The Necessity of the Loan Market

Loaning players is an integral role within the transfer market. It allows clubs to send young talent to gain first team football, let rising stars make a name for themselves and bench players to see 90 minutes; all vital roles in the development of a professional football player.

Take for example Chelsea, who have two of the worlds brightest young Belgian talents out on loan this year, Romelu Lukaku at Everton and Thibaut Courtois at Athletico Madrid.
After joining Chelsea back in 2011, West Bromwich Albion and Everton have both seen Lukaku at his best after season long loans at each club. Lukaku had a vital role in keeping West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, even outscoring his Chelsea teammates in the 2012/13 season with 17 overall. Currently on loan at Everton, he has scored 13 which has helped propel the Toffee's into 5th place in the league, with only four games of the season remaining.

His Belgian teammate Thibaut Courtois has been a revelation since joining Athletico Madrid on loan back in 2011. Only 21 years of age, and currently regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, it's fair to assess that the development playing first team football at Athletico Madrid has far exceeded the development he would have gained sitting behind Peter Cech at Chelsea.Chelsea now have two of world footballs brightest young talent, with successful first team experience, at their disposal for next season. Which shows that when executed correctly loans can benefit both clubs.

However it doesn't always work out perfectly with some players just not being able to make an impact when sent out on loan.
Andros Townsend, who is only 22, had been on loan at nine different League One and Championship clubs and gathered a reputation as a journeyman. But after proving his worth with a series of impressive performances for Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and England at Wembley, Townsend is now definitely in contention for a place in the England 2014 World Cup squad.

Whether you like it or not, the loan market is an option that many managers exploit for a variety of reasons. If they want their new signing to gain first time experience, need to reduce their overall wage budget or simply cannot afford to spend the millions that it now costs to buy a player, the loan system is a tool that is there to be used. 
With many managers showing that with the right player, a loan can be just as successful as a permanent transfer, alongside the rising costs of buying a player; will more players be moving out on loan in the summer transfer market?
I think its inevitable. 



twitter: @ryanmcevoy

The Excitement of the Play-Offs

This is the best time in the football season, and that's a fact.

Ignoring the Premier League, and how Steven Gerrard will deservedly lead Liverpool to their first league title since 1990, it is actually the Championship where most of the final months excitement will take place.

Only 9 points separate 5th place Wigan and 12th place Middlesbrough, with nearly all the teams within those places playing each other in their final four fixtures. Every single point gained or lost has an impact on the race for a play-off spot.


Side-note: As an Ipswich Town fan currently in 8th place, I have a sense of anticipation that I haven't been able to feel since the 2004/2005 season when we missed out on automatic promotion by 2 points, lost to West Ham in the play-offs, before selling all of our most influential players and tailing off into obscurity for 9 years. (I'm not bitter West Ham fans, I promise)

Every single team in the Championship is chasing the illusive dream of one day playing Premier League football once again, or even for the first time.
But I can't help but feel that chasing the dream is actually more exciting than living it.
Chasing the 3 spots to the Premier League offers more drama, up's and down's and feelings of will they/won't they than the race for a mid-table finish in the Premier League.

Last years play-off semi final between Watford and Leicester not only provided one of the most memorable finishes in 2013, but in football history. 
(you can watch that again here)

These moments are exactly the reason the Championship is more exciting than the Premier League. Watching your team that you've grown up with fight to succeed, not fight to avoid relegation is one of the best feelings that you can truly experience.
Experiences that many bandwagon fans of successful Premier League teams will never get to feel. 

Which is why from now until May 3rd my eyes will be glued every weekend to Soccer Saturday, Twitter feeds and video streams for the latest Championship scores, and yours should be too.

Twitter: @ryanmcevoy