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Blackman, Hirst To Stay – Or Go?

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Rotherham United Manager Paul Warne was pretty non-committal when asked if he would be keeping loan players Jamal Blackman and George Hirst.

Due to new ruling in August this season saw Championship teams only able to have a twenty-five man squad with the Millers Boss saying some weeks ago that he expects some players to move out to allow others in. Well, that time has come and, as yet, there has been no movement in or out at the New York Stadium.

We know it’s going to be more difficult this season with Covid-19 around getting players moving one way or the other and when asked about Blackman and Hirst going back to their parent clubs, the Gaffer told The Star, ‘They might do but I don’t think they will.’

Goalkeeper Blackman has made eighteen appearances for the Millers since arriving in the summer on a season long loan from Chelsea, keeping a couple of clean sheets but, to be honest, the fans not warming to him – although we have all only seen him via TV.

George Hirst joined in September on loan from Leicester City with just three of his fifteen appearances in a Rotherham shirt seeing him in the starting eleven.

Having seen the rumours about the Millers being interested in Armand Gnanduillet that might have given an idea that one of our strikers would be leaving and Hirst, not having played that many games, might have been the first on everyone’s lips.

And we have two other ‘keepers in Viktor Johansson, who has kept one clean sheet in four appearances and Josh Vickers who we brought in from Lincoln City and hasn’t made an appearances as yet – although both were on the bench against Everton on Saturday in the FA Cup. We could be asking ourselves are three ‘first team’ ‘keepers a luxury when you’ve only got a twenty-five man squad?

I suppose things could start moving this week on the transfer front – but, to be honest, I don’t think either Blackman or Hirst will be leaving. What do you think?

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4 comments

  • Robert Bellamy says:

    Blackman should be sent back to Chelsea. I think Johansson is the better choice.
    From what I have seen Blackman is always coming out too early off his line, and that is the reason for many of our conceded goals.
    Also he is too slow at getting down, Johansson much faster around the six yard box.

    • Caz Neale (Herringthorpe) says:

      I think Blackman is our number two and Johansson our number one. I believe there is a reason that Chelsea have sent him out so many times on loan yet, he is still a Chelsea player at the age of twenty-seven with no appearances, so they must see something in him?

  • carlton in lindrick says:

    I think robert is right blackman is very inconsistant and johansson is better anyway.I would keep hirst keep safe C IN L

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