob says:

    its an interesting point that LC has fallen out (or so it seems ) with a fair number of the senior players , is that some fault in his management style ? or is it that he doesnt take any s**t from those players who should know better? Whichever it is , its a shame that often a huge slice of our very limited playing budget sits on the bench and often the stands come match day. dont get me wrong its great to see the young lads getting a chance ,but i think a better mix of the young and old would have been better , it is however what it is and i think lee is doing a good job with what he has.

  • Poppa999 says:

    I would imagine Clark will re-introduce Zigic at Charlton. Keep him away from moaning home fans until they pick on someone else.

  • ErnieD says:

    Poppa999 – great point, let’s hope LC is smart enough to think like that.

    Re LC – i’m sure he is a great bloke to go for a pint with and I really applaud his lack of moaning but if we ever get in a position to spend 5 to 10 mil would you really trust him to spend it if it was the only money we had?

  • mark says:

    there will always be a chance of a ziggy return but if put as much effort into his football than he did his moaning maybe he can still an asset before he leaves………..kro

  • philanza says:

    A while back people were saying that if Carson was found guilty, the Footnall lleague might step in and force him to sell, even if he appeals..I see this as our only hope of getting rid of them, but nobody has mentioned that happening recently and the verdict being this month I wondered why it had gone so quiet on that front.. Anyone shed some light? or is it as easy as if he goes down, he hands the reigns over to his other family members which still leaves us with no money and unfit to carry on.

  • Jimbo says:

    I think one positive that we can take from this is that the big teams are willing to loan us their youth fringe players. It reinforces that we have a good back room staff and the facilities that clubs are happy to let their players be subjected to.

    I am worried that we are being used as a finishing school but hopefully with a cash injection we may be able to snap up some players and make ah less reliant on the loan system at the end of the year.

  • Wingman Blue says:

    Our 5 new loanees are not Messiahs, they’re just loanees. They play, they move on. They may be replaced by other loanees that might be better or worse. What is consistently unsettling is this revolving-door situation where we need to pick the loanees first to get the most out of their short-term contracts. Our ‘core’ team turns up for work unsure whether they can play ahead of the latest boy wonders. How would you feel if that was you?

    Managing that situation would take a confident manager able to handle people with a sure, light touch.


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