Could a loan move help Jewison Bennette’s development?

Joseph Tulip says...

I’ve always enjoyed watching Jewi whenever he’s been involved.

He’s an exciting prospect with natural ability who always seems willing to take people on and make something happen.

Tony Mowbray has spoken about how he needs to work on his deliveries and also his positional play when the ball comes over from the opposite flank, and you’d expect such fine tuning to be required from a player so early in his career.

I’d prefer him to stay at Sunderland, particularly if Patrick Roberts is going to require some time on the sidelines due to injury, and with Lynden Gooch’s future far from certain.

I understand the model and I accept that as part of that process, some young players will head out on loan to gain regular game time elsewhere.

However, in the case of Bennette, I simply feel as though we’d be best served keeping him as part of our squad, giving him opportunities to make an impact from the bench and to be ready for the starting XI should injuries and suspensions dictate.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Malc Dugdale says...

I think sending him out on loan makes a lot of sense if he isn’t likely to get game time here, but I don’t want it to happen until we know that we have first choice players post-deadline day.

Ideally, I’d also like some cover for those who are in similar positions to Bennette.

He provides pace and energy, and that’s a welcome asset to keep around if needed, especially given how hard we’re finding it to convert chances.

With all the rumours floating around, it seems that everyone is potentially up for sale for the right price, and we simply can’t leave ourselves at risk of a severe lack of depth.

That’s been the case in the past when allegedly advanced inbound deals haven’t happened, and when our outbound business hasn’t suffered any hitches at all.

Bennette is still young and developing but it may be the case he can do a job, as he showed a few times last season and on our pre-season tour.

He’s got international experience and if we can give him game time, maybe he should stay, but the perfect balance for me would be possibly confirming all our transfer business and then letting him go out on loan to a top six League One club, but with a recall clause.

We’ve had such bad luck with injuries that it would be sod’s law if we need him about a week after he headed off to another club for the rest of the season.

He’s a young and developing player but so are many others in our team and they’re thrown in week after week.

Whichever way it goes, I think Bennette has a bright future, and I trust those making the decisions to do what’s best for both him and the club.

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Martin Wanless says...

When you’ve got a model of bringing in young players and developing them over a period of time, we’re going to have situations as we have with Bennette now where they need regular football, but haven’t forced their way into our team quite yet.

We saw it with Jay Matete last season, Joe Anderson’s gone on a season-long loan to Shrewsbury this season, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Abdoullah Ba went out on loan before the deadline, too.

In days gone by, that would be a sign that those players aren’t wanted at the club, but now it’s different. If they’re not getting first team football here, they’re going to be better served by playing twenty or thirty games in ‘proper’ football elsewhere.

After a year on Wearside, Bennette’s not really made much of an impression, however, there are mitigating factors.

He burst onto the scene shortly after his arrival and scoring against Watford. He then went to the World Cup and got a good goal at home to Fulham before suffering a season-ending injury in March.

I like him as a player. He’s fast, can get past people, and can score. Sure, he’s a bit rough around the edges, but that’s what comes with having just turned nineteen.

In light of the continued speculation surrounding Jack Clarke – and now the rumours about Patrick Roberts’ future – I wouldn’t be sanctioning any move for him at present.

However, his football development, should those two stay put, will be best served playing Championship football, or possibly at the top end of League One this season, rather than sitting on our bench.

I don’t see any benefit in him going overseas to play.

If we see a future for him as a Sunderland player, he’s got to get experience of English football, so come deadline day, pending what happens with our two first-choice wingers, I hope to see him get a good English loan move.

Sheffield Wednesday, anyone?

Photo by Martin Swinney/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images,

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