Ban the loan system

[Basing Blade]

Is this the way forward for the Championship?
A merry go round of loan signings, so that the supporters don't recognize half the players in the squad.

No loans.
If you have injuries, you use youngsters.

The squad players in the prem would be wanting to move in order to get a game, or sit there taking the money. But at least you would know if a player wanted to play for you.

 

[Yossarian]

And if the youngsters don't get a chance? What if we have a couple of youngsters not quite ready for first team action. How are they going to get that? Wouldn't it be nice to send them out to lower-league teams to get some experience? The loan system is one of the best things about football. It allows young players to get match practice and as a precursor to permanent moves, it's invaluable for smaller clubs with small budgets. Like a try-before-you-buy.

 

[SwissBlade]

Bad idea, despite what some think, we need the loan system.

 

[Kenilworth]

One of the key disadvantages of the loan system (that is really killing home grown footballing talent) is that it allows the richest teams to stockpile young talent to prevent others getting them or to get them on the cheep before they mature and fulfill their promise. They can afford to gamble £1-2 million on the next best thing rather than wait and have to purchase them at 3, 4 or 10 times that value if the player does well at the club that brought them through their youth system. To assist with their maturity and education they just send them out on loan to gain experience at other clubs. It's all wrong and promotes bad habits in the youngsters - they get such a pay rise they think they have already made it, when they are still very immature and do not know their craft anywhere near as well as they should.

It keeps clubs like Charlton (JonJo Shelvey), Notts County (Pennant), Southampton (Walcott), Shrewsbury (Joe Hart), Blades (Mellis, Walker) etc struggling to make any impact or progress whilst this practice still occurs.

Maybe there should be a rule that you cannot loan out players under a certain age, say 25. That might make the youngsters think twice about a big money move so they can actually play football for a club, learn their craft, repay the club that spotted them and developed them thtough their youth programme, rather than get bought and loaned out just in case they turn out to be the next Rooney.

 

[Selly]

Maybe there should be a rule that you cannot loan out players under a certain age, say 25. That might make the youngsters think twice about a big money move so they can actually play football for a club, learn their craft, repay the club that spotted them and developed them thtough their youth programme, rather than get bought and loaned out just in case they turn out to be the next Rooney.

Whilst I can see a certain logic in this I think I disagree. The Loan system is such a useful way of developing talent and exposing all young players to competitive football that I think it should remain, with the following stipulations.

1) Loans only for players under 23
2) Loans only to teams in a lower division
3) Only 1 player from a team at any time can be loaned to the same club (no more Daddy helping you out Darren F)

This will have the effect of:

Ensuring that those players that want to play PL football can`t just join Man City for shitloads of cash and then get loaned out to another PL club (yes I am looking at you Mr Bridge)
Continuing the development of young players by allowing them to get competitive experience#
By reducing the squad size (as players should in theory move to clubs where they will get a game) young players may actually get more of a chance when there are injuries.

 

[Kenilworth]

1) Loans only for players under 23
2) Loans only to teams in a lower division
3) Only 1 player from a team at any time can be loaned to the same club (no more Daddy helping you out Darren F)

This will have the effect of:

Ensuring that those players that want to play PL football can`t just join Man City for shitloads of cash and then get loaned out to another PL club (yes I am looking at you Mr Bridge)
Continuing the development of young players by allowing them to get competitive experience#
By reducing the squad size (as players should in theory move to clubs where they will get a game) young players may actually get more of a chance when there are injuries.

Good points, well made, Selly Oak.

I think they should also introduce a time barrier of 12-24 months for loaning out a player just purchased so they effectively ban the practice of buying and loaning back straightaway to the team that at player has just been sold from. If a club doesn't want the player for their first team squad then don't buy them. It would make all divisions much more competitive and they would have to rely more on coaching what they have.

Of course there is still the practice of loading the youth team with youngsters from miles away that still goes on despite rules in place to ensure local talent remains local at that level.

Goalkeepers should be a special case if a club has lost two 'keepers through injury, though.

 

[alcoblade]

If we banned the loan system, clubs wouldn't rely on youth. They'd go further into debt, having larger squads just in case.

UTB

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Also given the quotas that UEFA and the FAPL are bringing in young players will still be snapped up and left to play at a poorer level.

The loan system is imperative to the continued improvement of our young players. Maybe the number of loans any one team can have could be looked into but Championship clubs have to be able to loan youngsters from the FAPL. It also gives those who aren't going to make it at the Premierships top clubs somewhere to go should their contracts not be renewed. If they had only played academy games then no one would take a punt on them. If they have played well at Championship level then clubs will come in for them because the risk isn't there.
If that wasn't in place we would lose more talented youngsters who just failed to make it at the highest level.

 

[Kenilworth]

The loan system is imperative to the continued improvement of our young players. Maybe the number of loans any one team can have could be looked into but Championship clubs have to be able to loan youngsters from the FAPL. It also gives those who aren't going to make it at the Premierships top clubs somewhere to go should their contracts not be renewed. If they had only played academy games then no one would take a punt on them. If they have played well at Championship level then clubs will come in for them because the risk isn't there.
If that wasn't in place we would lose more talented youngsters who just failed to make it at the highest level.

But that's the point FB - the PL clubs stockpile these youngsters. When you say "our young players" do you mean English talent or Blades talent? They should be playing league games for clubs further down the pyramid as opposed to scratching their bollocks in the ressies. It's just a protectionist policy by the bigger, richer clubs and is symptomatic of the malaise that football is in now where the top clubs think they are so far above everyone else and a youngster can earn a mint whilst doing nothing of any consequence. The PL clubs don't give a toss because if the youngsters make the grade that's great, if they don't it's no skin off their nose.

What it does is reduce the pool of players available to lower league clubs and removes the potential transfer fees they could get if a player learns their trade with them and makes the grade enough for a big club to sign them for their first team.