Lincoln City boss Michael Skubala has admitted he may have to hide Nottingham Forest loanee Joe Gardner after his impressive cameo against Crawley on Tuesday night.
The borrowed talent had an inauspicious start to his Imps career, unjustly sent off against Cambridge United just minutes into his debut. He showed flashes of talent against Barnsley at the weekend, but truly impressed during his half hour against the Red Devils.
He was happy to get on the ball and try to beat players, and capped off a fine performance with a well-taken late goal from an acute angle, adding real gloss to the scoreline. In his half hour on the field he attempted three dribbles, and was successful on all three occasions, underlining how exciting he could be in the final matches for the Imps.
When asked if the club were already looking at him for next season, Skubala admitted he might have to hide him away to prevent other clubs, presumably those in the Championship, taking note.
“Yeah, we probably have to hide him a little bit,” confessed Michael. “We just need to make sure that, like we do at this club, we look after Joe. We have to help him with his development, and whatever happens in the summer for Joe will obviously be controlled by Forest. It’s not for us to decide, but while he’s here, we try to keep him developing and learning.”
Learning and developing is something the Imps do have a reputation for with young players. While Morgan Rogers and Brennan Johnson get the headlines, the likes of Carl Rushworth, Alex Palmer, Morgan Whittaker, Liam Cullen and Brooke Norton-Cuffy have all been to Sincil Bank, enjoyed decent spells and gone on to better things.
That’s clearly the attraction for players coming to Lincoln, and as Michael explained, improving them is the main part of the remit.
“He’s come here to improve—he hasn’t come here just to play, but to develop as well. Whether he gets time off the bench or starts games, as long as he’s improving, we’ll be happy, and that keeps our relationship strong. What will happen in the future with loan players, like anything, is uncertain. They could go back, and you never see them again. But while he’s here, we’re trying to maximize his potential and help him grow.”
While Michael remained coy on the chances of the player returning, a good loan spell could have a positive impact whether he comes back or now. Forest certainly saw the benefit in loaning us Brennan Johnson, as well as Tyler Walker, a few years ago, and that relationship could be even more important now they’re a high-flying Premier League team, as the level of quality in their youth ranks should rise as a result.
However, it is important for Imps fans not to place a lot of pressure on Joe, who has had 30 good minutes so far. With little to play for other than pride this season, it does seem that the form of the Forest man could be one of the few highlights we have to truly look forward to before the summer.
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