Freddie Woodman needed a move in January, but I was scratching my head slightly when he completed a loan move to Bournemouth on deadline day.
In many respects, it seemed like an ideal move. He was going to a team who almost signed him last summer, he’d be playing at a decent level under former Mag Scott Parker and pushing to seal promotion with a club Eddie Howe knows well.
However, a loan move that appeared attractive from the outside looking in means very little if the player doesn’t get enough game time – and this was always the fear here.
Woodman was joining a side who’d seen Mark Travers play out of his skin all season, with the in-form stopper a leading contender for their player of the season prize after countless man of the match awards and 15 clean sheets so far this season.
Since arriving on the South Coast, Woodman hasn’t played a single minute of Championship football for the Cherries, with his one and only appearance coming in a FA Cup defeat to Boreham Wood over six weeks ago.
Did ‘loan manager’ Shola Ameobi not consider the fact Freddie was unlikely to get game time at Bournemouth before sending him out for the second half of the season?
After all, this is not an area of the pitch where you expect rotation – especially when the man Woodman is trying to get in ahead of has been outstanding all season in Scott Parker’s push for promotion.
Woodman was outstanding at Swansea last season and had a taste of Premier League football when Dubravka and Darlow were out earlier in this campaign, however this latest loan move feels like a complete waste and a poorly thought out deal from our perspective.
Ameobi does this time after time, loans players out who don’t get any game time at their new club. Get rid of him and bring in someone who actually knows what they are doing.
mactoon(Quote)
I very much doubt that there is a future for Woodman at Newcastle.
With Dubravka, Darlow and Gillespie, and talk of us bringing in another keeper, the loan to Bournemouth was simply about getting a salary off our books while, while giving the lad a better chance of showcasing his talent than he would have had if he stayed at SJP.
Freddd(Quote)
Thought shola had left with the rest of the sh*te.
Keith+wilson(Quote)