Rangers and the loan market: Embrace it

[Frankie 8,182]

Interesting argument with regard to Rangers' use of the loan market from Jamie Currie on the main site:

 

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/438-rangers-and-the-loan-market-embrace-it

 

 

 

The loan system is something that caused a bit of a stir amongst everyone this season, fans, managers and journalists. The loan system is becoming more regularly used in modern football, especially with clubs who may have cash flow issues or don’t have the megabucks to compete and the highest level.

 

In Rangers’ case, it has worked pretty well in recent years. With the likes of Allan McGregor going out on loan to St Johnstone and Dunfermline, then coming back to force his way into the side under Paul Le Guen and becoming a stalwart for the club over a number of years. Most notably, the run to Manchester in 2008, where he was at the heart of it for such long spells before falling victim to injury, which cruelly forced him to miss the showpiece event in Manchester against Dick Advocaat’s Zenit side.

 

He isn’t the only one that the loan system at the club has benefited; you could argue that Charlie Adam was also loaned to St Mirren – where he had a great spell – becoming one of their most important players, and coming back, like McGregor, and forcing his way into the first-team picture on a regular basis under Paul Le Guen and Walter Smith, to an extent.

 

Obviously, there has been loans at the club that forever reason haven’t worked out: Amdy Faye, Francis Jeffers, Jerome Rothen and Federico Nieto are the ones that immediately spring to mind.

 

But, that is something that will happen to any club; clubs will always get stung and make some poor signings, it's just the way football is.

 

The use of the loan system is one that is becoming more and more pertinent in today’s marketplace. It’s a system that new manager, Mark Warburton, uses and he has used to great effect – not only at Rangers but also at Brentford. In his time at Griffin Park, the he used the loan system to very good effect. Most notably, Alex Pritchard, who he had on loan from Tottenham, of course.

 

He had two other loanees at Brentford at that time, Chris Long from Burnley, and Jon Toral, a Spanish midfielder from Arsenal – who both contributed considerably to their push into the top six last season.

 

As we know, he has used the loan market this summer to bring in three new faces to his squad – and helped bring on a player who went out on loan last season, in Barrie McKay. Nathan Oduwa is on his second loan spell after spending some time on loan at Luton last season. And Dominic Ball is in the same boat after spending time at Cambridge United. Gedion Zelalem, on the other hand, is on his first loan spell, so all of the guys are at different stages in their respective developments.

 

Barrie McKay is showing everyone how a good loan spell at the right club, and coming back to a manager who is willing to help progress his talent can help a young player. At Raith Rovers, he was perceived as being lazy and unwilling to do the dirty side of the game, and when the game got a bit physical – he would go missing. He even said in a recent press conference, that being on loan showed him a different side of football and how lucky he had it at Rangers.

 

Now, under Warburton, he has come back, and he certainly looks a far better all-round player than he did before he left for the loan spell at Stark’s Park. He, to many people’s surprise, including my own, has been one of the team’s outstanding performers this season – and seems like a boy re-born under the current management team.

 

McKay’s experience is one that guys like Luca Gasparotto, Ryan Sinnamon, and Andy Murdoch, in particular should look upon and try to emulate with regards to their future going forward.

 

There are many examples on both sides of the fence, but it shows the loan system is a good one to use and it helps build a network between certain clubs. But in these times, especially in Scottish football and at Rangers, the loan market, in or out, should not be sneered at our derided. Everyone should embrace it and take on board the advantages that it brings to both the clubs and the players involved.

[Frankie 8,182]

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[Bruno55 0]

I'm all for loan players if we can bring youngsters from the top league in England and help them mature it helps both of us just look at Zela & Oduwa keep them coming I say...

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Not for me. It's a wast of cash and resources

[Rousseau 9,487]

The loan system is great if you are the loaner, not so much the loanee, unless it gives you a better calibre of player. However, if one is trying to build a team then loans would just be destructive IMO. It's great that we've got Zelalem, but what happens when we move up a league and haven't got him? It'll be very difficult to get a similarly-skilled player for a reasonable amount of cash.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Not for me. It's a wast of cash and resources

Not for me just now, when we are back in Europe and they're much better than what we can afford, then yes it is worth it.

[craig 5,199]

The loan system is great if you are the loaner, not so much the loanee, unless it gives you a better calibre of player. However, if one is trying to build a team then loans would just be destructive IMO. It's great that we've got Zelalem, but what happens when we move up a league and haven't got him? It'll be very difficult to get a similarly-skilled player for a reasonable amount of cash.

 

Or a different way to look at it.... Warburton came in, saw what he had at his disposal, bought players cheaply that he felt were critical positions to fill - and then, with the window almost closed knew he needed a Zelalem type of player - so get him in on loan where you have no need to worry about a transfer fee and just pay his wages..... little risk with fairly good short-term upside.

 

The other advantage to this is that Warburton also knows that at the end of the current two things are likely to happen :

 

1. Zelalem will return to Arsenal

2. We will likely be back in the top league.

 

Warburton thus has :

 

1. A full year to scour the market for a similar type of player

2. A full year to assess the players in his own squad properly and determine if any are capable of carrying out that same role, whilst already being on the books and therefore saving a transfer fee and wage

3. Probably will have more money available for transfers once we hit the top league again

4. Will have an increased pool of interested players - there can surely be no doubt that it will be far easier to convince players to come when we are in the top league.

 

I don't mind the odd loan signing - a team full of them is destructive but a couple is not the end of the world.

[ian1964 10,447]

I think our manager knows exactly what he wants to do when building a team,he likes the loan system because he knows talented players that are maybe not ready for their respective clubs first team,which also gives him the trust of the respective clubs to get hold of such players which can only be good for us in the long run,however I believe he will give our own youth a chance if they are good enough,he is showing our own youth players what level they need to be at to progress and if they are good enough they will get their chance.

I don't think he will play loan players before our own young players if they are better!. I'm all for riding the wave for now with our new manager and trusst him to do what is best for the club.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Or a different way to look at it.... Warburton came in, saw what he had at his disposal, bought players cheaply that he felt were critical positions to fill - and then, with the window almost closed knew he needed a Zelalem type of player - so get him in on loan where you have no need to worry about a transfer fee and just pay his wages..... little risk with fairly good short-term upside.

 

The other advantage to this is that Warburton also knows that at the end of the current two things are likely to happen :

 

1. Zelalem will return to Arsenal

2. We will likely be back in the top league.

 

Warburton thus has :

 

1. A full year to scour the market for a similar type of player

2. A full year to assess the players in his own squad properly and determine if any are capable of carrying out that same role, whilst already being on the books and therefore saving a transfer fee and wage

3. Probably will have more money available for transfers once we hit the top league again

4. Will have an increased pool of interested players - there can surely be no doubt that it will be far easier to convince players to come when we are in the top league.

 

I don't mind the odd loan signing - a team full of them is destructive but a couple is not the end of the world.

 

And dylan dykes misses out.

[RANGERRAB 3,299]

And dylan dykes misses out.

 

Sorry never heard of him.