RUFC - To loan or not to loan?

Rotherham United Manager, Andy Scott was bemoaning the fact that there didn't seem to be any 'winners' in his team yesterday, after the one-all draw with Barnet at Underhill.

He also hinted that his players weren't brave enough yesterday to go and play football and thinks, maybe, the coaching staff had been too soft on them.

That may be right, I don't know. But what I do think is that there are too many loan players in the squad. I can't help thinking that players on loan at clubs don't really care that much what is going to happen at the end of the season or next season to those clubs.

I've never been a lover of loans and think there are far too many in football. We've had a large number of loan players this season and I really don't think it can help to get a settled team.

I know that the Football League are going to stop the 'emergency loans' (not that I believe half of them are an emergency - for instance, Bradford let a goalie go to Northampton on emergency loan then borrow Jamie Annerson from Rotherham on emergency loan, who is sat on the bench).

I think a reform of the whole loan system is required. At the moment Football League teams can have ten loan players in a squad at any one time and can play five of them in a single game. In my opinion it's too many - far too many. How are we, as supporters, supposed to get to know the players? And if we don't get to know them how are their team mates?

And what of our own young players? They aren't going to get a chance to be included in the first team squad with all the loan players around.

OK I do realise that there are going to be advantages to loaning players, and that some clubs who have had financial problems (which includes us) have probably survived because of loan players. But, is there not a case for clubs becoming too dependent on the loan system?

And what of clubs in the same division loaning players to each other - should this really be allowed?

What do you think? To loan or not to loan? Let us know here on Vital Rotherham what you think about the loaning of players - just click the link below and tell us your thoughts

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.