There is a permanent place at Bolton Wanderers for Neil Danns... hopefully

Dougie Freedman reckons there is room for Neil Danns at Wanderers on a permanent basis – but that he could do nothing if Leicester City decide to welcome him back into the fold in January.

The on-loan midfielder has been a key player in the Whites’ recent revival and has yet to sample defeat since signing at the Reebok.

He had been frozen out at the King Power Stadium under Nigel Pearson and not featured in a Championship game for the Foxes since mid-April.

Fans have been calling for Danns to be snapped up when his loan expires in January but Freedman is wary of building up hopes unnecessarily.

“This loan system leaves me scratching my head at times,” he said. “The situation is we’ve got him for three months and after that time he’s a Leicester player and he goes back there fitter, stronger and hopefully a lot happier. If Leicester feel he won’t be in the team then we need to look at the situation.”

Danns’ industry has been integral to back-to-back victories over Bournemouth and Millwall and Freedman is not surprised Wanderers fans have taken to him over the last six weeks.

“If you want to play football, let’s play football, if you want to battle, let’s battle,” he said. “I think that’s what he’s all about and you need characters like him in the team.

“Last season we were missing that explosive energy he gives us.

“I know what I want in a football team and I think I know what the fans want too. There is room for a player like Neil Danns at this football club because he gets you off your seat and makes things happen.”

Danns’ arrival has meant a spell out of the side for Darren Pratley but Freedman insists the ex-Swansea City man is still very much a part of his first-team plan.

Pratley has been sidelined with a back injury for the last two games and has not featured on the pitch since the 2-1 win over Birmingham on October 5.

“I think he lost his form a little bit at the start of the season, so Dannsy has come into the team and filled that hole,” Freedman explained.

“But last year Prats came into the team about Christmas time and gave us that little lift, so he can do that again.

“It isn’t just about one player with Neil Danns, it’s about the team and everyone else around him.”

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Dougie really should be talking to Leicester about permanently signing Danns NOW. I realise we can't formally do that deal until January but why not thrash out the terms now and formally sign the lad on January 1st. If Dougie or someone in authority at the Reebok isn't already on this case then frankly they're incompetent.

luckyPeterpiper wrote:Dougie really should be talking to Leicester about permanently signing Danns NOW. I realise we can't formally do that deal until January but why not thrash out the terms now and formally sign the lad on January 1st. If Dougie or someone in authority at the Reebok isn't already on this case then frankly they're incompetent.

I'll ask this question again: how many loans players that we've gone on to sign have turned out to be good buys? Not many.

El Hadji Diouf

Ivan Campo.

bwfc1874 wrote:El Hadji Diouf

Diouf was great on loan, absolute shite when signed permanently.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:El Hadji Diouf

Diouf was great on loan, absolute shite when signed permanently.

That's a matter of opinion, but I struggle to see the relevance to Danns as he's a different person and there's no way of knowing how he would react to being signed.

I think the idea of never signing a player on loan because you suspect they'll be shite once they've signed is spurious at best.

Where did I say don't sign him?

I was merely floating the idea that a lot of players put a huge shift in when they go out on loan - but once they've got the fat signing on fee and a 3 year contract (5 if you're signing for Owen Coyle) they revert to the form that made their last club sell them.

Natasha Whittam wrote:Where did I say don't sign him?

I was merely floating the idea that a lot of players put a huge shift in when they go out on loan - but once they've got the fat signing on fee and a 3 year contract (5 if you're signing for Owen Coyle) they revert to the form that made their last club sell them.

That's the risk that we take with any signing, whether they've been here on loan or not. Just think of a loan period as an extended trial.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:El Hadji Diouf

Diouf was great on loan, absolute shite when signed permanently.

That's complete nonsense, he was a great signing for us.

Anelka Diouf and Davies, what a strike force.

Rubbish. Diouf was awful. He should have been good, he had more of the ball than any BWFC player of the last 20 years but usually fell over or skied it into the North Stand. Or spat at someone.

The best winger we've had in my memory, not blessed with electric pace but he had great balance and two feet, could go one way or another and usually stick a decent ball in. I remember plenty of full backs falling over trying to keep up with his change of direction. For his 3 seasons with us he was great, I always thought the £2.5million Sunderland got him for was a bargain.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

luckyPeterpiper wrote:Dougie really should be talking to Leicester about permanently signing Danns NOW. I realise we can't formally do that deal until January but why not thrash out the terms now and formally sign the lad on January 1st. If Dougie or someone in authority at the Reebok isn't already on this case then frankly they're incompetent.

I'll ask this question again: how many loans players that we've gone on to sign have turned out to be good buys? Not many.

Nat there is no reason to believe Danns will be poor once he's our player on a permanent basis. I accept there's no reason to believe he'll be the next Messi either but I think your pessimism is really rather sad. 

Personally I rate this guy; he's a good player and I think he might even get better with a contract because it will make him feel a bit more secure and certain of his future. If he isn't part of Pearson's plans then surely he'd want to be somewhere he is wanted and will get to play most if not every match and that is here. 

As to your question why does it make a difference if they sign for us on loan first? You could just as easily ask how many permanent signings have gone on to do really well for us in the last five or six years and the answer would be the same. However for my money I actually PREFER to have a player on loan first, especially if it gives us a chance to see how he does in an extended run of games such as a half or full season loan deal. With nine more matches to go until Danns loan is up we should have just that opportunity and given how he's playing now I think we'd be off our trolleys not to sign him permanently if that continues. 

I think of it this way; we don't have a lot to spend on actual transfer fees at the moment so a loan is effectively a 'try before you buy' arrangement that makes a lot of sense. Surely it's better to have a guy here for three months and give him a proper test than it is to spend two or three million on a player based solely on the fact he did well somewhere else? Wouldn't it be more economical and commercially sound to first see if the player can fit in here and perform well before committing to a purchase in the long run? I know there are trials as well but I've never really been a fan of them because they usually last a week or two at most and all too often the guy on trial gets half a reserve match at most which tells us nothing about how he'd perform in the first team on a bigger stage. For a cash strapped club the loan system is an ideal way of checking out a player thoroughly before you pay out much needed cash on either a transfer or signing on fee.

If it means it keeps El Prat out of the team,I will pay his wages !! Sign the fucker up now !!

Natasha Whittam wrote:

luckyPeterpiper wrote:Dougie really should be talking to Leicester about permanently signing Danns NOW. I realise we can't formally do that deal until January but why not thrash out the terms now and formally sign the lad on January 1st. If Dougie or someone in authority at the Reebok isn't already on this case then frankly they're incompetent.

I'll ask this question again: how many loans players that we've gone on to sign have turned out to be good buys? Not many.

David Lee

I'm sure the club will try and sign Danns and McNaughton in Jan. Am I right in thinking that fees etc are agreed when the loan deal is signed?

Fees can be agreed in loans but it's not written into all of them. I haven't heard anything about either of these having fees, but Im sure both would be available as neither are close their respective clubs first teams.

Danns has done well, but is absolutely shite in front of goal.

Amazing that a professional footballer can't hit a ball cleanly.

I think he's a stronger version of Pratley. Not the best footballer in the world, but can give energy to an otherwise flat midfield. I'm not convinced he's a must-have, mind.

Agree with every word of that Doffcocker.