With half of more of Town's present matchday squad belonging to other clubs, it's easy to ask exactly how we can expect the players concerned to put as much effort in as, in theory, a permanent player might do. A lot of people are fiercely critical of the loan system and our use of it at the moment, and that got me thinking back over recent years to some of the loan players we've seen in a Town shirt. Some good, some bad, some best forgotten, some embedded in Town legend for ever. In no particular order.

Gio Dos Santos - Arguably one of the most gifted players to pull on a Town shirt in recent years. I remember being stunned when I got a text saying we'd signed him, and equally impressed when I first saw him play. Quick, classy, great passer of the ball, I remember his perfect ball for Alan Quinn's equaliser against the Budgies with particular fondness.

Martijn Reuser - Easy to forget he was taken on loan at first, during our promotion push. I remember being in the dark depths of the old North Stand, aware a mysterious Dutch forward was on the bench and being unsure of where he would fit in. But minutes later, deep into injury time against a Fulham side happy to hold on for a point, he slipped the ball under the advancing keeper to send the ground into wild celebrations, and almost getting himself booked for taking his shirt off when no other celebration seemed to come to mind.

Mike Pollitt - Amidst a fairly bleak season, one of the funnier moments was Jim Magilton's upsetting of eventual replacement Roy Keane, by signing Pollitt at very short notice from Wigan instead of Tommy Miller from Keane's Sunderland. His one game was the derby with Norwich, in which, a short time before the 10 minutes now known as Danny Haynes v NCFC, he pulled off a crucial save from Rob Earnshaw to keep matters level. Never seen in his number 40 shirt again, I even voted for him as player of the year, such was my admiration of his one appearance.

Matt Bates - Put Luke Chadwick through an advertising board. Enough said. Injured in next match and not seen again.

Stern John - I knew things were going wrong for Roy Keane when John joined the already desperate squad in November '09. Unfit, not needed by Palace, Keane clearly saw something in him that I for one did not. I remarked after one game that we could have moved the statue of Sir Bobby inside the ground as a replacement for him and not noticed a great deal of difference.

Simon Walton - I for one really liked him, really thought he could have been a good signing. The partnership he formed with Mark Noble had real potential until Noble went back to Upton Park to become the backbone of West Ham's midfield and Walton, well, went just about everywhere else, regular red cards seemingly following him.

Daryl Murphy - Basically a Town player for the last two years. If Celtic don't want him, he can stay with us for me. Transformed under Mick McCarthy after filling a square hole with his round self out on the left under Jewell.

DJ Campbell - Probably top of every Town fan's Christmas list, and almost certainly Mick McCarthy's, but surely represents the nightmare scenario for a club like ours; drop down a division to get fitness and confidence restored, do exactly that, and move on at the end of three months leaving us looking for his replacement, he having been just that in the first place.

I for one hope Mick McCarthy brings a bit more long term thinking to our squad over the next two transfer windows. Loan players used to be bought in to add a last bit if strength to an already solid squad, not to plug the gaping holes in a squad that should have been filled during the longer than normal close season.

I'm probably not alone in longing for a squad of committed, longer term, permanent signings, and hope that Mick McCarthy can find those in the next six months.

HighgateBlue added 14:59 - Jan 3 Ironically enough my advert under the blog is for loans between £500 and £15,000 - I hope Mick has more money to play with than that, whether it's for loans or permanent signings!
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