McGrandles moves out on loan
Midfielder Conor McGrandles has joined Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season.
The 27-year old moved to The Valley in the summer and has started just 2 league games due to a couple of freakish injuries and then when he has had the opportunity, he hasn’t in all honesty impressed.
I for one was quite pleased when he signed as he had some pedigree at this level, he looked like he could add bite to the midfield and could make a pass. It has been a tough move for him and he probably needs a different scene after captaining Lincoln just last season to being surplus to requirements here.
Ben Garner actually dropped Dobson for McGrandles in the Derby game, which might actually say more about Garner than McGrandles.
The Scot’s departure also means that Dean Holden will probably put more trust in Aaron Henry, but we now look short in that defensive midfield position.
That is now three out (two permanent and a loan) and three in (two loans and one short term deal). Hardly throwing the dosh around like Todd Boehly. A week to go.
Chicago Addick 
Seems a strange business this player management stuff. A manager brings the player in to suit his style of play, he gets fired six months later, a new manager comes in and loans them out for the rest of the season. Wow no wonder players demand high salaries. This is almost more interesting then watching them play. Wonder if it will ever get to the stage where a player is loaned out during the game!!!
Serious point though there Terry. Players move around the country uproot or leave family and then get shoved on. Yes, they are paid well, but at this level for every McGrandles there are others without clubs or who have to drop down to non-league and go semi-pro. He seems a nice enough lad, hopefully he does well at Cambridge and has options in the summer.
Meant no disrespect to the “new” players we bring in and then loan out. Just seems to aggravate the long term prospects of building a promotion winnings team when player’s and Manager’s contracts are short term. Like a formula for same-old-same-old season after season.
Dean Holden said at Bromley Addicks that he had been offered two players by our Transfer Team that he has refused because (having talked to them) he didn’t feel that they were right for the squad.
Looks like Dean is doing more personal checks on players coming in than previous managers.
No loss at all with McGrandles, looked very poor from day one when he was actually fit! The only problem is apart from a few good players and some very promising youngsters, no one wants to buy any of the others and only loan them if they need some extra bodies, so they can offload them back to us at the end of the season, so we will be stuck with them again on their long contracts! I doubt we probably cant even get anything for Stockley in the end.
Which means we will have trouble signing players on permanent contracts and it will be mostly loanees again next season!
Issue here of course is Garner gave him a 3 year contract. So whilst we save his money till end of season we are still saddled with his near £5k a week salary for next 2 years. Chuks all over again.
The money we waste on non playing players is staggering.
At least Stockley near £7k a week ends inn the summer……….(no surprise he wont move on this window.)
We signed him while injured and then he got concussion in his first start against Derby and since then George Dobson’s form has been such that nobody would drop him for McGrandles or anyone else. Things haven’t worked out well for him.
Loaning him out is sensible, we get some of his wages off the books and the player can get some first team football while we work out what’s next. Dobson’s contract expires in the summer and he may well want to play Championship football next season and I’m certain he’ll get offers. On paper McGrandles would be a good swap, if he returns fit and ready then we have a good player already on our books.