A lesson learnt over many years is that loans can strengthen, but they can also be very disruptive
January lessons have been learned says Blues chief
POMPEY have lost the services of Cam Pring in familiar January circumstances.
But Mark Catlin is adamant the Blues have learnt lessons from previous loan departures through club recalls.
Pring’s scheduled seasonlong stay was cut short when parent club Bristol City activated a halfway point clause on Sunday.
Pompey have previously lost the likes of Ben Thompson, Andre Green and David Wheeler in such circumstances.
In the case of Thompson, it was pivotal to the outcome of the 2018-19 season.
Catlin points out the Blues now operate with fewer loan players in a restricted squad of 22.
And he insists such numbers also allow flexibility to recruit in the January transfer window.
He said: ‘A lesson learnt over many years is that loans can strengthen, but they can also be very disruptive, especially in January.
‘These days clubs tend not to loan players unless they have a recall in January, so if you are doing well and playing well, the chances are they are going to recall them.
‘Loanees can be good, as we have seen, we’ve had some great loan signings over the years. However, you always run the risk that by them doing well, they’ll get a recall in the January window.
‘Sometimes we are a victim of our own success by doing so well which by default means the players are doing well - and clubs tend to want those players back in January.
‘It is important to stress that in our squad of 22 we have two loans and one shortterm contract which expires in January.
‘Probably that is the optimum number to give you that flexibility to move the chess pieces around.’
Rasmus Nicolaisen is presently Pompey’s final remaining loanee.
Even then there remains the danger he could be recalled by FC Midtjylland this month through dissatisfaction over his number of games.
While the short-term deal of Jordy Hiwula expires on January 20 – with the Blues keen to keep the striker.
Catlin added: ‘Cam was a great addition to our squad, but when you sign a player in June/July/August you don’t know if they are going to be any good.
‘So you need that flexibility, otherwise you could be stuck in mid-table with 22 players and no flexibility in shifting that squad around in January.
‘It has its advantages and disadvantages.’