John Buckley should be applauded for Blackburn Rovers stance which suits everybody
The talented midfielder has joined Sheffield Wednesday on a season-long loan in a move that has split the fan base
It’s never easy to see one of your own leave, even if it is only on loan.
John Buckley’s season-long loan move to Sheffield Wednesday left some Blackburn Rovers fans up in arms on transfer deadline day. The 23-year-old, who hadn’t travelled to Plymouth, was granted permission to go and play regular football.
It’s never easy to see one of your own leave, even if it is only on loan.
John Buckley’s season-long loan move to Sheffield Wednesday left some Blackburn Rovers fans up in arms on transfer deadline day. The 23-year-old, who hadn’t travelled to Plymouth, was granted permission to go and play regular football.
READ MORE: Jon Dahl Tomasson is facing his first big Blackburn Rovers selection decision of the season
The 23-year-old has struggled to find his best form since Jon Dahl Tomasson came into the club. Buckley started last season as first-choice but struggled for consistency and only started one Championship game between September and mid-December.
He fought his way back and was enjoying his best run in the side in the New Year. Then came the horrible knee injury at Stoke City which kept him on the sidelines for four months. Awful timing and bad luck.
Buckley’s had a full pre-season to get his match sharpness back but Tomasson has preferred other options. Lewis Travis has started as Rovers’ right number eight, with Adam Wharton at the base of midfield for his deep-lying playmaking ability.
Sondre Tronstad and Jake Garrett were preferred on the bench despite their similarities. That was the writing on the wall despite what Tomasson might say publicly.
At 23, Buckley is at the stage of his career where he wants to be playing every week and credit to him for pushing for that. So often, fans lament players for being content at sitting on the bench and staying in their comfort zone. In leaving his boyhood club, you can hardly accuse Buckley of that.
There’s every chance he could have worked his way back into Tomasson’s plans. He’s been out of favour before, as have many of the first-team squad, but he wasn’t prepared to wait. It gave Rovers a decision to make.
Considering how tight Rovers’ finances have been, they had to weigh up their options. Buckley wanted first-team football and they had a credible option on the table. Whilst it was not the only consideration, finances played a part.
The argument that Rovers have left themselves short in midfield doesn’t quite stack up. They had lined up another signing in the event that Buckley didn’t leave but that would have been a forward, not a like-for-like replacement.
Rovers have played a 4-3-3 this season, more often than the 4-2-3-1 that was favoured last year. They have four central midfielders but also Sam Szmodics and Andy Moran, who can play as the most advanced players in that system.
There is also the possibility of using Joe Rankin-Costello which has been trialled to good effect on a few occasions. His move into midfield was instrumental in Rovers’ two-goal fightback at Rotherham United.
So whilst loaning a talented, homegrown midfielder to another Championship club is a hard sell to supporters, you have to consider the context around the decision. The move gives Buckley a chance to play every minute for Wednesday, build his confidence and hopefully return a sharper and more consistent player.
