OPINION
Loan spells are tricky things. The managers of the clubs where players are on loan have their own agendas and their own need to win games, which doesn’t always align with the desires of the parent clubs.
That is certainly the case with Newcastle United and their young striker Elias Sorensen, who is having a hard time of things out at League Two Carlisle United at the moment.
That’s been acknowledged by Magpies’ Under-23s boss Neil Redfearn, who told The Chronicle on Monday that: “If he’s on the bench and not coming on, it’s not what we want, it’s not what we need. Yes [there is the clause so that] he comes back in January and then it can be reviewed.”
The 20-year-old has played just six times for the Cumbrians so far this season, and has yet to start a league game for the club. Meanwhile, he’s been an unused substitute eight times thus far. This comes on the back of a loan spell with Blackpool last term where he featured only once [Source: Transfermarkt].
He shouldn’t expect to walk into the Carlisle team, or the Blackpool one for that matter, of course. However, these loan spells are surely only serving to destroy the boy’s confidence.
Sorensen has been lethal whenever he’s played for the Magpies’ Under-23s, with a record of 16 goals in 27 games for Newcastle’s second string.
But it’s doing nothing for him to be spending time away from Tyneside only to be sat on the bench or not even in the squad. With that said, the club must recall him in January and sort him out a loan with a non league side.
It’s clear that managers at Football League level don’t feel that he’s ready to be a regular starter. That’s fine, just get him out to a National League team instead. North east neighbours Hartlepool United would be an ideal move for him.
