The tabloids have been rife this morning reporting that Burnley are considering a loan move for Robbie Blake. Could Blake be about to return to Turf Moor for a third spell at the club? The fact that one of the tabloids, the Sunday People includes an article by Alan Nixon reporting the possibility adds fuel to the speculation.
Alan Nixon, with his close links to Owen Coyle and Bolton, tends to be correct with his rumours of this nature and Blake has not exactly set the Reebok world alight since signing for Bolton last summer! He has seen hardly any first team action since rejoining Owen Coyle at the Reebok. This season he came on as a late substitute in Bolton’s opening game against QPR and has also started against Macclefield in the Carling Cup. That is the only action he has seen since January and indeed the last league game in which he made a start was in fact for the Clarets when he lined up in our Premier League clash against Manchester City at Turf Moor back in April 2010. The match was an horror show for the Clarets and we were eventually tonked 6-1. We were 5-0 down at the break with Blake seemingly being made one of the scapegoats at half-time and substituted along with Kevin MacDonald who chucked a wobbly and set off for the KSC 110 club only to be reprimanded later by a furious Brian Laws.
Blake clearly had issues with Laws and it was widely rumoured that he was not happy at all about being replaced in the City game. In all honesty he may have had a point since he was one of the better players in the first half. Things came out in the wash later though and it was evident Blake and Laws did not see eye to eye. Nevertheless he was offered a new contract in the summer to try and retain his services. The sticking point appeared to be his desire to feature in more games and the need to be given a two-year contract.
Burnley refused the latter and Laws probably couldn’t commit to the former. In the end, Blake perhaps not surpisingly joined his mentor, Owen Coyle at Bolton; a manager Blake clearly respected.
However if he wanted to play more games, then that clearly has not happened for him at Bolton and at 35, he must be wondering now whether a loan move may be a better option for him
These are interesting times at Turf Moor and we are clearly at the moment crying out for experience in the team. Under normal circumstances, Burnley fans may have been wary of seeing Blake back at Turf Moor but at the moment, despite his advancing years, it might just work! What do you think? Tell us below and vote in the poll.
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