This is such a hard exit report to write because we saw so little of Fin.
He played 289 minutes in total, which is more than Dexter Lembikisa, but that was due to availability. Fin was free to appear in the EFL Trophy, and he did, in all three group matches. He was an unused sub as we went out against Huddersfield, with Ivan Varfolomeev and Tom Bayliss getting the nod.
He signed a season-long loan deal, but that was terminated by Ipswich at the start of the month. Jez George revealed we had an agreement with them about his league minutes towards the end of the deal, in that we wouldn’t play him. Why? Because he appeared for them in the EFL Cup, and while EFL Trophy minutes don’t count towards the two-club rule, had he played in the league, he’d not have been able to head out back on loan, which he almost certainly will.
That meant that his three outings in the EFL Trophy are all we have to go on, and in fairness to him, he impressed in those outings. Chris gave him Man of the Match a couple of times, and he looked very composed and clever on the ball. His work rate was good, and he didn’t lack the physical attributes one needs to play regular senior football.
Numbers-wise, he hit 83% passing accuracy, made ten interceptions and won 56.1% of the 57 duels he was involved in. His recoveries number is impressive, 10.59 per 90 minutes, 35.3% in the opposition half, showing him pressing high and fitting our style perfectly.
Why didn’t he play more games? Why did this industrious young man with a decent future ahead of him, one who fitted our style perfectly, not get more exposure? The answer to that lies within our form. We’re second in the table, and our midfield duo of Tom Bayliss and Conor McGrandles have been superb. On top of that, waiting in the wings was club record signing Ivan Varfolomeev. What chance did Fin stand?
I suppose some will say ‘why sign him then’ but, like Dexter, it was a numbers game for us. We had Bayliss and McGrandles, Ivan had arrived but not settled and number four in the list of central midfielders is Dom Jefferies. He spent the first part of the season out injured, so what if McGrandles was sent off? What if Bayliss picked up an injury? We needed the numbers.
I would imagine it pained Michael Skubala a little, not being able to give Fin league minutes just because the other options were more attractive. It certainly pained some of our supporters. I know if Fin were our player, we’d have incredibly high hopes for his future.
I fully expect him to head back out to a League One side, and hopefully get the minutes his ability deserves. He did miss League Two completely, so if he wants to get assured minutes, he could do worse than drop a level for the next few months. I think he’d be a perfect fit for Danny Cowley and Colchester United, especially given that one of their twin sixes, Ted Bishop, does tend to pick up niggly injuries.
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