Opinion: Departure of Birmingham City man was right for all parties and it could be the same for another Blackpool loanee
Emil Hansson will take up a new opportunity abroad following a disappointing loan spell with Blackpool.
Opinion: The end of Emil Hansson’s Blackpool loan is to the benefit of everyone - with his time at Bloomfield Road never taking off.
The winger was among several summer signings who seemingly on paper would be exciting additions.
He had come from Birmingham City, who had just enjoyed promotion to the Championship, and the verdict on Hansson at St Andrew’s seemed pretty positive, despite his injury issues with the Blues.
Positive signs in Tangerine were pretty limited. Under Steve Bruce, he was among several players who never truly got going, and failed to make a difference out wide.
The appointment of Ian Evatt, and the introduction of a wing-back system, then took the 27-year-old’s natural position out of the equation, which pretty much put the writing on the wall for his time with the Seasiders.
He was tested in a central role, similar to Josh Bowler, but was unable to make it his own, and ultimately ended up down the pecking order when other players returned from injury.
Physicality played a big role in Hansson’s lack of success in Tangerine, with opposition players finding it far too easy to bully him out of games.
He just couldn’t find that spark to compete, and ultimately it would’ve done him no good to prolong his time on the Fylde Coast, while Blackpool need players who fit the system - and fast.
Evatt’s style of play has seen the work of two transfer windows go out of the window, after a period of moving away from wing-backs, but now depth is required to ensure the club has depth to competitive playing that way, and it’s no use having bodies in the building for the sake of it.
The future of Banks
This also brings into question the future of Scott Banks, who also doesn’t really have a natural role in the team.
Unlike Hansson, we have seen some special moments from the St. Pauli loanee, and he’s one of the most talented players in the squad.
He’s scored a few special goals in his short time in Tangerine, with some of them resulting in some important points.
The issue is, he’s not a wing-back, and doesn’t have the defensive quality to fulfil the role. Meanwhile, he’s never really been considered for a central role, and would face the same competition as Hansson.
At times of struggle through injury, you could probably argue for a change to the system to suit Banks, due to his quality, but this would only ever be a temporary measure, so is it fair to keep him for a bit part role.
It would be great to find a way to make things work for the 24-year-old but it’s hard to foresee.
The return of Finnigan
Another player Blackpool need to work hard to integrate is Ryan Finnigan.
The midfielder has been recalled from his loan spell with Walsall after impressing in League Two.
In the past, the 22-year-old has struggled for time at Bloomfield Road, so it’s important he’s given a fair chance this time around to justify breaking up his time developing well elsewhere.
Being part of a midfield three should suit the ex-Southampton youngster, as he’s someone that has the capability of being a box-to-box number eight.
It’s hard to see him above Albie Morgan, Jordan Brown or George Honeyman in the current pecking order, but he would bring something different to the table than those three.
He’s a player who has been enjoying his football, and bringing that into the mix can only be beneficial.
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