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Developing loan players

Developing loan players

cragtek

cragtek

Matthew Olosunde Shirt Collector (one owned)
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I know we'd all prefer it if we signed more players on a permanent (myself included), but what I will say is that I feel we're starting to build a reputation for being a great place to send top talent on loan.

Cases in point -

SvdB - 2 great seasons, clear progress both seasons, left a better player than when he arrived
Cameron Archer - Let him roam free and he delivered the goods - quick impact and got lots of game time / confidence
Tom Cannon - Similarly, came in, given game time, backed even when he wasn't scoring and is now absolutely on fire
Alvaro Fernandez - Man Utd can't have expected PNE to give him as much time as he's had with Brady challenging his place, but he's been rewarded when he's played well and has been an absolute star all season

We take a gamble here and there and give prominence and game time to these young talents, and to their credit they don't tend to let us down.
Many clubs would dip these players in and out, and give them games here and there. We've given them solid appearances and they're growing as players, leaving us better than when they arrived.

We're much better at this than the past when we had players like Gordon rotting on the bench (probably for good reason..)

I know it's a point that will be debated for all time on whether we should buy or loan, but I reckon our performance in this area has been pretty strong and probably gives us an edge over other clubs at this level looking to take kids on loan.

So as long as we can sign players here and there with proven quality to go alongside them, I'd actually say this strategy could be working. And if we can identify the right kids and keep getting this talent back, we have a good chance of knocking on the door of that top 6.
 
Clubs like us survive on good loans. We get quality that we physically can’t afford any other way

The problem I have with the club, is the transfer policy should be quality loans to improve the first team, and then cheap development projects alongside them who can develop into quality (like DJ and Pearson). Which we just aren’t doing

We’re bringing in loans we can’t sell, expensive dross we can’t sell, and past-it’s who we can’t sell. Which isn’t a sustainable business model
 
To get into that top 6 though you need to pair young loan players from the premier league with permanent signings of our own. Hemmings doesnt want to fork out money for permanent additions instead we target frees and loans which can work if we get the right ones in. This summer the amount of good players out of contract is the best it has been in a while, if North End are serious about playoffs next season they must offer competitive wages so that they can really ramp up the quality of this squad. It doesnt take much to become a formidable side, Luton being the prime example of that.
 
We've also had loan failures, and when we're banking on the loans to provide all our creativity and goals, because we can't afford to buy it in permanently, that's asking for trouble. Early this season, when we persevered with non-striker Parrott as a striker and left Fernandez on the bench, we were dismally starved of goals.

There's a place for loans to add a dash of Prem quality to a team - and every other club in the Championship is already using them, it's not as if we invented the concept or we're the only Championship club that gives loan signings a good go - in fact, we were slow on the uptake during the TH years, with Ridsdale even telling us they didn't believe in paying to develop other clubs' players.

But loans are no substitute for having your own quality squad of permanent players to begin with. Although for us right now, that's exactly what they are.
 
Thracia said:
We've also had loan failures, and when we're banking on the loans to provide all our creativity and goals, because we can't afford to buy it in permanently, that's asking for trouble. Early this season, when we persevered with non-striker Parrott as a striker and left Fernandez on the bench, we were dismally starved of goals.

There's a place for loans to add a dash of Prem quality to a team - and every other club in the Championship is already using them, it's not as if we invented the concept or we're the only Championship club that gives loan signings a good go - in fact, we were slow on the uptake during the TH years, with Ridsdale even telling us they didn't believe in paying to develop other clubs' players.

But loans are no substitute for having your own quality squad of permanent players to begin with. Although for us right now, that's exactly what they are.
Click to expand...

Indeed..... And that would also include developing a better standard of player going through our youth system rather than the vast majority of ours that will never make it.
 
OB1 said:
Clubs like us survive on good loans. We get quality that we physically can’t afford any other way

The problem I have with the club, is the transfer policy should be quality loans to improve the first team, and then cheap development projects alongside them who can develop into quality (like DJ and Pearson). Which we just aren’t doing

We’re bringing in loans we can’t sell, expensive dross we can’t sell, and past-it’s who we can’t sell. Which isn’t a sustainable business model
Click to expand...
I agree, loans are short term, we need a long term strategy of which that's just a part.

Point of order btw, We can't sell loan players! 😉
 
I'm actually okay with it based on the pedigree we have had in. Speak to Rovers fans though and they will tell you there are a whole host of shitbags at prem clubs who get Championship loans. Our hit rate has been pretty outstanding.

I think our rep for having few decent players and we will definitely be relying on your prem kids will only help us in future. Sepp and Alvaro wouldn't have been expecting to become lynchpins of the side but they have become that.
 
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