Brentford ‘veteran’ newspaper columnist and Beesotted loyalist, Jim Levack, gives his thoughts on Liverpool’s decision to recall their Portugeezer after a lack of Bees game-time.
Bees boss Uwe Rosler had been desperate to deploy Anfield-returnee Joao Teixeira to provide the spark that might illuminate his side’s stop start campaign.
Alas too late – the diminutive starlet with a big price tag on his head has been recalled by Liverpool, presumably because he didn’t get enough game time.
I’m of the opinion that that kind of arrogance doesn’t create a healthy relationship between the loaning club and the loanee.
If Liverpool are effectively picking our team then, to my mind, that’s unacceptable and if that is the case, he’s better off back there in the reserves..
But once again this brings into full focus the perils and dilemmas that face a football manager.
After the Coventry game I bumped into Uwe in the car park and among his first comments was how disappointed he was that he couldn’t throw the Portuguese on with the game still finely poised.
Another goal to seal the deal might have done it. He’d have played, added another couple and King Kenny and Co might have been happy.
Maybe Uwe should have been bolder, but a repeat of Joao’s Orient cameo where he looked like a boy in a man’s game might have swung things Coventry’s way and he’d have been pilloried for making the change.
It’s certainly a shame that we won’t get to see whether he could cut it, and the disappointing thing is that there will now be a queue of north west league One sides waiting in the wings and happy to offer him 90 minutes every game.
I might be misreading the whole situation – and if I am I’m sure Uwe will rollock me – but if I’m right do we, as a club, want to be dictated to or bullied by a Premiership club? I’d say that’s counter productive.
They should see from the progress of Adam Forshaw and Jake Bidwell that we look after our young loanees, and that should be enough.
If there’s no trust then what’s the point of a loan deal?
Jim Levack
I think you are misreading the situation. Brentford aren’t being dictated to or bullied. Liverpool have invested in a young man with great ability who needs playing time. When a loan is agreed, it is with the expectation that the player will have a decent amount of playing time and this will also benefit the club to which he is loaned. Liverpool trusted that he would get decent playing time and it hasn’t happened, so in the long-term interest of the player and his parent club, it is quite correct that he returns. Considering the number of games which have been drawn by the Bees, why wasn’t he given a better chance? As it happens, he turned in a good performance for Liverpool under 21’s and scored too.
That’s a fair point Kenawkeye, most Bees fans expected to see far more of him than a couple of brief cameo appearances. We wish him well.
I would have thought it was very simple: the loaning club are sending him out to access game time and gain experience. If the loaning club don’t want to play him because they feel he is too lightweight, not up to it physically, or just not good enough; then don’t take him in the first place – or send him back. I’m not sure that there’s really a story here, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Liverpool to expect him to play if Brentford have asked to borrow him – I presume he wasn’t forced on you?!