LOAN STAR MADDISON MAKES ABERDEEN BELIEVE
THE arguments against filling your squad with loan players are plentiful and mostly compelling. The short-term nature of the strategy. The stifling of home-spun talent. Developing another club’s player for them. No financial reward at the end of the process.
Occasionally, however, the calibre of the individual involved tends to wash such sound reasoning away. Call James Maddison to the stand.
When Derek McInnes announced at the end of August that he had secured the services of the Norwich midfielder until January, the name immediately resonated in a way so many of the Scottish game’s faceless drifters do not.
It was only in January of this year that Maddison was briefly the subject of Sky Sports News’ yellow ticker tape. Even in a country awash with money, English teenagers moving from Coventry City to Norwich for £3million rising to £6m remains big news.
The prospect of seeing a multi-million pound talent at Pittodrie sent a wave of excitement through the Dons’ fan base, but understandably there were a number who preferred not to rush to judgment.
Frankly, Scottish clubs are not generally in the habit of snapping up players who have recently been in advanced negotiations with a plethora of English clubs including Liverpool and Arsenal. The words ‘too good to be true’ sprang to mind.
Almost two months on, though, few who have seen Maddison in the flesh would now dispute that his short-term acquisition is an extraordinary coup by the Pittodrie club. For however long it lasts, Aberdeen fans should just savour what they have in their midst.
Blessed with two soft feet, pace, vision and seemingly an ability to switch a game to slow motion when he’s on the ball, in time the kid from Coventry could hold his own in any company he chooses.
If he plays to anything like his capacity against Morton at Hampden today, Jim Duffy’s side might wish they’d delayed their 35-year wait to reach a semi-final.
‘He’s technically excellent in that No 10 role,’ opined Norwich first-team coach Frankie McAvoy. ‘He’s got great feet and wonderful movement. He takes the ball really well and moves it so well, and he’s got a fantastic turn that allows him to get away from players.
‘He’s also great at free-kicks. If he hits it well, there’s no stopping them.
‘He is slightly built but his eye for a pass is fantastic. He sees things before others do as his awareness is excellent.
‘He will be a really top player in a few years’ time, there’s no doubt about that. When you work with him, you appreciate just how good he is.’
As McAvoy rattles through the tick list that persuaded Alex Neil to make such a huge investment in Maddison ten months ago, you wonder if this is more of a computer-generated teenage talent than the real thing.
Surely he must fall down on something. Was an attitude problem the real story behind him being farmed out to the Granite City?
‘It’s not just his ability,’ McAvoy continued. ‘His attitude and hunger to do well is first-rate.
‘He’s always out after training has finished working on his touch and passing. He’s a dream to work with and he’s just a really good lad.
‘We feel it will be money well spent. He was playing in League One down here and was closely monitored by a lot of big teams.
‘We’d a lot of competition for his signature, so we were delighted when we managed to sell our vision to him. I’m sure the future will be extremely bright for him.’
In the meantime, however, he is Aberdeen’s property. And you can forgive the Red Army for believing that just about anything is possible while that remains the case.
In his six appearances to date, McInnes’ side have yet to lose. A winning goal against Rangers, the consequence of those extra hours invested on the training pitch, not only secured him a place in Pittodrie folklore but strengthened the belief that the Dons can challenge Celtic this season. For Norwich, Aberdeen and the player himself, it’s a win-win situation.
‘There’s no point in putting a young player out if they aren’t going to play,’ former Hamilton coach McAvoy explained. ‘The main reason Alex put him out on loan was because he was more or less guaranteed first-team football.
‘At the end of the day, he’s got to earn the right to play. Derek’s managed him well at Aberdeen and it’s a good club for him to be at.
‘If he’s doing well enough, he’ll play. If he’s not, he won’t. It’s that simple, and it’s a great grounding for him.
‘We’re just really happy that one of our top young players is getting the experience of the Scottish Premiership. Everyone benefits from this situation.’
Aberdeen fans know how it works, though. Last season, Danny Ward, the on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper, was pivotal in their record-breaking start before being recalled in January. Maddison’s current arrangement only runs that long.
The chances of that being extended until May? Somewhere between slim and non-existent it seems.
All the more reason, then, for the Dons fans descending on Hampden today to appreciate something special while they have it.
‘That’s up to Alex,’ McAvoy laughed in response to the inevitable inquiry. ‘It will all depend on where he sees him in the second part of the season. All I’ll say is that I know Alex thinks the world of him.
‘He thinks he’s a really top player. James isn’t far away in terms of playing at Norwich. The chances are he might be back with us.’