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O'Neill: Loan Route Was the Only Option
Wednesday, 3rd Feb 2021 15:19

General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill has defended the Blues adding four more loan players to their ranks during the January transfer window, despite the club and manager Paul Lambert having previously stated that that was an approach they didn’t want to take.

Josh Harrop, Luke Thomas, Troy Parrott and Luke Matheson all joined the club during January, taking the total of loan players to six, one more than is allowed in a matchday squad.

O’Neill says that the restrictions of the League One salary cap and the financial situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic meant that loans, ideally of players under-21, as is the case with Thomas, Parrott and Matheson, were the only route the Blues were able to take as they looked to add during the transfer window.

“People might ask why we have gone into the loan market when we said before that we didn’t want to bring in loans and that we wanted to develop our own players, but the fact is the football landscape has changed so much over the past year that we had no choice,” O’Neill told the club website.

“The Covid pandemic and what’s resulted from that is one aspect and certainly the introduction of the salary cap has had a major impact.

“It is going to be a very challenging fixture schedule, with a lot of Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday games over the second half of the season and we felt that we needed to add some strength in depth in certain areas.

“We were right at the maximum on the salary cap going into January so it was always going to be a challenge to get players in with the restrictions we are under. It’s not just us, every club faces the same issues and that’s why 70 per cent of the deals done in January were loans.

“Every club in League One and maybe League Two have had to go into the loan market. It’s a needs must situation.

“We knew that we would be looking at players that are under-21 but we also wanted those players to have first-team experience and that were readily available to go now and play straightaway and we are delighted with the players we have been able to bring in.

“They will add quality to the squad and they will be competing for a first-team place and not just here to provide cover.

“Obviously with Keanan [Bennetts] and Mark [McGuinness] already here on loan, we now have six loanees and we can only have five in a matchday 18 so that will take some managing but we have spoken to the clubs and they understand the situation and they have all been great.

“I want to go on record and express my thanks to all the clubs that we have worked with to make all our loan deals happen.”

Regarding the addition of Irish international striker Parrott, O’Neill says that came about due to a strong link the club has with Spurs.

“We have got a really good relationship with Tottenham and that certainly helped with Troy coming here,” he added.

“Obviously Bryan [Klug] has been at Tottenham [as assistant academy manager and head of player development] and has got those links and Troy knows some of the other staff here as well.

“He’s has been at the training ground before. We have played games against Tottenham here at academy level and he’s a lad we have been aware of for a while, going back to the days when he would come over as a young lad from Ireland.

""“He spent the first half of the season on loan at Millwall and wants to get some more game time over the rest of the season. He had a lot of options so we’re delighted he wanted to come here.”

Despite the new players coming in this month, O’Neill says the club’s own youngsters are still viewed as a key for the club going forward.

“We have got some promising young players coming through the ranks and it will remain one of the cornerstones of the club that we look to develop our own young players and give them a chance to progress into first-team players here,” he said.

“But, as I said earlier, this year is different and we face the most testing fixture schedule over the next few months and we need players that have had the experience of playing first-team football.”



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dyersdream added 20:49 - Feb 3
evans is the problem he needs to rid of shambert
4

BlueArrow added 21:17 - Feb 3
Evans........ Tick toc tick toc tick toc......
2

RaymondovicBlue added 21:31 - Feb 3
All this talk about playing our own youngsters.... Neither of our young RBs are good enough. Donacien wasn't young and Chambers can't hack it at RB far less RWB. KANE Vincent Young is our bright hope at RWB but he injured so we need cover till he is fit.... This young lad has played for 3 years already..... Not exactly experienced, but I hope he will do for us what KVY did, plus 352 means 2 up top.... LONG OVERDUE.
5

blue86 added 22:09 - Feb 3
On another note...... what the feck is Lambert still here!
5

aas1010 added 23:15 - Feb 3
I know who that bloke was ... isn't he call mr axeman cometh. Slowly comes behind you and axes ya . We may hopefully see him behind lambert !!!! 🪓🪓🪓lambert out🪓🪓
0

eddiespearitt03 added 01:24 - Feb 4
BusbyBlue & BettyBlue have offered the best analysis. We have to get rid of the players sucking the life out of this club and stealing a living. When will Evans realize it is pointless trying to progress with loan signings when we carry on playing the over rated senior players letting the team down. Young players like Ben Morris, Corrie Ndaba, Cotter etc have little chance to progress and mature by getting game time experience but others do regardless only because of favoritism.End this clicky little cozy club and build a fighting unit able and ready to score goals to win a game every week.
8

TractorRoyNo1 added 10:40 - Feb 4
Sorry lads the first 5 names on the team sheet are picked by their parent clubs
1

mickeyjb added 10:59 - Feb 4
In my opinion getting youngsters in (who are younger than some of our own young lads) says a lot about the level of our coaching and ability of our own academy. Just because we are a L1 team, does it mean we have youngsters that don't have the ability to play at our current level? I also agree , if we do get promoted it will be because of these 4 loan players we have recently got in. Then what? 6 players down! To strengthen the squad for championship football would cost how much?? So much for developing a blend of our own assets supported by some senior players with experience. Total last through of the dice and a sticking plaster.
2

Cheshire_Blue added 11:02 - Feb 4
we could try a different approach on TWTD. Make the negative posts and then publish the story.
-3

Razor added 11:37 - Feb 4
Our so called wonder kids have had a go and are just not good enough so urgent action was necessary.

I did not expect to see it but I think the club have done a fantastic job in the window with some very smart business.

On this occasion I agree with everything Lee says and couldwe all now get behind the team for Saturday and show some POSITIVITY-----PLEASE!!
1

ArnieM added 11:42 - Feb 4
All these excuses emanating from PR ( re new landscape, covid etc etc ) are just that, excuses.

Lambert could have the entire Man City squad at his disposal and he'd still cock it up. Why ?

Because he hasn't got a clue how to manager players and get the best out them, either individually or collectively . THIS is why we are where we are. We should have been promoted last season , but he fl ucked about with squad rotations and cancelling games . He's bloody useless, and the equally bloody useless owner has decided to keep him in post.

Well MR Evans be it on your own head when ST renewal time comes around in a few weeks, because like the players, you're in for a rude awakening my friend.

SELL UP and leave this club taking your band of amateur manger and coaching staff with you.
7

dirtydingusmagee added 14:40 - Feb 4
Razor i admire your enthusiasm but i cant see anything FANTASTIC in the deals done. Just hope Lambert gets his a#se in gear in putting a formation together that results in goals .
0

braveblue added 15:38 - Feb 4
What value does this guy bring to the club? All he ever talks about is what can't be done. Just so poor.
1

Texastom added 15:55 - Feb 4
Anyone like WhittonBoy or algarvefan thinks O'Neil has vision, is forward thinking and innovative is foolhardy. He's as clueless as the previous guy he replaced. Loan signings don't work and if Town players can't play 2 games per week we are in trouble. Out of all Cup competitions, they have had games postponed so rested. I had to read the article twice to try and cut through the lack of logic and storyline comments. Why do all the ITFC ‘Leaders' say opposite things??
1

madmouse1959 added 16:07 - Feb 4
"Loan route only option" ? Another option is to get the young players we do have to play better and discard the players who seem to be immune from being dropped.
1

Linkboy13 added 17:51 - Feb 4
Buzbyblue We loan out our u21s because basically they are not good enough which is backed up by the fact they are going to a much lower standard of football. The only player who i think can feel disappointed is Mcgavin who in my opinion is a far better all round player than Dozzell who apart from the odd good pass does very little. A player who's had a lot of criticism on here is Donasien who has done very well at Fleetwood which is a higher level than any of our loaned out youngsters are playing. So i think in general our youngsters have flattered to deceive apart from Mcgavin that is . You have to earn the right to play for the first team not just because you are one of our youngsters that's the way it works in football im afraid.
0

gosblue added 18:04 - Feb 4
Positives coming from the recent loan moves:
Weakest areas identified (i.e. up front, attacking midfield and the whole tight hand side).
Potentially, young hungry players brought in.
Hopefully a bit of balance in the squad and competition for places.
These lads have something to prove and are not journeymen looking for a a payout.
If they are not up to scratch, they won't play.

Negatives:
it's a sad indication of where we are at
Maybe our academy isn't as good as we like to think it is.
2

WhoisJimmyJuan added 20:04 - Feb 4
You know the irony is that these muppets in charge of our club finally seem to have united us fans! I've been on this site a long time and never known it speak in such unison. Sadly, that has happened for all the wrong reasons!
1


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