Loan Watch

Doncaster Rovers manager Paul Dickov has confirmed his interest in extending the loan deal of Aston Villa forward Jordan Bowery.

The 22-year-old has started three Championship games without scoring for Doncaster since joining last month and was an unused substitute for Saturday's 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town.

Reports suggest Doncaster want Bowery to stay for the rest of the season and Dickov feels the former Chesterfield youngster would benefit from extending his time at the Keepmoat Stadium.

"He has done well over the last month," said Dickov in the Daily Star Sunday.

"The more games he gets, and the more time he spends with us, the better."

Bowery joined Villa in the summer of 2012 from Chesterfield, but he has yet to score in 18 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Farrell_10 wrote:Can't quite believe how heavy Bent looks every time I see him.

It's a funny old game. One season you are a £20m striker who looks nailed on to be a twenty-goal a season man, the next, you are overweight and struggling to get near the starting eleven of the team sitting bottom of the league.

Part of me feels sorry for Bent, I think last season ruined him and seeing as though we were paying so much wages for him, I think we could have made more use of him. I know it will be argued that Lambert pulled a masterstroke there with Benteke, but was it really? We still survived just by the skin of our teeth despite the latter's goals and we still paid out, what, £60k a week in wages for a player we let rot in the reserves. at least if Bent was more involved we could have recouped some of our investment.

We really have wasted so much money in the past few years.

Billy McBingo wrote:Would I be right to say that all three of Fulham's managers this season have eventually tended not to pick Bent?

Billy McBingo wrote:Bent didn't get off the bench for Fulham today. Instead Fulham picked a 17 year old who was then subbed for another 17 year old.

I'm getting the feeling that we'll be stuck with Bent and his bumper wage packet next season. I'd be amazed if someone wanted to take him on loan.

Billy McBingo wrote:Bent didn't get off the bench for Fulham today. Instead Fulham picked a 17 year old who was then subbed for another 17 year old.

I'm getting the feeling that we'll be stuck with Bent and his bumper wage packet next season. I'd be amazed if someone wanted to take him on loan.

Nathan Delfouneso is determined to show Coventry City fans the qualities that made him a Premier League player in the remaining five games of the season.

The 23-year-old Aston Villa striker has had a frustrating loan stint with the Sky Blues so far where he is yet to get going and recapture the sort of form that earned him rave reviews at Villa Park under former manager Martin O’Neill.

The fallen star has been trying to work his way back to the top flight to fulfil his early potential that saw him make 31 Premiership starts for City’s arch rivals before slipping down the divisions to League One with a string of loan spells.

“Believe me, I am desperate to get back up there and there’s no-one more determined,” said Delfouneso, who has made just five starts and five substitute appearances, scoring one goal, since joining the club in January.

“It’s where I want to be and where I feel I can play but, obviously, I have got to work my way back up again.

"But hopefully I will take this opportunity to really showcase what I am made of and get myself back up to the top league.

"I have done it before and I believe I can come back even stronger and better and do it again.

“I have been through a lot in football and come back from it so I am mentally tough. I just have to knuckle down and re-focus.

“The opportunities haven’t quite been there recently but I have still got confidence in myself and faith in my ability to get back there.”

The Birmingham-born player is out of contract at Villa in the summer where he doesn’t figure in Paul Lambert’s plans and is therefore looking for a new club.

“I take things day by day – I can’t look too far ahead,” said the player who feels he’s still not up to speed after suffering a thigh strain in his first few weeks with the Sky Blues.

“I am up at the end of the season but I have to concentrate on what I am doing now and try to get as much as I can out of these last five games.

“It’s an opportunity for me. That’s why I came here, to play football, and it’s down to me to do it on the pitch.

“The injury was frustrating and I still feel it every now and again, but I am not going to make any excuses. I just have to get on with it and do my best for the team.”

The former England Under-21 player, who represented his country at every age group from 16 up, has had to play second fiddle to fellow loanees Chuba Akpom and, more recently Nathan Eccleston, since returning from his injury.

“The gaffer has to make decisions for the team,” he said.

“It’s just one of those where I have got to keep working hard in training and pushing to get into the starting 11.

“I know Nathan from our time at Blackpool but I am still confident I can be in the team. I have just got to make sure I show something every time I go onto the pitch and also in training every day.

“I’ve got to really go for it. It’s been frustrating but it’s part of football.”