Boss Mick McCarthy says FIFA’s plans to scrap the Football League’s emergency loan provision will cause “mayhem” if they are implemented. The system, unique to English football, which allows clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two to loan players for up to 93 days outside the transfer windows, is set to be scrapped at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.
McCarthy says the loan system was debated by the League Managers Association last week: "I had a discussion with the LMA about it the other night, where teams are going, loans, does the loan system work and should it be continued.
"All these questions are getting asked because FIFA are not completely happy with the loan system, but I think it’s the lifeblood of some clubs that you can actually get players. I think it’s the lifeblood of players actually because I think the U21s league is absolutely pants.
"I think it’s not done anything that a reserve team league wouldn't have done and if you’re over 21, OK, you can play three overage players, but where do you get your football if you can’t play in the U21s league? Where do you play?
"The next thing is to go out on loan and going out on loan, as we’ve seen with Jack Marriott, is hugely beneficial to the players.
"Like a lot of us, if we need to go and get players, then the loan system’s a really good way of doing it.”
Dialogue between the Football League and FIFA continues regarding some form of short-term loan system, but if nothing is put in place McCarthy warns that there will be chaos: "If they close the loan window I think that it’ll cause mayhem.”
He admits Town had too many loanees last season but says the Blues have needed the smaller number of temporary additions they have made this year: "We had nine last season and that was just far too many. This year we’ve had what’s been the necessity.
"We’ve needed to get players in, Ryan Tunnicliffe was a really good loanee and Jonny Williams I’m sure will be.
"Frazer Richardson has come in as back-up and he’s been terrific and now Greeny. But we need them, we’ve still only got 18 fit players, so we need them for the squad.”
He says the LMA discussions centred around some of the relationships which have developed between particular clubs: "There were things mentioned, Swindon and Tottenham, for instance, the tie-up there. There were a few managers there and we were just discussing it.
"It could go that way, it’s sort of going that way anyway where Premier League clubs have got feeder clubs. Tottenham and Swindon have got that tie-up and it’s almost a feeder club.
"Some clubs, and that includes us, would have found it difficult without loanees like Tunnicliffe, Green and Frazer Richardson. We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to take loan players.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy, speaking in a lengthy interview in the Irish Sunday Independent has revealed he was contacted about the Ireland job when it became vacant earlier in the season, although "not directly" by the FAI.
"I just got a call asking if I'd be interested," he explained. "And I said 'Well I'm never going to say I'm not'. But that was as far as it went."