Lot of chat doing the rounds that the guy will be with us in January after his summer widow fiasco. A figure of less than £5M is expected to be involved, and not all of that up front. Can't quote an "inside" source because I haven't got one, but I've heard it mentioned a few times this past fortnight by different people and again today about half an hour ago. Apparently this is not just idle wishful thinking, and has real substance. It's back on after it was said at the time that the player was doing a "Capoue" type standoff hoping for a "bigger" club to come in. It's since been suggested that the player genuinely wanted to sign, but his agent was the driving force behind the stalling. If we do get him down that left flank and move Whitts back inside, with a genuine target man (Corney?) in the middle I can see a lot of positives. The difference a true wide man on the right in Noone made getting balls into the box says it's got to happen on the left side as well.
Yes Eldon, looks like a clear attempt at derailment to me - I've got my eye on him. Meanwhile, back on the ranch.......................
If this Montero stuff is a lot of old bollucks (and I don't honestly think it is from the stuff I've been told), we still need someone with pace down the left. We are so pedestian going forward on that side. I hope Malky has got other targets and Tan will back him even if it's a loan for now with maybe an option to buy. Don't like loan players generally - they often lack committment as we've experienced in the past, but a decent contract dangling at the end of the loan period tends to focus the mind.
Alternatively a loanee in the premiership will want to give their best display to show their own manager what they have to offer. If not their own manager potential new managers.
I do agree it puts them in the shop window, but a lot of potential loanees often have a higher opinion of themselves than their managers. That would be up to Malky and his team to sift through. The player has to want change and to come to the club in much the same way that Steve Caulker did when we bought him. Giving up sitting on the sidelines with a top club in order to play consistently with another can be a big pull. Having to go back to your parent club anyway after the loan period for more of the same must be a turn off in attitude whilst on loan. Something to go for could be a big incentive for a fringe player who has a number of others in front of him in the pecking order back home.
I think loanees have it bad but it is character building as they have to adjust mentally to the situation they are in, some step up to the challenge whilst others fade away. There is a world of difference between going to a premier league club on loan than dropping a division. The loanees club knows what type of character the player is and what the players weakness is, so they would loan out according to their needs to see how that player adapts and performs.
I've heard this rumour also; it's been around for ages and there are people who definitely think the deal has already been done. It was great to see Noone playing on Saturday but to me he is wasted on the right because he invariably has to cut inside and then becomes predictable. Against better full backs he is likely to suffer. I wish MM would play him on the left which is his natural position and I have to question why a new left sided player is necessary when the solution might already be at the club.
