Leitner

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,558]

Wasn’t just Mitrovic, but also Piazon, Ojo, Targett, Kalas and Norwood.

Loans are a vital part of a Championship team’s squad and just need to be managed correctly. There is no doubting that despite being on loan players like Gunn, Reed and Leitner gave their all for Norwich. While it is of course frustrating that they are only around for one season if it wasn’t for being on loan they wouldn’t be around at all.

Norwich fans need to move past that one season where the club brought in the wrong players on loan and managed them poorly. You only have to look at the clubs promoted the last few seasons to see strings on loaned players making vital contributions. Players those clubs would have no chance of signing permanently without promotion.

[king canary 7,606]

Yes loans are important but Fulham are interesting case in point- they used loans to add depth and options, not necessarily to fill holes in the first xi.

Piazon and Ojo both made less than 20 starts and none of the 6 loanees crossed the 30 start marker. Of course Mitrovic and Targett only joined in January.

In contrast Reed and Gunn both made well over 30 starts for us and thus leave us with big holes to fill next season.

They also managed to bring two of their loanees in for a second season this year giving them some further continuity.

I said at the start of the season I wasn''t a great fan of loaning in a first choice keeper as it essentially just kicked the can down the road for a season, rather than addressing a long term need. Gunn proved to be very good but we''re still in a position of having to replace a 46 game starter without getting any money in from selling him.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,558]

But if Matthews is good enough after a full season on loan Norwich have avoided signing a keeper last season and then having the issue of him and Matthews competing for one spot the forthcoming season.

Ultimately the issue for a club like Norwich (as it was for Huddersfield) is that they can’t afford to sign high quality players in every position. The options are to spread available money thinly, or concentrate on a couple of positions and then use loans in others. You can call it kicking the can down the road, but if players come in a perform like Reed and Gunn did them I don’t think that is such an issue - I don’t see much evidence that loan players will be worse than signing players on a permanent contract.

[kick it off 1,952]

[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]The homegrown (and club grown) player quota is a huge concern now. Especially as Maddison, Murphy, Reed and Gunn are all unlikely to be at the club next season and were all regulars in the squad. Godfrey may replace Reed, but it is unknown if he’ll be okay in the Championship, and the same can be said for Matthews replacing Gunn. Buying ‘home grown’ attackers is as expensive as it gets unfortunately.

At real risk of seeing players selected not on merit but on their home grown status.[/quote]

Have you heard something re: Reed BYG or are you just speculating he''s unlikely to be back here? (Not a criticism, just wondering if anything has come your way through the grapevine).

Would like Reed back to be honest - was a cracking Right Back and a great utility player to have. Work rate was second to none.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

I think we are going to have to use the loan route, mainly to avoid paying £10m for a suitable striker at this level.

I''m hoping either Henderson or Ward will come in once this Murphy deal has been completed with some of the funds from that sale, i''d say we have enough defensive players with the guys coming back so other than Keeper, I would say it''s 1 winger and 2 strikers needed.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,558]

Kick it off

What I’ve heard about Reed is that Southampton are going to have a big review this summer and assess all their players and see where they went wrong last season. Hughes wants to get everyone in for pre-season tonhave a look at them before deciding who goes or stays. Fulham are hoping to get Targett on a permanent deal but that is also getting caught up in this review.

That being said, Hughes doesn’t have control of transfers there and if Les Reed (no relation) feels it is best to move Harrison on then it might happen before pre-season.

The Pink’Un boys seem sceptical that he’ll be back, but I think it could happen (fee depending). Reed is a big fan of Farke and had a really positive experience at Norwich. If Pinto is sold then I wouldn’t be surprised it Reed is high up on the list of potential replacements.

I’m a big fan of Reed, he is very popular at Southampton among the players and staff for his good temperament. Love to have him back, but there could be a fight for him, as there was for Norwich to secure him on loan last season.

[kick it off 1,952]

Thanks BYG

[Van wink 2,994]

Would love Reed back, pound for pound a great player👍