January might still feel some way off, but the next seven Championship matches could have a significant bearing on what our squad looks like when the transfer window opens.
Several of our loan players are still trying to establish themselves, and their parent clubs will be watching how those opportunities develop. We have brought them here to strengthen the squad and compete for places, but there are only so many minutes available. That creates some interesting questions as we head towards the next international break.
The difficulty is that the players already holding those places have given the coaches good reasons to keep picking them. A new arrival might have considerable ability, but somebody still has to come out of the team to accommodate him. That is encouraging from a Lincoln City perspective, because it shows the competition we have assembled. For a loan player who needs regular football, though, it can make the situation rather more complicated.
Different Loans, Different Questions
I don’t think all our attacking loans should be assessed in the same way. Chiedozie Ogbene is here until January, so we already know there is a decision approaching over his future. Tanto Olaofe has Championship experience and arrived with a potential permanent move in the background. Ethan Wheatley and Mason Melia are younger players whose parent clubs will be particularly interested in how much senior football they get, making their situations different again.
With Ogbene, what happens in January may not be entirely within our control. If Ipswich identify an opportunity to sell him or prefer a different move, we could find ourselves having to respond to their decision. That would remain a possibility even if he established himself as an important player for us over the coming weeks. His immediate task is to make an impact here, but the longer-term picture inevitably involves what Ipswich want as well.
Tanto feels like a different proposition, because Charlton were prepared to send him to a club competing in the same division. I don’t automatically see him being brought back, particularly with a potential permanent move forming part of the wider picture. Equally, I wouldn’t claim to know the contractual details or rule out Charlton reassessing things if he becomes particularly effective for us. He still has something to prove, but I don’t view his situation in quite the same way as those of the younger forwards.
Limited Minutes For Wheatley And Melia
The more pressing questions, for me, concern Wheatley and Melia. Manchester United and Tottenham have sent them here to develop through playing, and the competition means we cannot simply guarantee that both will get regular opportunities. By the time we reach the next international break, January will be close enough for their clubs to start considering whether these moves are working. If neither has made much of an impact by then, I struggle to imagine that conversation being avoided.
We saw last season with Justin Obikwu and Frankie Okoronkwo that loan arrangements can change midway through a campaign. My honest prediction is that at least one of Wheatley and Melia could be gone in January, because I find it difficult to see how we give both the football they need. That is an assessment of the competition rather than a suggestion that either player lacks ability. There are several established options ahead of them, and those players aren’t going to step aside simply because somebody else needs minutes.
Freddie Draper and Mikkel Ladefoged are strong candidates through the middle, while Ben House and Ogbene offer options elsewhere across the front three. Tanto, Dom Jefferies and Rob Street are involved as well, which leaves a considerable number of players competing for a limited number of places. The management team won’t necessarily rank those options in the order supporters do. However they arrange them, the basic problem remains that we cannot give everybody the same opportunity.
There may also be a distinction in Wheatley and Melia’s longer-term prospects. The talk around a potential permanent departure from United raises the possibility that Ethan could eventually become available to a Championship club. I find it much harder to envisage Mason becoming a permanent Lincoln player, which could influence how opportunities develop if there is little to choose between them. That doesn’t mean we should favour one automatically, but it is another aspect of the situation worth considering.
Mason’s injury has certainly hindered his progress, because it is difficult to force your way into a team when you aren’t available. However, his absence also raises a question about Ethan, because it hasn’t resulted in significant minutes for him either. An opportunity opening up in the squad doesn’t necessarily mean the coaches will turn to the other young loan forward. They have alternatives they already trust, and breaking into that group requires more than simply waiting for somebody else to be unavailable.
Yunus Konak’s Conundrum
Yunus Konak faces a similar challenge, although in his case the concern would be Brentford wanting a different opportunity for him. From conversations behind the scenes, there is a belief that Yunus, Mikkel and Andrei Coubiș should all force their way into the starting XI. The important distinction is that Mikkel and Andrei are our players, so there is time for that process to unfold. With Yunus, we also have to consider how his parent club views the value of the loan if regular football remains difficult to secure.
I believe Yunus could make a strong claim to keep the shirt once he gets a proper opportunity. Had Ivan Varfolomeev played extensively throughout the international break, Sheffield United might have provided an obvious opening. His limited involvement makes that less straightforward, because there is less reason to assume he will need to sit out. The central problem remains that for Yunus to start regularly in our current setup, either Ivan or Conor McGrandles has to come out of the side.
Both have been important, and removing either would be a substantial decision for the coaches. There may have been individual matches where a Konak and Varfolomeev pairing could have offered something different, but that doesn’t automatically make it the obvious choice for the next game. Conor has been exceptional at times this season, and his standing within the team reflects what he contributes. Yunus needs an opportunity, but the players holding the shirts have earned them.
Ivan’s playing time also has implications beyond the immediate team selection, because transitioning him out of an ESC place could create room for another overseas signing. The FA’s ESC criteria include specific appearance and minutes requirements, rather than a simple need to play a set number of minutes in every match. If we can free that place, it would be valuable as we plan future recruitment. That becomes particularly relevant if our league position allows us to prepare confidently for another Championship season.
That adds another consideration to Ivan’s involvement and makes Conor the more obvious player Yunus might have to displace. Even then, we must remember Tom Bayliss, whom some supporters appear to have dismissed rather more readily than the coaching staff have. He remains part of the competition and has been getting minutes himself. There is an opportunity for Yunus to become an important player, but there is also a considerable amount standing between him and an automatic place in the starting XI.
What January Might Bring
None of this makes me think we have wasted our loans. These players were brought in to improve the squad, provide options and compete for places, and an immediate starting role was never guaranteed. Some may establish themselves during the next seven games, while others could remain frustrated by the quality and form of those ahead of them. The difficulty is that what works for us as squad depth may not always satisfy a parent club looking for regular football.
There could therefore be some turnover in January, just as there was last season, but these next seven matches will give us a much clearer idea of where changes might be needed. We will know more about which players are getting closer, which arrangements are working and where a different opportunity might benefit everybody involved. For now, the challenge for the loan players is to make themselves increasingly difficult to leave out. That is how they can influence both their immediate place in the team and the decisions waiting further down the line.
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