If you're having to go back to the 2007/08 season to find a youngster on loan who we developed well, it's pretty clear that we don't develop loan kids well and it's not like we've not had really talented ones either. Longman did well, which Jones did we have on loan? It's also funny how time changes people's perceptions of Slater's loan spell with us. He got a fair whack of criticism throughout the majority of the season and was a backup player until the final run-in. I was one of the few at the time who were banging the drum about him being a must sign when the majority of this board weren't bothered.
I don't have to go back to 07/08 at all. We've developed loans to establish championship players in the last couple of years, we've developed huge talent from Campbell, Magure, Robertson, Wilson, Aina, Bowen, KLP pretty consistently. You're just putting too much stock on the terms and conditions.
I don't quite understand this discussion of 'developing' players on loan. Either they come in and they're good and we don't get the credit because they were always good, or they come in and they're **** and we get bashed for not developing them. Is the point of a single loan period to 'develop' a player, or is it to gradually increase their experiences in football year on year? Would we be criticising FGR if Callum Jones comes back still not ready for our first team? Or would we think that if he's had a reasonable season with them he's ready for League One? Are Cheltenham good at developing players because Greaves came into our team or **** because Sheaf didn't?
It's well known that clubs give more opportunities to their own permanent players rather than loanees and that's the case everywhere. It's why we've struggled to get decent loan moves for many of our young kids. Loanees have to hit the ground running and young players generally need repeated exposure, whilst allowing for mistakes, which loan clubs don't offer as it's a short term solution for them and they don't care about the long term growth of a player.
Hope ManC Consider you when Pep leaves mate cos he sanctioned the loan and didn't sanction his other offers. And Slater and Longman were initially loans in the last 2 years who did get their opportunity. We ended up signing Simons after 1 start ffs.
He also sanctioned 2 loans to sides that don't suit Delap, so let's not pretend that they actually care.
they were both good clubs. Let's face it his dad was the real reason he left Stoke he did pretty well there and my Preston mate reckons ridsdale got loads of **** when he chose us over them cos they can see his potential. You clearly can't. Having never seen him up close. They thought he might go to Blackburn though who were also interested according to the Preston grapevine. I think I'd have been blown out of the water by now by an 'itk' if it wasn't happening so its pretty arbitrary arguing. Twine is deffo a target and I get the impression were confident on it barring any unforseen circumstance like injury or a late blowout bid.
I honestly don't understand the thinking behind sending him to Preston after a tricky spell at Stoke. I'm quite intrigued because if Tetteh and Oscar stay, stay fit and play well, I don't think he'll get that many minutes. That's assuming we play as we have been with 2 up top with one being an attacking midfielder. He'll have to take whatever chances he does get.
If we regularly play 2 up top or switch to 2 up top in games then all 3 strikers will get plenty of minutes when inevitable rotation that the knocks the season brings kick in - but where Preston saw him as a Riis stand in I think we envision him running in being and using his pace, not just his height. When we've had 2 strikers fit (which was half a dozen games at most) under Rosey thats what we've generally done. If we do sell Oscar then I'm sure we'll bring in another. Speaks volumes that we played midfielders in a front 2 when we had no recognised strikers, despite both Longman (when selected) and Ali being played wide who both have been touted as potential 9s in the past.
As of right now, assuming Seri & Slater occupy the deeper midfield roles, it's 2 from Oscar, Tetteh, Traore, Tufan, and Delap. That's really good depth plus there's a new no.10 coming in. We needed that 3rd out and out striker but that's some congestion to start regularly
Yeah, but slayer and Tufan can play about 5 positions and the incoming 10, if it's who it seems likely to be can play wide too. It's you who said we needed wholesale changes and lacked depth mate, not me.
We do need plenty of changes as there are 7 other positions we lack depth in. (RB and LCB are sorted, Greaves will obviously need replacing if he goes)
But if he goes it's because we gat a fee that allows us to sort potentially 3 or 4 positions. Though Smith looked good in partnership with Greaves last night. As an aside. And you're still ignoring the point that Liam probably wants the option to play a front 2 if not from the start you still need 2 fit strikers in the squad at any given time to change to that.
