Saw this on Vital Football I was reading the programme notes of Hartlepool United chairman Ken Hodcroft this week when I learnt that FIFA will be doing away with the 'emergency` loan rule for the 2014/15 season. At present the rule permits clubs in the Football League to sign a player on loan for a maximum of 93 days between 'emergency loan windows`. Good riddance as far as I`m concerned. As Hodcroft himself points out, it merely helps the big clubs and continues to widen the gap between the big clubs and the small ones. You only need to look at the callous flesh-picking of Portsmouth`s best players with both Eric Huseklepp and Liam Lawrence being snapped up by Birmingham City and Cardiff City respectively. Both clubs are doing well, so where`s the emergency? They`re both simply taking advantage of the situation at Fratton Park to add players they would otherwise not be able to bring in. And, before you think it, I`m not being hypocritical because here is where Watford come in. I don`t like the way we do it either. Since the January Transfer Window closed we have signed Tomasz Kuszczak, Marcello Trotta and Alex Kacaniklic on loan. Whilst all three arrive in areas where we have been poor this season, they all also arrive in areas where we have players, albeit young players, and here`s the crux of the issue. It`s not right firstly that big clubs can farm their youngsters out on loan for 93 days to 'develop` them without risk. Secondly it`s not right that we are putting the development of other club`s players ahead of that of our own. In the case of Kacaniklic and Trotta the chances are that they will go on to be better players than those we have in their positions, i.e Michael Bryan, Matty Whichelow, Piero Mingoia or Gavin Massey. That is by virtue of the fact they have been picked up by a Premier League club, however, they will spend a maximum of 93 days at Watford this season, Bryan, Whichelow, Mingoia and Massey are ours for much longer. There is of course the downside that if a young player is not getting games with his parent club he will have just the summer and January Transfer Windows to move out on loan, if not he`ll be facing months of inactivity. It won`t stop the big clubs hoarding players either but it will hopefully promote the development of a club`s own players and level out the playing field somewhat. Since writing this, it has emerged that Watford want to take Portsmouth`s utility player Joel Ward on 'emergency loan`. It`s hard to see where Ward would fit in and this is yet another example of a club clearly flouting the original purpose of the rules.
I think quite simply, Kaca is better than Mingoia or Bryan therefore we loan him and play him, no point developing a player who is going to cost you valuable points? Like would Bryan come on and have the same effect that Kaca did against Burnley? I don't think so.
It will be a bad thing if there will be no more loaning outside the window Birmingham City and Cardiff City have help out Portsmouth`s by giving them a loan fee and paying the players wages Getting rid of the loan market will only end up hurting the smaller clubs i still think that part from the prem the rest of the clubs should be able to buy and sale still because we are not in any euro comps
and if it was not for being able to loan players outside of the window watford could of gone down seasons ago
Apart from looking through walls windows are a stupid idea. Transfers and loans should be able to be made at any point until a month before the end of the season.
Loaning players to lower clubs is a way of getting those players real match experience man united have been doing it for years and making money out of it because often that player will not be good enough for the prem but good enough for the championship or lower down, ie Chris eagles, Danny Webber, Craig Cathcart to name just three. We have sent most of our youngsters out on loan to gain experience ie addie mapps, Scott Loach, Sordell have all gone Out on loan to get experience, works both ways for both clubs however when the player isn't played ie trotta, whichalow it also says something about the player which the host club will learn from.
For me, loans should only be made during the transfer window, be that for one month or a season. If every senior 'keeper at the club goes down, then fair enough, the league should grant a club the right to loan another 'keeper, but not just because you don't fancy the backup or third-string players that you signed earlier in the season. I reckon it would certainly level the playing field a bit.
I do agree with much of the original post, from a compeitive point of view, it probably does favour the bigger clubs. However, i like being able to watch good footballers play for WFC, in the last 3 seasons we have been able to watch; Cleverly, Lansbury, Mutch, Taylor, Nosworthy, the fella from wolves - sorry mental block, Kaciniclic and Kuczsack. I'm sure i've missed some there too, but the point being that without the loan systme we wouldnt have seen those players listed above play for our team, so whatever the rights and wrongs, as long as every team has the same opportunities, i think i'm in favour of keeping the loan system. Although, getting rid of the window is a must.
Whilst I agree that it genuinely is a privilege to have seen some of those names in the Watford shirt, I get so much more satisfaction out of seeing Sean Murray excel. Murray isn't really an example that backs up my argument as he is clearly a top talent. However, someone like John-Joe O'Toole when he first burst on the scene; he was fearless, and although he got moved on, I really enjoyed watching him, warts and all for a couple of seasons as he was ours in his entirety.
I agree with the point you make with Murray entirely, i've also enjoyed seeing the likes of Hodson, Mariappa and Doyley come through in recent years. However, the loan system allows you to bring in the game changing type player that has that extra quality we might not have been able to see otherwise, Murray being an exception.
