The mid-season loan report (part two)
Written by George Rossiter on 7th December 2022
In the second part of this series, George Rossiter looks at nine other names looking to make an impression away from SW6.
For part one, head here.
Steven Sessegnon
Sessegnon has been a useful addition to Charlton this season, not least for his versatility, playing at both full-back positions as well as on the left wing in a game against Oxford. The U17 World Cup winner has been a constant in the Charlton side since late September, playing in a total of 16 games across three competitions, contributing a goal and two assists – all coming so far in the FA Cup, where the Addicks will need to win a replay against Stockport for the chance to host Walsall in the third round. Here’s what Charlton fan Joe Puddifoot had to say on Sessegnon’s stint so far:
Embed from Getty Images“Sessegnon has made a strong start to life in SE7, which has been a bit of a godsend as he’s the only player in the squad with any real senior experience of playing on the left side of the defence. He’s strong both defensively and going forwards and has been one of the first names on the team sheet. Charlton do concede a lot of bad goals, so it’s testament to Sess that he hasn’t seemingly been at fault for any. It would be great to see him add an assist to his league record as he does have license to get forward. Having said that, if anyone at Fulham reads this, he’s absolutely rubbish and he shouldn’t be recalled in January!”
Joe Bryan
Embed from Getty ImagesI think I speak for all Fulham fans when I say that Joe Bryan getting a loan move to Nice was a really… nice move for him. Unsurprisingly, Bryan hasn’t quite gone from being a back-up in a Championship side to a starter in a Ligue 1 side competing in Europe, often rotating in his position with Melvin Bard and Jordan Lotomba. That being said, Joe has still had a part to play, with eight appearances spread across the league and the Europa Conference League.
Often used on the left-side of a back five when Nice become tactically flexible, Bryan’s main contributions have come in Europe with solid minutes in the Conference League, which have yielded a goal and an assist, coming against Partizan and Slovacko, respectively. Unlike the other senior players out on loan, Bryan may still see a future at Fulham with the struggling depth in his position due to the injuries of Layvin Kurzawa, but the Bristol boy will know he’s still got a lot to prove to Marco Silva.
Sylvester Jasper
After a promising spell at Hibernian last season, a lot was expected of Jasper as he headed to Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers. But what materialised has been nothing short of a disappointment. Up until mid-October, Jasper was a bit-part player, coming on as a sub in six League One games as well as two full games in the EFL Trophy. Bar a singular assist in the league, Jasper left no lasting impression with the Grecians. On the 22 October, Bristol Rover’s official Twitter page put out a message from Barton, saying: “It hasn’t worked out for Syl, he’s not been happy with the minutes he was getting, so he’s gone back to Fulham.”
Bristolian journalist Neil Maggs stated : “Jasper barely played in his time at the club. Bar a few sub cameos where he looked sharp and lively, it’s hard to judge him off such little football. It seems there was a bust-up with Barton, who didn’t like him demanding more game time and as a result he was sent back.”
Kieron Bowie
Embed from Getty ImagesBig things were expected of young Kieron Bowie after a really promising start to his career at home club Raith Rovers. Now into his first senior spell in English football, Bowie has continued to impress at high-flying Northampton Town in League Two. Playing in a mix of positions both out on the right and more centrally, the young Scot has been a key attacking clog in Northampton’s side, with six goal contributions in 21 games across all competitions so far. Charles from the It’s All Cobblers To Me podcast is excited about how Bowie is developing:
“Kieron has probably played more than he or Northampton manager Jon Brady expected since joining in the summer. He’s scored four goals so far, but the thing I’ve been most impressed with is his aggression. For a young lad he loves to get stuck in and is always up for a battle with a central defender. He’s shown maturity above his years at times and some of the goals he’s scored have been fantastic. His workrate and endeavour to work for the team is fantastic and he deserves more goals than he has. The longer he’s with Northampton, the better he’s getting and I can’t wait to see how he develops over the coming months.”
Anthony Knockaert
Knockaert finds himself in Greece this season, playing for Super League top-half side Volos. The French winger missed the opening month of his spell at the club with a muscle injury, but eventually made his debut against APO Levadiakos in October. Anthony has gone onto score a league goal against Greek giants Panathinaikos and was making frequent cameos before the Greek League stopped for the World Cup break. Knockaert’s only full 90 minutes came in a cup win over Ionikos Nikeas, where he provided an assist in a 4-0 victory.
Embed from Getty ImagesSonny Hilton
After a hugely promising season last year in the academy, Hilton went out on loan to Carlisle with the eyes of many Fulham fans on him, hoping for a breakthrough year in senior football. However, after a run of substitute cameos to start the season, Hilton picked up an injury in September, and has only recently returned to the Paul Simpson’s matchday squad. Matt Spooner, board member of the Carlisle United Supporters Trust, gives his thoughts:
“There was an air of excitement surrounding the Hilton loan. Nine goals and 12 assists in PL2 certainly had us intrigued. He’s been unlucky with injuries, but is back in the matchday squad and his return is very well received as at Carlisle we’ve had up to 11 players out at once, leaving us light at times. In the games Sonny has played, we’ve seen glimpses of his potential coming to light, with a really positive showing away to Newport, helping us to earn a valuable point. We don’t know what January holds for us, but we’re up there in the league and having the likes of Hilton back could well play a big part in the run in as we look towards a very positive season.”
Ziyad Larkeche
French U20 international Larkeche has made a promising start to his first loan spell in English football. The full-back has made nine appearances across League One, the EFL Trophy and the FA Cup, including a hugely impressive goal against Newcastle U21s in the EFL Trophy. While league minutes have become scarce of late, Barnsley fan Joe Beardsall is feeling positive about the impact Larkeche can have in the remainder of the season:
“Larkeche burst onto the scene for Barnsley with an absolutely stunning goal in the EFL Trophy against Newcastle’s U21 side. He’s gone on to make several league appearances since then but hasn’t yet managed to secure a starting place. He’s looked decent when he’s had game time and got forward well. He needs to keep working on the defensive side of his game and work hard to get back into the team but I think Larkeche certainly has got something to offer us this season.”
Jonathon Page
Young midfielder Jonathon Page has made made himself a frequent name on the team-sheet at Farnborough, contributing two goals so far in the National League South. He’s also helped his side to a great run in the FA Cup, where they recently fell to defeat at the hands of Wrexham in the second round proper. Hear more from Farnborough fan Tom Ryan:
“Pagey’s doing great I have to say. I really like his aggression, and he shows clear technical quality alongside that too. You can see he makes a difference at this level, which I think is especially impressive for his age and some of the players he’s playing next to in our midfield. He’s a fan favourite too, scoring in a few big games including in a big away fixture against Dartford in the league and in a 7-0 FA Cup win in the qualifying rounds.”
Tyrese Francois
Recently called up for the first time by his native Australia, Francois has had a tough spell in Croatia with HNK Gorica. Gorica, a club associated with Fulham, find themselves cut adrift at the bottom of the Croatian top division on seven points after 16 games, of which Francois has featured in 10, including a solitary goal in a defeat to Hajduk Split. At the age of 22, the Australian midfielder would’ve definitely been looking for a more positive loan spell to kick on in his senior career, let’s see what the second half of the season has to offer.
