Column: Loan Players

There isn’t a more unforgiving system in English Football than the loan player conveyor belt. You either catch a good one who provides a degree of success, before breaking your heart as they move on to better things, or you’re stuck with a disappointment, who you will likely have to play for a set amount of games or risk a fee/damaging club relations. Whilst the loan market has a significant role in allowing young players to develop, has its value significantly decreased? I don’t know about you, and maybe it has something to do with our league position, but the standard of loan player coming through the door has significantly dropped over the past few years. For every Ryan Fraser, there is an Anthony Georgiou, and this week I want to look at how the loan market is becoming a redundant venture for clubs like Ipswich.

Let me preface this column with an acknowledgment of how valuable loan moves can be. Allowing players to go out and experience ‘proper football’ is an important stage of development for every young player, but we now appear to be approaching a point where the top young players skip the loan stage and step straight into their club’s senior squads. This isn’t a bad thing. Players like Phil Foden have benefitted hugely from waiting for the right moment, and it’s refreshing to see so many Premier League sides giving their youth a chance. However, it’s now becoming clear that young players thrive when they are surrounded by players of a similar or better quality. In Ipswich’s case, current loan players like Troy Parrott and Mark McGuiness have barely developed since joining, and that will have a direct impact on prospects, valuation and confidence.

Whilst there is nothing worse than catching feelings for a loan player, we all love to be momentarily enthralled by someone we can cheer on in the future. In recent times, the calibre of loan player has appeared to shift from exciting youngsters to back-up squad players. Town’s decision to sign Josh Harrop provides a case-in-point, as a highly-rated back-up midfielder comes in with all the bells and whistles, then fails to make a significant contribution beyond getting sent off at Wimbledon. Whether it’s down to poor recruitment or a decreasing ability, it would appear that academies are teaching a romanticised version of the game, averse to one that faces these players in the real world.

Following Town’s drab 0-0 draw with Wimbledon on Saturday, there were some interesting comments from Town legend Mick Mills surrounding young players. Whilst his experiences were shared from a different time, certain sentiments remain the same. It would appear that a lot of academies wrap their players in cotton wool and we all know that lower league football quickly bursts that bubble. Many players spend time in lavish academy buildings, tutored by some of the best in the world. When those standards drop, are these players ready for the challenge ahead? Players like Mason Mount, Reece James, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham have all benefited from temporary spells away from their clubs, but what about players like Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden? They progressed through their academies and are now flourishing at the top level. We may well have reached a point where the cream of the crop rises to the top regardless of the ‘proper football’ experience. General footballing trends are changing and it’s no shock that we are seeing more players depart their academies on a permanent basis in order to avoid being swallowed by the machine.

There’s a growing amount of expectancy placed on young players, escalated by media and fan hype. Troy Parrott is slated to be the next Harry Kane, but he currently fails to perform the basic task of taking a decent touch. Hype culture exists within every club, with Jack Lankester proving to be an example from a little closer to home. The pressure placed on these young players, along with a sudden thrust into ‘proper football’, at such a young age creates a stressful environment that results in poor mindset and performances. Luke Thomas’ recent mental health struggles provide a sobering and prevalent reminder that overwhelming expectancy levels can stall a promising career. This culture exists throughout the game and we would all do well to remember that footballers are human beings, opposed to vessels in which we can reflect our yearns for glory.

Whilst there is a stern defence for the loan market, I would be hopeful that Ipswich may step away and re-think its importance. As a club determined to increase its value, we should be focussing on elevating our own youngsters, as opposed to the fairy-tale generation sold to us by England’s top clubs. Whilst I’m certain that there are many fantastic youngsters kicking around in England’s academies, the success rate is remarkably low, and I would rather we focussed on protecting the graduates of our own academy. The academy may not have produced many superstars over the past ten years, but it is still a terrific breeding ground for raw talent, and it will always provide an indicator of future success.

Protecting club relations will always be important, but in order to move forward into a brighter generation, I think it’s time that this club started looking afters its own. The loan market will always have its place in the game, but with recent results proving lacklustre, we need to find new and innovative ways to recruit and profit. We cannot continually allow ourselves to be a stepping stone on the route to success, instead we need to find ways to ingrain that success within the heart of the club and revitalise an academy that used to be the envy of all.

Thank you for taking the time to read my column. If you enjoyed, feel free to share it around. I’ll see you soon!