by AustrianAndyGull » 28 Mar 2014, 23:17
I think it is an excellent resource for lower league clubs to be able to add to their meagre squads by bringing in players on loan for short periods. It also can help the players themselves so long as they don't arrive with an attitude problem thinking they are too good to play in the lower leagues which can and has happened.
The problem arises when managers like Knill become obsessed with it and begin shipping in players left right and centre, most turning out to be no better than we already have. This has a major disruptive influence on the team especially when loanees are seemingly randomly brought in and then given starting berths over established professionals. Again Mr Knill was the master, dropping Pearce for O'Connor, sending Lathrope to Hereford and bringing in McCourt, playing Callum Ball every week for months at the expense of contracted players when in actual fact he was even worse than a bag of mint humbugs.
For Knill there was no excuse, he was just using loanees to try and cover up the immense gaffes he had made in the transfer market whilst in Hargreaves' case he is trying desperately to add something that we may be missing in order to keep us up. Two entirely different scenarios. Admittedly each and every one of the players CH has brought in have been absolutely appalling and I include Goodwin in that although he is the one who emerges with most credit, however, given this I find it difficult to get excited over Shaquille and Bailey.
So I think loanees can help us as a club immeasurably but ultimately it is managerial acumen that pinpoints them and fits them in to the set up relatively successfully. Other than Paul McCallum and perhaps John Marquis, of all of them we've had only these two have done ok IMO but like I say, it's down to the manager to identify the players who can come in and do a job and this season so far this acumen has been sadly absent.
I think it is an excellent resource for lower league clubs to be able to add to their meagre squads by bringing in players on loan for short periods. It also can help the players themselves so long as they don't arrive with an attitude problem thinking they are too good to play in the lower leagues which can and has happened.
The problem arises when managers like Knill become obsessed with it and begin shipping in players left right and centre, most turning out to be no better than we already have. This has a major disruptive influence on the team especially when loanees are seemingly randomly brought in and then given starting berths over established professionals. Again Mr Knill was the master, dropping Pearce for O'Connor, sending Lathrope to Hereford and bringing in McCourt, playing Callum Ball every week for months at the expense of contracted players when in actual fact he was even worse than a bag of mint humbugs.
For Knill there was no excuse, he was just using loanees to try and cover up the immense gaffes he had made in the transfer market whilst in Hargreaves' case he is trying desperately to add something that we may be missing in order to keep us up. Two entirely different scenarios. Admittedly each and every one of the players CH has brought in have been absolutely appalling and I include Goodwin in that although he is the one who emerges with most credit, however, given this I find it difficult to get excited over Shaquille and Bailey.
So I think loanees can help us as a club immeasurably but ultimately it is managerial acumen that pinpoints them and fits them in to the set up relatively successfully. Other than Paul McCallum and perhaps John Marquis, of all of them we've had only these two have done ok IMO but like I say, it's down to the manager to identify the players who can come in and do a job and this season so far this acumen has been sadly absent.
