As part of the shake-up of the academy and youth set-up at Newcastle United, Shola Ameobi was appointed in a newly created role of loan arranger.
Part of his remit is to find loan deals to help the youngsters at the club, and help them find the right club to aid their development.
Freddie Woodman is currently making a fantastic name for himself at Swansea, but as he is a bit older, and has made some first team appearances, his situation is different to that of younger academy graduates in need of long-term development.
The new position was created following disastrous loan stints for Elias Sorensen, Jamie Sterry and Liam Gibson last season, who were all recalled due to a lack of playing time.
With four of our young future Magpies stars out on loan this season, presumably all organised by Ameobi, only Kelland Watts at Stevenage, could be deemed as a total success.
The young centre-back has played every minute of the seven league games for Stevenage to date.
For the rest, Sorensen and Gibson have both struggled for game-time at Carlisle and Grimsby respectively.
Sorensen has only been on the pitch for 114 minutes of league action from a possible 630. While Gibson has played just 166 of a potential 810 minutes.
Dan Barlaser has done a little better, but has still only featured in 264 minutes from 630 available at Rotherham.
Shola Ameobi has not impressed with the loan deals arranged for young players
When Ameobi was installed, he spoke about the role to the official club website, saying: “The loan coordinator is about planning, organising and coordinating players that we’ve identified as a club who need to either go out on loan to develop them or because they need games as part of a first-team squad.
“Overall, it is to help maximise their development, especially when you are talking about players who are coming through and trying to break into the first team. I think it’s important that they get first-team football and understand what it takes to play at that level and really utilising the loan system to develop our players who are hopefully ready for the first-team.”
Well, apart from Watts, he has clearly failed to fulfil that criteria.
Obviously Ameobi cannot select the lineups for the teams they have gone to, but he surely stipulated the need for the players to be given ample playing time, and the need for that to be agreed upon, prior to agreeing to the deal?
The fact that three of the four young stars of the future, between them, have played just 26 per cent of the possible game time available, shows – despite Ameobi’s promise to get them first-team games – they are not being able to “maximise their development” through his guidance.
For Sorensen and Gibson in particular, this is the second successive loan disaster, and they may as well be brought back to play in the Newcastle second string, than stay where they are, largely twiddling their thumbs.
It is a sad indictment of the ‘success’ of Ameobi in a role he was seen as the ideal candidate for.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
