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One in, One Out
Yesterday was a busy day for Blues in the loan market with one player leaving on a temporary deal and one coming in. Third choice Nick Townsend has been loaned to Oxford City of the Blue Square Bet North whilst recent trialist Olly Lee has signed on loan from League Two side Barnet, with both deals being until the end of the season.
Townsend has joined Oxford City to replace Matt Ingram who has been recalled to his parent club Wycombe due to the unavailability of their Scottish u21 keeper Jordan Archer. He signs on a youth loan (subject to confirmation with the relevant authorities) until the end of the season and could make his debut for the Hoops away to Colwyn Bay on Saturday.
As his loan is a youth loan I think (although I will have to confirm with the club) that he should continue to train with Blues for a day or two a week and that the club will have a recall within his loan should Blues suffer an injury to either Colin Doyle or Jack Butland. This could be an important move for the teenage keeper as it will give him the chance of competitive action at a good level for his age and experience.
Townsend made his non competitive debut for Oxford City on Wednesday, keeping a clean sheet in 1-0 win in the annual “Town v Gown” match against Oxford University. (Thanks to Matt Collis for this picking up on this)
Olly Lee has signed for Blues on a loan deal that will see him at St Andrews until the end of the season. The 21-year-old midfielder, who is the son of Rob Lee, a former team-mate of Clark’s has been on trial at Blues for the past few weeks and has appeared in two fixtures for the Development Squad. Olly has played thirteen times for the Bees this season including 64 minutes in their opening fixture at St Andrews but hasn’t featured for the Underhill club since early December. He has as of yet not been given a first team number.
There has been some surprise in amongst the fans of Barnet that Lee has been taken on Blues, although some of them seem to rate him as a potential prospect. Barnet Blogger Josh Ilan has tweeted that he thought the transfer was strange due to Lee not featuring for the Bees and not seemingly being good enough for the League Two side. I must admit that I’m similarly sceptical; it reminds me of Blues signing Cian Hughton last season who despite Blues going through a full-back crisis never looked like getting in the side and at 21 Lee is a little old to be seen as a youth prospect.
I have also received good news from the club with the clarification that Shane Ferguson’s loan can be extended after the loan window deadline (5pm, March 28) as long as his loan is continuous. The Newcastle left-sided player is on loan currently until April 1 and has been impressive in his four appearances for the club so far, featuring both at left back and left wing.
Tags: Nick Townsend, Oliver Lee, Shane Ferguson
52 Responses to “One in, One Out”
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i thought the olly lee loan was odd myself do we need another midfielder and as you say it does kind of remind you of the cian hughton situation surely blues dont have the money to take on loan players
smacks of the old pals act
I’m hoping the Newcastle player that got done by that Bruce lee kick means that ferguson has to return ! Hope I’m wrong and he stays as he’s been like a breath of fresh air , someone who wants to get stuck in and get forward , lot of commitment from a lone player too !! Kro
If he is half the player rob lee was then we will have done well. Bit LC could be doing his pal rob lee a favour. Wouldnt mind seeing if he could do any favours for his ex teammates!!!! Maybe shearer has a son whos a striker???
Talking of signings with Blues having a free weekend i am going to Stourport on Saturday to watch their game with Alvechurch in the hope of seeing a Blues great.
Personally I loath international week as the weekend just isn’t the weekend without Blues.
Club before country every day of the week.
How did the horse play is it worth another trip down memory for our man again……
Good Luck to Nick Townsend at Oxford , that does look like a win win for all parties concerned..
does seem like an old pals act to me then i dont no to much about olly lee
but the fact that he played in barnets 5-1 defeat to blues in the cup, but
why another midfield player when we obviousley need a centre half and
a striker. if hes half as good as his dad then he wont be bad player will he.
KRO.
Dan this is excellent news for our young Goalkeeper Nick he need to be put under pressure now, and proper game time will help this. Good Management. We have a lot of out-contract players in the summer maybe another hungry young player to ranks is what needed. Clark will have in his head who will be gone in the summer……so don’t be surprised……inclarkwetrust
excuse my ignorance paul but who is this blues great your going to see mate?
KRO.
The Horse mate
Make sure you feed the horse…and he will score.
Crazyhorse?
30 March 15:00 Oxford City v Solihull Moors
if you want to see Nick in action
We cannot be too surprised or critical of who Blues sign at the momemt because we are not exactly shopping at Harrods are we? Or come to think of it, not Aldi either! Every player deserves an opportunity and Clark is giving him that, its a big, big move for Olly Lee, good luck to him.
I recall that Scott Sinclair wasnt tearing up trees before he came to us on loan. He was previously on loan at Plymouth and we sent him back when his loan deal expired!! Not doing too bad at the Premier League Champions now eh? There is always a delta between current performance and potential. Takes a good manager to see that!
Sol. Sinclair had a very good record whilst out on loan, it was when he came to us that he came to a full-stop..We didnt help his career at all.
I have to agree there Chas, my point was to say that if Lee CLark has been scouting this lad for some time, then he can see some potential so we cant necessary say that he hasnt set the world on for thus far and hence he will not in the future, We must trust Clark’s judgement, I am sure he wouldnt sign him on loan as a simple favour to his mate, if he thought he would be baggage….
yeah and his buys have been excellent haven’t they… Ambrose Mullins Lucas, shall I go on?
Oi dad kick the HMV bloody things stuck again!!
Yes please do go on……..
arsene wenger buys young players on the basis of their technical ability ,and what technical ability is needed he wants in a position that this technical ability is lacking…….thus henrie was a striker not a midfield player any more ……….brian clough bought young players with a special ability ,e.g.the best crosser of a ball he can afford .and then improve his other skills needed in that position……but even if this is an old pals act if it works out bring it on …one mans rubbish is another mans gold………dave
Maybe signing Lee is a favour to his dad or maybe LC has seen something in him that others have missed. Maybe he knew him when he was much younger and has a relationship with him that could spur the kid on.
I think Lee does spot potential in youngsters. Look at Reilly – he wasn’t talked of much as a prospect, not as much Gnahore and others, but he’s the one LC promoted first.
On the other hand maybe LC and his team are simply planning ahead for next season and investing in young players with potential to replace the much-forecast clear-out of players who are out of contract. If we have little or no money to spend then this is a most sensible option and at least we are taking action well in advance unlike in previous years.
nice to see LC capturing the Blues fans imagination again with his loan signings!! Perhaps we can get a couple of mascots from Walsall to join up with the squad before the loan deadline too?
And who do you suggest? May have escaped your attention that we are broke!
there’s actually no need to get anyone else in just for the sake of it, it’s not like there’s a biblical injury crisis waiting for us after the international break.
In 35 years as a Bluenose I’ve never been so non-plussed by what’s happening at St’Ans as I have this season – LC and his backroom and have managed to eviscerate all the spirit and enthusiasm that has surrounded the club in the past few years in just a few short months. We all may continue to point at the financial situation – but who controls the coaching methods and the matchday tactics? That’s down to the manager and his assistants, Statler and Waldorf.
The only silver linings are the fact that the Vile and the DIngles are playing just as bad!
I would almost agree with you Dave, but a cheeky bid for Odemwingie(is that how it is spelled?)) may have been a god thing.;-)
Or even a good thing, if the Divine one doesnt want to get involved.
You’ve seen the coaching methods up close have your Dave to make your qualified assessment or did you give up your season ticket when the Kumars came in, and managed to come up with a new excuse every season. It seems to me the team spirit is good, or are you just joining the flock of internet warriors, that can’t form their own opinion!
so not agreeing with your opinion isn’t a opinion is it???
Baaaa!
The horse has been mentioned a few times today,maybe a double swoop for him & Ian Clarkson(also at Alvechurch) at the tidy age of 42,gotta be another 3 years left in him yet.
the legend that is geoff horsefield, thanks for that paul.
talking off legends mate , when walking to the hull stadium a couple off weeks ago,
bumped into the majic man johnson, had a picture and autograph for my son.
great guy. also saw the horse at blackpool in the playoff semi-final, same again
picture, autograph, great guy also.
shame about the result though.KRO.
My cousin was in The Lazy Cow in Warwick the other Friday night and The Horse was at the bar. He posed for pictures and had a good old chat. Apparently a first rate fella and really down-to-earth. Delighted that he beat his illness. Enjoyed his goals against the Vile enormously.
bit of nepotism with that loan move! alex bruce, cian hughton, now this fella!
Surely its only nepotism if he’s the managers son which he isn’t so whats your point?
burke
gomis
rilley
redmond
fahey
morrisson
ambrose
elliott
spector
ferguson
lee
weve got a team off midfield players, but only 3 fit strikers, and 1 decent
centre half. very strange dont you think.KRO.
Dont forget the quartet of “Scots” players with 1st team experience he,s got / had on trial,,,these just add to the midfield options,,,,,to my thinking he does not rate what he has available for next season in midfield
5 or even 6 of those will PROBABLY be gone in the summer………I know who I would keep…
You missed our Mullins who’s notionally is a midfield man.
for the record mark, and this his only my opinion ide only keep.
burke, rilley, redmond, morrisson(if we could get him again), spector(is versatility)
and ferguson(the same reason has morrisson) and that it. (no fahey sorry1)
KRO.
Think there is far too much reading into the situ here as far as loans concerned – as has been stated we are BROKE !!!!! NO money for loans signings / wages /agents fees etc etc – I am sure the lad who has signed falls within a very tight parameter set by the Hong Kong mismanagement team – remember not so long ago we were unable to signe anyone !!!!! so just lets see ow it panns out as for other positions we are numerically adequat ( as for ability ???? that just comes back to HK MISMANAGEMENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The kid may be on peanuts and his club are paying his salary, hence free gratis like a long term trial. His club gains because he gets a taste of the Championship and quality coaching and assessment. Could be good business in a no lose scenario.
panns out , like it!
As others have said the guy may be on peanuts, so it may be worth the gamble. Clark may also have brought him in now with a view for signing him at the end of the season, and give him plenty of coaching in the way he wants him to play for Blues. As usual we have the usual suspects denigrating him and giving Clark a hard time before he has even kicked a ball for Blues. At the moment I am ashamed of some of our so called fans, it was the same with Wes Thomas give the lad a chance FFS!
agree with you BIS he probably building for next season, with the view that alot of players will be shipped out in the summer. He young and hunger to play at the next level can only be in blues best interest. I also wish somes fans would reflect on this, instead of trying to shoot at Clark at every opportunity with pure negativity. Inclarkwetrust
Amusing to look back two years ago to the day: this is what Al had to say. Has all that much really changed???
“Curtis Davies doesn’t seem to be inspiring confidence in his team mates or the fans”
“We need to be in the position whereby there is competition for places again, and that we’re not reliant on rookie teenagers to show the old stagers how it’s done.”
“We’re not going to keep a clean sheet – our defence has been on the rack recently – so it’s vitally important we start hitting the onion bag with more frequency.”
And famous last words: “I still believe that Blues can stay up, and that McLeish is the right man for the job.”
Hindsight is wonderful tho.. I think most of us thought we would still stay up at ths time two years ago..
Curtis Davies – Quote
“With high expectations, no-one at the club is happy that Blues have not mounted a serious Championship promotion push.
“Before the season started I looked at the squad – who we had lost and who we had gained – and I felt we had just as much a chance maybe as last season,” said Davies.
“But despite that potential, the squad we had on paper, it just hasn’t happened for us”
Where has this money come from to sign a player in a position we’re well stocked. I was hoping to see Koby Arthur before the season end. Seems even stranger now Faheys back.