Originally Posted by
Loramski
Thanks for that, very interesting.
Quick round-up of our loan players after a busy couple of days.
Ebou Adams has been mentioned already but there's no one else to start with really. He's making a big impact at Derby and yesterday's winner has put them six points clear of third place in the race for automatic promotion.
One phrase that struck me in the reports on his performance was 'bullish and energetic'. Wasn't that what Siopis was brought here for?
When Warnock came we already a number of centre halves with Morrison, Manga, Connolly and Halford here, plus Peltier if needed and Ajayi coming through. That didn't stop him bringing Bamba in and it turned out to be a key signing. It feels like a similar situation to our central midfield this season with Wintle, Ralls, Adams and Rinomhota here with King and Joel Colwill coming through. That didn't stop Bulut going out to get Siopis but it hasn't had quite the same impact (as yet), it's just muddied the waters if anything.
I haven't seen enough of Adams to have a particular opinion on him but it seems a bit ironic that the player who was brought here to provide the spark not just for our midfield but, presumably, the team as a whole was sitting on the bench for us yesterday while a player who's been forced out by his arrival was providing precisely that spark for another team in front of 30,000 adoring fans. Funny old game.
Another win for Dunfermline today, 3-2 at Arbroath, as they move into the play-off places. Another 90 minutes for Malachi Fagan-Walcott who was involved at both ends as a 3-0 lead was reduced after half time and led to Dunfermline hanging on for the three points. Xaviar Benjamin was on the bench but didn't get on. For anyone who's interested, the half time draw winning ticket number at the game was 82526.
A mixed bag elsewhere. Keiron Evans started for Gateshead in their 1-0 win over Rochdale, Jake Dennis played for Gloucester in their 1-1 draw with Brackley and 90 minutes for Ollie Denham as Sligo move up to second after a win at Waterford.
A few minutes for Chanka Zimba at Maidenhead and Andy Rinomhota came on for Rotherham but no squad places this week for Tom Davies, Eli King or James Crole and Joel Bagan didn't get off the bench for Zulte Waregem. No game for Kortrijk this week but they start the legendary Belgian play-offs next Sunday at Eupen. The relegation play-offs are comparatively straightforward, it should only take me a day or two to explain the rules when they start.
No pitch time for Ryan Kavanagh yesterday as Truro got a vital 3-2 win over Slough to move five points clear of the relegation zone. If you live in Truro and have been to their three games this week you'll have travelled around 1,400 miles, and two of them have been home games. Hopefully the four points gained have made it all worthwhile. Ok, your wife has now left you and taken the kids with her but you can't have your cake and eat it.