Three players left Turf Moor and went out on loan on Thursday (loan deadline day). We have already reviewed the situation regarding Andre Amougou. He made his debut for Bristol City on Saturday and will be playing for the struggling Championship side until the last week of the season. Eddie Howe has already hinted that Amougou`s days at Turf Moor are now numbered and the 27 year old defender seems highly likely to leave the club when his contract expires in the summer.
Amougou though was an Owen Coyle signing, so maybe his face simply doesn`t fit under the new regime but what of the other two players who also went out on loan last week?
Both Keith Treacy and Zavon Hines came highly rated after being signed by Eddie Howe in the summer but both have basically failed miserably to make any sort of impression.
Republic of Ireland international winger, Keith Treacy signed a three-year deal with Burnley FC on August 1st last year . With both Chris Eagles and Wade Elliott having departed a lot was being asked of the former Blackburn and Preston winger. Many Clarets fans thought he would soon slot into the team and be just as effective, if not better than the wingers we had just lost.
At first, it looked like those sentiments were about to be proven right but gradually Treacy seemed unable to impress and at times looked disinterested. There was also criticism from some fans that he looked unfit and fat and it certainly didn`t help his cause by looking lethargic on the pitch.
Treacy made his last appearance for the Clarets when he started the game at home to Millwall at the end of February. Once again though, he failed to deliver, with the Clarets dismally losing the game 3-1. He has not featured since, even on the bench!
On Thursday, it was announced he would now be sent out on loan to League 1, Sheffield Wednesday for the remainder of the season and he duly came on from the bench in the 78th minute on Saturday to make his debut for the promotion-chasing Owls helping them beat Orient 1-0 away from home.
How many Clarets fans at the start of the season would have been expecting to see Treacy go out on loan before the season end? Could Eddie Howe be blamed for Treacy`s inability to impress or is there something more fundamental going wrong? Does the problem lie in Treacy`s head? Why has he not performed as expected? I wish I had the answers but I now remain convinced that he could not hold a candle to either Eagles or Elliott based on this season`s lacklustre performances. We have badly missed both Eagles and Elliott and have singularly failed to find appropriate wingers to replace them. Junior Stanislas has also not exactly set the world alight and even Ross Wallace blows hot and cold. Is that down to Howe or the players? Let us know your opinion below this article.
We had already reported that Zavon Hines looked likely to be leaving on loan to Bournemouth and that was confirmed on Thursday. He will now play for the Cherries, Eddie Howe`s former club until the end of the season. He made his debut for the Cherries on Saturday in the 1-0 defeat away to Oldham.
Hines too came to Burnley in the summer with high expectations.
The striker was a highly rated prospect having arrived from West Ham in August 2011 Due to his age, his transfer fee was decided by tribunal and it was estimated to be in the region of £250,000. Hines initially made a few appearances from the bench before making his first start for the club in the 2-1 Carling Cup 3rd round home win against MK Dons back in September last year. Apart from another start in the 4th round tie away to Cardiff, the rest of his limited appearances have been from the bench and he has yet to score for the Clarets first-team. His last appearance was coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute in the game away to Southampton last month.
Are we being unfair on Hines? Is he one for the future or should he already be delivering? Did Howe do the right thing in signing him? Again Clarets fans will have differing views so why not let us have them below this article?
What could the future of Treacy & Hines be at Turf Moor? Do they have one?
Eddie Howe gave a little bit of a clue last week when he said:
‘It’s a chance for them to go out and show what they can do. We don’t close the door on them at all.
‘They still have a future here if they show while they are on loan that they have got the desire and the fight to come back and play here.’
Howe speaking specifically about Treacy said:
‘He has all the talent in the world. He could be whatever he wants to be. We have seen that in flashes this season but we haven’t seen it on a consistent basis.
‘Leaving the environment for a spell and getting some games at a lower level will hopefully show everyone what he is capable of and hopefully he will come back here next season a different player.
In relation to Hines, Howe said:
‘We don’t lose faith in Zavon. He hasn’t been given too many opportunities to play. We do have a good striking department and he has found chances hard to come by.
‘This is a chance for him to go to a good club and to play some football and hopefully he can show everybody what he is capable of and then we can take it from there.’
I think reading between the lines and trying to paraphrase Howe, I would judge this to mean:
1. Amougou…sorry mate time to go!
2. Treacy-Last chance saloon, pull yer socks up!
3. Hines-We want to keep you, must try harder!
Both Treacy and Hines are also in a somewhat better position than Amougou being protected by contracts that don`t run out in the summer.
But what do you think?
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