Loaning A Squad Isn't The Answer

[walrus]

The Proctor/Fallon swap deal as it effectively is, albeit with Fallon travelling down a league to high-fliers Yeovil, seems to me a large and unnecessary risk.  With Holmes, Slabber and Proctor on-loan here, and with realistically only Slabber having a half-chance of being here beyond the end of this season, it could have a derogatory impact on moral.

Admittedly, our current situation is slightly dismal in that prior to the beginning of this season the majority of fans and pundits would have perhaps expected us comfortably within the top 6, although perhaps an assault on the automatic places was a little unrealistic and a case of blinkered, ardent fans, so we need something to get us going.  However, we have just begun an amazing run of form, brought in Harford, so why now the swap of Proctor for Fallon.  From what I've seen of Proctor, which was albeit several years ago when Sunderland graced the Premiership, he looked dire.  He is more used to relegation battles than promotion struggles.

It is a similar case with Howard and Holmes.  Many posters on here seem to dislike, or at least have a poor image, of Howard which I cannot understand.  In my opinion they are similar players, although Holmes has a great ability to excite and will undoubtedly go on to be a fantastic player for Derby County.  However, surely we should focus on our own growing youth in Brian Howard who also has the capability of being a great player, rather than alienating him and run the risk of losing him to another club - after all, he must have some appeal as Chelsea wanted him when we signed him back in Summer 2003.

With Slabber yet to score, although striking a good partnership with Fallon, it is perhaps fair to say loan deals to not guarantee the receiving club a great player.  More often than not, it is another club's rubbish.  With Roberts returning to fitness, and Fallon and Howard demonstrating on a number of occasions that they are capable, why do we need so many loans, when we already have a near fit squad.

Currently Robinson, Nicholas, Reeves and Garrard, good, decent, League One players in their own right, don't even make the bench and that is prior to the signing of Proctor.  Now Slabber, Proctor or Roberts (when fit) will not have a place in the match squad either.  What is the point, when the money could far better be invested in the backroom staff, where cuts have been made recently.[/i]

[Dazzza]

Good post chief, agree with a few points.

Got to say though with Fallon he never looks like scoring with Parkin and the main man himself often looks to suffer with the Kiwi along side him.

Big Bri seems to fancy himself as a central midfielder.  He should have really been back on the wing as soon as we switched back to 4-4-2 but by that stage Holmes was here and had made that spot his own.

Most of Howard’s stick is because of his gut.  Hopefully a disciplinarian like Harford will soon have that shifted, with Walsh I always imagine him and Brian regularly breaking away from training to share a big meat pie together.  Bit of a difference though, Holmes is quit a disciplined traditional left winger while Howard likes to drift a fair bit into the middle and doesn’t get half as many crosses in.

Slabber is a freebie so it's neither here nor there.  I'd rather Rory was on the bench but again Slabber has brought out the best in Parkin and by the whole has played very well, just been unlucky putting it in the back of the net.  In the mean time may as well let Rory get some match practice and hopefully get his stock up so when he does leave we get a decent fee for him.

Hopefully during the summer with a few comings and goings the management should be able to jig things around so they have a balance where loan players won’t be quite so necessary as they have been of late.