Blackpool CEO Julian Winter has told the Blackpool Gazette that he doesn’t know whether top scorer Jordan Rhodes will be recalled or not, but that he does expect any decision to be made early.
The prolific striker is on loan at Blackpool from Huddersfield Town, and he’s been in sensational form. He’s hit 11 League One goals since his move in August, and that form could prompt Darren Moore to take him back to West Yorkshire. As yet, the Terriers’ position is unclear, but Winter admitted a recall was possible within a certain window.
“There’s a window which they can trigger a recall, but it’s in their court,” he told the Blackpool Gazette.
“I don’t think I’ve ever come across a club that leaves it late if they want a loan player to return; they usually make that decision pretty quickly. We’ll know relatively early in January if that’s the case, but it’s not within our gift. We’ve just got to prepare for that possibility.”
That means having a recruitment plan in place, should the 33-year-old be called back to the John Smith’s Stadium. They’re currently embroiled in a relegation battle and could swap places with high-flying Blackpool next season. If they do choose to recall, Winter confessed a plan would be put into place.
“The recruitment team is constantly working on options for all scenarios, and that’s an obvious one- everyone will talk about Jordan and say ‘what if.’
“We don’t know what Huddersfield are thinking at this stage. He’ll concentrate with us, and we’ll see what happens- hopefully, it’s a positive outcome for us.”
Rhodes has been a revelation since moving to the west coast, but he’s scored goals pretty much throughout his career. He bagged 87 times in 148 outings for Huddersfield in his first stint there, with 85 in 169 appearances for Blackburn Rovers.
Spells at Sheffield Wednesday (17 in 95) and Huddersfield a second time (10 in 64) have been less prolific, but he’s rediscovered his shooting boots for Neil Critchley’s side, who are eighth in League One and hunting an immediate return to the second tier following relegation last season.
Blackpool’s other strikers have struggled in front of goal, with Shayne Lavery hitting four goals and Jake Beesley chipping in with three.
Writer’s View
Rhodes is very much one for the moment – at 33, he would be a risky long-term investment, but on loan, he’s proving to be a wonderful capture. The Tangerines have had injury problems up top all season, and he’s not only bridged a gap but ensured they have a killer instinct in front of goal. They went four games without a goal before he signed but have only failed to hit the target twice since.
The loan market always brings risks – recalls happen all of the time, and that’s the prerogative of the loaning club. However, is there space for Rhodes at Huddersfield? Collectively, their forwards only have five goals, Delano Burgzorg with three and both Josh Koroma and Kian Harratt with one. That is a stat that perhaps should be concerning Blackpool fans the most.
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