Whittaker to Lincoln City – its for the best and he needs to learn from it

Morgan Whittaker falls into a category that also includes Jay Fulton – players that all of a sudden people want to see in our team but not many words were being said about their absence when we were winning games for fun and at a canter back in October.

What that tells you in itself is that the players should probably form part of a squad but the moment we start thinking that they are the answer to what we need then the more worrying part is what is the question in the first place.

On Boxing Day it was reported by Football Insider that the Swans had agreed to loan Morgan Whittaker to Lincoln.   This isn’t a surprise given it almost happened back in August and was rumoured to be the case last month as well that it would happen in January.   Whittaker’s chances have been limited in the twelve months since he joined the Swans – he was constantly “one for the future” under Steve Cooper and has played less than 90 minutes under Russell Martin in the league.

He did – of course – score the Swans first hat-trick for 10 years when he netted three against Plymouth in the Carabao Cup but that was his real last meaningful action.   There are rumours – and reports – that there are disciplinary issues with Morgan that have led to him falling out of favour and he appears to be maybe in the same camp as Michael Obafemi on that front.  The difference being Martin has a large transfer fee and a desire to make Obafemi work where as maybe that isn’t the same for Whittaker.

What I would add here is that both are young, both are talented and if both can get their heads down and do some work on the pitch then their careers could have many many good days ahead of them.   However, it requires a change and maybe even keeping them apart for a period of time will do them both good.

Whittaker can score goals at League One level and there will be many watching his progression at Lincoln pointing out just when he does that.   It could earn him a chance back at Swansea if he does well and it certainly won’t damage us in anyway if he does succeed there.  But he has to want to make it work for him as well.   He has arrived at Swansea and been known to make it clear to people who will listen that he is unhappy with the lack of game time.   That in itself is not a problem as it shows a hunger but at any club you have to show that you deserve the game time, it is not a right that you get because you arrived with a transfer fee or a belief that you were about to play first team football week in week out.   All players will tell you that you knuckle down, work hard in training and the chances should always come.

There is also a factor that sometimes a change in manager means players who were seemingly settled (Fulton will be one here) have to move on because they don’t fit what the manager wants or they don’t like what the manager does.  Whether this is the case with Whittaker or not we don’t necessarily know but the rumour mill tells us the move is not of Whittaker’s choice but possibly of Whittaker’s making (read into that what you will)

All in all though the move of Whittaker to Lincoln will not be a bad thing for Swansea City.   He will always be behind Piroe and Obafemi up front and – maybe slightly more mysteriously – Liam Cullen and that means he has to move on.   If he knuckles down and works hard and scores goals there could be a future here for him at Swansea but right now this is the only logical thing that could happen and the earlier in January it does then the better.