I've got no issue with us having half a team of loan players, if by doing so we are essentially offering the players a trial with a view to signing them at a later date, e.g., Ryan Williams (and fingers crossed JOS). LJ said in one of his interviews that players like Pearson and Rothwell, if they were deemed good enough by Man Utd, should be knocking on the door of the first team by now - if they aren't, it means we are first in the queue to get them should they become available. So no real issues with that strategy; I can see a logic there. However, the signing of young Crowley - super-talented though he is - appears to go against our long-term plans. Crowley is seen as a future Arsenal player. So it just blocks another loan player (who we might have a genuine chance of signing in the future) from playing, and also the team gels around a player who definitely won't be around in the future. I just get the feeling LJ has been seduced by the prospect of coaching a talented player who may go on to play for England (for his own CV?). Let's hope Crowley does so well that he helps us 'win the league' (his words) and then we can plan without him in the Championship.
He said Crowley became available and he was one we didn't want to miss out on. I'd imagine we've gone against our 'long-term plans', as you say, because Crowley is unbelievably gifted. If he adapts physically to this league then he could well be the best player this league has ever seen.
If you get the chance to sign someone of Corwleys class you take it and run, he is one player on loan who will make it in the top level
I don't like the Crowley signing. His best position is the same as Hourihane, Williams & another loan signing Rothwell. I'm all for getting talented players in but only if you need them. For me the money would've been better spent on area's in the squad where we're short. It also contributes to us having 5 loan signings meaning if a key player gets crocked we can't replace him with a loanee unless we go down the route of leaving loanees out of the match day squad again which just seems a waste of a wage
The Crowley one is different in the sense that he's seen as an exceptional talent who we couldn't pass up on. LJ said we didn't need him, but when a talent like that comes available you want him. If he helps us up into the championship, he could end up back here next season I reckon. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
I can't imagine Arsenal are asking us to make a contribution towards his wages. You don't turn down players of his quality when they're not going to cost you a penny.
Or he might keep another playmaker like Hourihane out of the team who then decides to look for another club, and in the end we lose both players. LJ will have to be careful how he uses Crowley in my opinion.
Hourihanes got alot of work on not just to regain fitness but to find the form from the early part of last season. He isnt guaranteed a start anymore like last season, can only be good for him.
Looking forward to seeing Crowley against Dale in a couple of weeks, we rate our homegrown Jamie Allen as a super player and it would be good to gauge him against 'a future Arsenal and England' star.
Plus it could build some bridges with Arsenal to get some of their talent here in the future. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
