Eddie Skelly writes about the players we currently have shipped out on loan
Over the weekend, Rob Hall scored his first professional hat trick for the MK Dons in a rampant 6-1 win over Leyton Orient.
A performance like this makes we wonder, does Hall have any kind of future at Bolton? And what about the other former first team players out on loan?
Firstly, Hall has been a player of frustration for Wanderers fans. A debut in the most important game since Bolton’s relegation against Blackpool in 2013 ended after 37 minutes. Not a wise move to start him considering the importance of the game, as a win was needed to ensure Wanderers were in the playoffs. Freedman then decided to make the players loan permanent, and after an initial fee of £450,000 was decided at a tribunal, Hall’s time at Bolton hasn’t been great to say the least. Apart from encouraging performances against Shrewsbury and Millwall, Hall’s games have been inconsistent and has barely featured this season before his move to Milton Keynes. A lot of money was spent on Hall considering the transfer budget Bolton have now, and this is surely a main factor in deciding whether to call time on his Wanderers career. There’s no point in making a loss in a player that was heavily invested in, and if Dons decide to keep Hall for good, it has to be a fee in the region of £500,000+. Ultimately, with the emergance of Walker and the return of Clayton from injury, it’s probably the right time to let Hall go.
Next, there’s Alex Baptiste. Last season Baptiste played 39 league games, scoring 4 goals. Most of the time he was played as a left back or right back, due to the injury of Tierney and the lack of depth at full back, a problem that still needs addressing. We never really saw Baptiste at centre half, and because of that, his performances over the season were mixed. Aside from the goals, what I remember most about Baptiste last season was the amount of penalties he was responsible for. A loan to Blackburn has seen a resurgance in form playing a centre half. Lennon has already spoken about the possibility of Baptiste being given another chance, stating : ”We`ll have to assess his situation and whether there`s a chance he can come in and play for me because he`s under contract with the club.`’
I’d like to see Baptiste back but only if he is used solely as a centre half.
Another player on loan at Rovers is Spearing. I think Spearing’s time at Bolton is probably over. Spearing was number one pick under Freedman and cast away after the first few games when Lennon took over with good reason. Despite being a shadow of the player that drove the midfield during his loan spell a couple years back, Spearing is still a sellable asset. With Vela, Pratley, Mark Davies, Trotter and Twardzik for competition, plus Danns and the possibility of Bannan returning (provided they’re forgiven for their hotel antics), Spearing would probably struggle to get a place back in the first team. Same applies with Medo. Both are probably on fairly large wages, and after indifferent performances for the whites it’s probably best they move on. I don’t even think Medo played under Lennon. So with Coke being preferred to Trotter for the Brentford game, Medo may get another chance.
By Eddie Skelly