Liverpool Loan Watch: December 2018

Welcome to the fifth part of my series of monthly articles; tracking the progress of Liverpool’s loanees for the 2018/19 season. This is an ongoing series which will hopefully help keep fans up-to-date on how our players are getting on at their temporary homes. Liverpool currently have fifteen players on loan, and this series will follow their campaigns closely, and assess which of the loaned players are likely to have a future at Anfield.

If you missed my November piece, here’s a link: http://fanscorners.com/liverpool-loan-watch-november-2018/

Let’s see how they got on in December…

Loris Karius – Besiktas

Loris Karius’ nightmare 2018 has at least finished with a more positive month. He kept his second clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 win over Galatasaray in a battle of the Turkish heavyweights and was praised for his command of his area. He followed this up with probably his best performance for Besiktas so far, in a 0-0 draw at Alanyaspor. Karius made 4 excellent saves and was awarded man of the match after making an outstanding save from close range in the dying moments to save his team a point. The German was impressive again as Besiktas hosted Malmo in their final must-win Europa League game. While Karius made two very good saves, he was beaten in a one-on-one situation and Besiktas lost the game 1-0, meaning they failed to qualify from their group. They were back in Super Lig action against Trabzonspor, earning a 2-2 draw in a game which saw Karius make five saves, continuing his upturn in form. December ended with a less positive performance as Besiktas were trounced 4-1 by Kasimpasa, with the keeper arguably at fault for the second and third goal. All in all, this has been a much better month for Karius in Turkey and he will be looking to keep this form up when the league returns in 2019.

Marko Grujic – Hertha Berlin

It has been a familiar story for Marko Grujic in December, with a good run of form being halted by an unfortunate injury. Grujic started the 2-0 win away at struggling Hannover and was given the full 90 minutes, displaying a good passing range and winning the ball back on a number of occasions. His second start of the month was at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, a game which brought his first goal for the team in blue and white. Grujic’s towering header from a corner in the first half earned all three points for his team and this was the cherry on top of a very good individual performance, especially with regards to his physical duels. After the game, Hertha manager Pal Dardai proclaimed that Grujic is the best midfielder he has seen at the club in ’22 years’. High praise indeed. Sadly, the Serbian picked up an ankle ligament injury which meant he missed the final three fixtures of the month – none of which Hertha won. Grujic is expected back in mid-January and for the Germans, it will be crucial to get their star midfielder a real run of games after the winter break.

Danny Ings – Southampton

Ings has been back on the goal trail under new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl this month. After missing the draw with Manchester United and the losses to Tottenham and Cardiff, the striker was back in the team for the home fixture with Arsenal – Hasenhuttl’s first match at St Mary’s. Ings made an immediate impact, opening the scoring for the Saints with a header early on. Arsenal equalised but Ings wasn’t done, putting the South Coast side back in the lead with a delicate glancing header on the stroke of half time. Ings was withdrawn late on, but his two headed goals were crucial as Southampton recorded an invaluable 3-2 win over Unai Emery’s team. He was on the scoresheet the following week as his side won 3-1 away at Huddersfield, with the former Burnley man slotting home a penalty for the Saints’ second goal. He was slightly subdued in the West Ham game and was taken off in the second half, and was an unused substitute for the whole match in the defeat to Manchester City – but the signs are positive for Ings with three games and three goals this month.

Adam Bogdan – Hibernian

Bogdan has endured a weird month in Edinburgh, with the Hungarian goalkeeper sharing gametime after suffering a very poor start to December. He was between the sticks for a 3-0 loss to the surprise package of the season, Kilmarnock. He kept his place for the subsequent home fixture with St Mirren, which ended in a 2-2 draw after Bogdan was beaten from the halfway line by former Red and Barnsley man Adam Hammill. This error sparked discussion about whether Bogdan should be dropped by Neil Lennon. Lennon kept faith with Bogdan and named him to start the fixture away at Hamilton Academical. A remarkable turn of events saw Bogdan sustain an injury in the warmup, meaning that Ofir Marciano started the game in his place and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win. Marciano retained his place for the 2-0 win over Celtic and started the following game at home to Rangers too. Hibernian’s crazy month in the goalkeeping department continued with Marciano getting injured early in the Rangers game, meaning Bogdan was brought into the fray. The Hungarian keeper was in inspired form, making a string of unbelievable saves to deny the league’s top scorer Alfredo Morelos, earning his first clean sheet of the month with a 0-0 draw. Bogdan was restored to the team from the start against Livingston, where Hibs earned a 1-1 draw. Bogdan had a quiet game and was faultless for Ryan Hardie’s goal. Bogdan was a thorn in Rangers’ side once again at Ibrox, as despite Morelos opening the scoring, Bogdan made a series of outstanding saves to deny Lafferty, Jack and Middleton as Hibernian came away with a valuable point. The year ended on a low for Bogdan and Hibernian as they were beaten by Edinburgh rivals Hearts in a 1-0 loss. Bogdan was helpless for Olly Lee’s excellent winning strike, and made a good save to deny former Norwich and Everton striker Steven Naismith.

Ryan Kent – Rangers

Ryan Kent has made a great impression at Rangers that has only been hampered by injuries. He missed the first two games of December – a 2-1 win at Hearts and a 1-0 defeat at home to Aberdeen – before returning for the away fixture at Dundee. Kent started the match and set up Daniel Candeias for a chance which resulted in a free kick, that was scored by Andy Halliday. This was to be Kent’s last involvement though as he was withdrawn at half time with another injury. This prevented him from being involved in the Europa League exit in Vienna, or the goalless draw with Hibernian. It became noticeable that Kent’s quality on the ball and creative spark was missing as Rangers laboured to a 2-1 win over St. Johnstone, with two goals from Alfredo Morelos saving them from a terrible result – which their insipid performance looked like earning. There was hope that Kent would be back for the home fixture with Hibernian but he was unavailable for this too, before he finally made his comeback in the Old Firm Derby. Rangers finished 2018 with a historic 1-0 win over arch-rivals Celtic – their first league win over the Hoops for six years. Kent was fantastic all game and ran Mikael Lustig ragged with his tricks and change of pace. Kent was heavily involved in the goal, skipping around Lustig and leaving him on the floor with a lovely bit of skill before cutting back to Ryan Jack who finished. The Gers fans lauded Kent’s willingness to track back and get involved in the dirty side of the game too. Everyone will be hoping now that Kent has an injury-free run and can have a big impact on Rangers’ title challenge in the second half of the campaign.

Ovie Ejaria – Rangers

This will be the last loan report of Ovie Ejaria at Rangers, as his loan deal was terminated midway through the month. Ejaria started the first match of the month away at Hearts and though Rangers fought back to win 2-1, Ejaria was heavily criticised for a disappointing showing which included him having a header cleared off the line. He was very poor once again against Aberdeen as Rangers were beaten at home for the first time this season and was dropped to the bench for the next match away at Dundee. Ejaria came on in the second half and was terrible, consistently making poor decisions as Rangers slipped to a 1-1 draw at the league’s strugglers. He was left out of the squad for Rangers’ final Europa League game against Rapid Vienna, with Steven Gerrard confirming that the player was unsettled and that conversations were due to take place over his future. A few days later, both clubs released statements explaining that Ejaria’s loan deal had been cancelled and he would be returning to Liverpool immediately. Stories of Ejaria feeling unsettled in Scotland are rife, although most Rangers fans appear to feel that after a bright start, Ejaria simply couldn’t cope with the physicality of the league. With the player seemingly a long way off the first team, it remains to be seen what the next step is for Ejaria. Another loan elsewhere in January is a possibility. The midfielder was at Loftus Road for QPR’s win over Ipswich last week – as seen on his Instagram story – but rather than a hint that he may be signing for the club, it appears Ejaria was simply in West London to watch his friend Eberechi Eze.

Sheyi Ojo – Stade de Reims

Ojo has had a quiet month in France which was interrupted with a small knee injury midway through the month. He started the first match of December, playing 85 minutes in a 0-0 draw away at Marseille. He was praised for his involvement in the attacking side of Reims’ performance, though could’ve done a lot better with attempts to beat his man. The aforementioned knee injury kept Ojo out of the subsequent league fixtures with Toulouse and Lille, and he was only given 2 minutes from the bench in Reims’ 2-1 win over Strasbourg. The winger was introduced at half time with Reims trailing 2-1 against Caen, and the former Fulham attacker had some influence as his side fought back to draw 2-2. When the season resumes in January, it would be nice to see Ojo get more starts and become a more important part of this impressive Reims team.

Connor Randall – Rochdale

Connor Randall’s Rochdale loan has ended with an appearance-less month for the right back. He has played just three games for the League One club in what has been a very disappointing loan spell, damaged badly by a run of injuries. He departs Spotland with Keith Hill’s team 16^th in League One. It will be interesting to see what happens with Randall from here – he is at the end of his Liverpool contract in June – so another loan for the second half of the season could be likely.

Ben Woodburn – Sheffield United

It’s a real shame that Ben Woodburn hasn’t been involved in the Sheffield United fold this season, because the Blades are having a brilliant campaign and are knocking on the door of the automatic promotion places. Woodburn was left out of the squad for a 1-0 defeat at home to fellow promotion rivals Leeds and was ruled out of the rest of the month through an ankle ligament injury sustained in training. Wins over Reading, Derby and Blackburn and a draw at Ipswich meant that Chris Wilder’s side ended the month in 4^th place. The season has seen Woodburn make a paltry two starts and just eight appearances overall, meaning that a January recall is looking extremely likely. This possibility has only been increased with United signing Everton attacker Kieran Dowell on loan, a similar player to Woodburn.

Harry Wilson – Derby County

Another very positive month in the Midlands for Harry Wilson who has bagged three goals as Derby’s playoff hopes continue. His December started with a brilliant first half brace in a 2-1 home win over Swansea. The first of his strikes was a terrific hit from outside of the box to open the scoring, yet another long-range goal. His second was a cool finish into the bottom corner after finding himself unmarked just inside the area. He was quieter as Derby recorded a rare clean sheet with a 1-0 win over Wigan thanks to a goal from Jack Marriott, with the Welshman’s performance being affected by an incident in the first half with Sam Morsy. Derby were held to draws by first their arch rivals Nottingham Forest and then Bristol City in their next two games – with Wilson working hard but finding himself unfortunate to not have a greater impact on either game from midfield. Next up was a trip to Bramall Lane, where Derby were outclassed by a superb Sheffield United side in a 3-1 defeat, though Wilson got Derby on level terms with another of his trademark free kicks, giving on-loan Man United goalkeeper Dean Henderson no chance. Wilson also had a shot cleared off the line in the first half, being Derby’s only real attacking threat in the game. Derby’s 2018 ended with a visit to high-flying Norwich City, and with the Rams 2-0 down inside half an hour, it was looking like a foregone conclusion. Derby fought their way back into the game and ended up winning 4-3 in a classic. Wilson was played again in a midfield role and was held accountable for Norwich’s second goal, scored by Teemu Pukki, after giving away possession when in a good attacking area.

Taiwo Awoniyi – KAA Gent

It has been a month of appearances from the bench for Taiwo Awoniyi. Surprisingly, he was left out of the matchday squad for Gent’s cup fixture with Beerschot, which his side won 3-0. Awoniyi was afforded just 14 minutes off the bench in the next two matches against Eupen and Charleroi. Once again, he was on the bench as Gent took on St. Truiden in the cup, though he was given slightly longer from the bench this time – 22 minutes. The Nigerian was an unused sub as his side recorded an impressive 4-1 win over Cercle Brugge, though his year did at least end with some game time, as he was brought on with 17 minutes left against Genk, though could not prevent a 3-1 defeat. In order for this loan to be considered a success in the second half of the campaign, Awoniyi needs to get more starts and have a greater impact on Gent’s season.

Allan Rodrigues de Souza – Eintracht Frankfurt

Allan has missed every game this month after being ruled out for four weeks with an injury to his left knee. Happily, the midfielder should be back to fitness by the time the Bundesliga restarts. The Brazlian missed out on a difficult month for Eintracht which saw them lose three of their five league games, leaving them 6^th in the table. This was also the month that saw Eintracht qualify for the Europa League Round of 32 with a 2-1 win over Lazio, meaning they won all six of their group games, one of only two teams to achieve this. Allan will be hoping to be named in the Europa League squad for when the tournament commences in February, with Eintracht having being drawn to play Shakhtar Donetsk in a tricky tie.

Anderson Arroyo – KAA Gent

Another month has gone by without Anderson Arroyo making an appearance for KAA Gent, though he has been involved a few times for the U21 side. Whether Liverpool are happy with this or look to relocate the left back in January remains to be seen.

Shamal George – Tranmere Rovers

George has endured another month on the bench for Rovers as their playoff hopes have been dented with a series of mixed results. While he has never been able to displace Scott Davies in goal, he will have been disappointed to not have had a chance in the FA Cup – especially with Tranmere drawing Tottenham Hotspur in Round Three. George confirmed via his Twitter account that he would be returning to Liverpool at the end of the month, ending his spell at Tranmere with three appearances under his belt. His month ended on a high with a start for the U23s in a friendly game with Man United, in which George saved a pair of penalties. The Englishman’s next loan will need to be one where he can get a good amount of gametime.

Herbie Kane – Doncaster Rovers

While Kane hasn’t quite grabbed the headlines that he did in November, he has still had a very good month in South Yorkshire. He started the 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup, though was a little subdued in the more advanced position of a ten in a 4-4-2 diamond. Rovers face a trip to Championship side Preston North End in Round Three. Kane grabbed an assist in Doncaster’s 4-0 win over League One strugglers (and Kane’s hometown club) Bristol Rovers, delivering an excellent ball for Tom Anderson’s goal. The midfield starlet was back on the scoresheet in the derby win over Scunthorpe, scoring Donny’s second goal of the game with an impudent dinked finish. Then came the news that all Doncaster fans had been waiting for – Liverpool – and he – had agreed to extend his loan at the Keepmoat until the end of the season. Perhaps more importantly from a Liverpool perspective was that Kane had signed a new deal at Liverpool, with the Bristolian seen as a big part of the future. He had quieter games as Doncaster drew 2-2 with Oxford United and were beaten 3-0 by playoff rivals Fleetwood but was improved as Donny finished 2018 with an excellent 3-1 win away at Gillingham, with Kane’s breaking up of Gills’ attacking play being a key architect in this result.

Corey Whelan – Crewe Alexandra

Corey Whelan’s loan spell at Crewe has ended with a difficult month. Despite being an important part of Crewe’s season thus far, December has seen limited gametime for the soon-to-be-departing Irishman. He started a 2-0 loss to Oldham and was criticised for his very poor display, and while he kept his place for the 1-0 defeat to Forest Green Rovers, Whelan was withdrawn after 62 minutes following an underwhelming display. He failed to make the squad for the final two games of the month, as his time at Crewe peters out.

Make sure to check back next month for a report on how our loanees’ January goes!

Daniel (@daykind19)

• About
• Latest Posts

Daniel Daykin

A non-biased voice of reason among fellow Liverpool fans. I'll always tell you the truth, no matter how hard you find it to accept. I miss Suarez. A lot.

Latest posts by Daniel Daykin (see all)

• Liverpool Loan Watch: March 2021 - April 6, 2021
• Liverpool Loan Watch: February 2021 - March 8, 2021
• Liverpool Loan Watch: January 2021 - February 6, 2021