English clubs are taking a loan of Scottish football
It’s time to build a wall, a great big brick one which prevents our clubs bringing in English football’s unwanted and untried fodder.
Amongst the many self-created problems within our game, the influx of sub-par players on loan from down south should sit near the top of the list.
Ross County, Inverness and Motherwell started the trend but there’s a new fad and it’s all about Scotland being both a dumping ground and feeder for Manchester City and co.
Aberdeen are the latest to be conned into believing the recruitment of Chidi Nwakali on loan from the Premier League leaders serves any sort of long-term purpose.
Patrick Roberts is another at Celtic. Neil Lennon was asked whether City’s Brandon Barker could become a permanent signing at Hibs. He said: “You’re talking Man City here. You’re talking wages. You’re talking a transfer fee. So it might be just a little bit out of our remit.”
So what is the point?
Sean Goss has arrived at Rangers for a wee while from QPR, whose director of football Les Ferdinand bluntly stated why he’s being allowed a spell cutting his teeth at Ibrox and whether it could be a longer-term stay.
He said: “We’re not looking at that at all. We’re just looking at this being about him going out to gain some experience.
“This is just part of educating young players.”
So there you have it. Scottish football is now a native talentstifling YTS of sorts to be used at the whim of English clubs to see if their unwanted or unready will sink or swim.
Last season there was James Maddison at Aberdeen but it was a one-way arrangement for Norwich who managed to get their player game time with no sustainable benefit for the Dons.
Hearts have Liverpool kid Connor Randall, Man City’s Ashley Smith-Brown and have just added Man United’s Demetri Mitchell on loan.
This hasn’t stopped several of their own academy prospects reaching the first team but the Jambos are the exception to the rule.
It’s a self-defeating strategy. If they do well then they head back to their parent clubs and prosper. If they stink the place out then no harm done, except to the Scottish club who have upset a host of their own academy players by putting a blockage in the pipeline to their first team.
Rangers have loaded their squad with forgettable loanees over recent seasons, none have made the heart beat fonder in their absence.
But it begs the question as to why a club of that standing is now openly showing itself as a club to showcase other team’s talent.
Is that really where we are in terms of status in the game?
If these boys being brought in are genuinely that talented then why has none appeared back on the radar when his time at Gers has earned little more than a footnote in history?
Maybe Hadrian was way before his time. Get the wall built and stop signing loan players for the benefit of bigger clubs – have a bit of belief in what you rear yourself.
Loan moves should be a point of last resort, not a signing policy which is akin to admitting your academy isn’t fit for purpose.
English clubs have been taking a loan of Scottish football for far too long and enough should be enough.