After playing brilliantly in League One when on loan at Leyton Orient last season, Jamie Donley has struggled to find playing time since joining Stoke City on loan in the Championship this summer.
On the surface, Jamie Donley’s lack of playing time at Stoke this season seems a little perplexing.
The Northern Irishman was supposed to go in and provide fierce competition for the number 10 position because manager Mark Robins prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation, but that hasn’t happened yet.
At different points during the season, Bae Jun-Ho, Lewis Baker, and Tomas Rigo have all been selected over Donley in the attacking-midfield position, creating a perplexing situation from the outside.
The general belief among Spurs supporters was that, after making an impression in the third division with Leyton Orient the previous season, he would go out on loan again, this time to the Championship, and eventually join Stoke, along with Spurs teammate Ashley Phillips, who had gone on loan in Staffordshire the season before.
But thus far, neither he nor anybody else engaged would have hoped for the loan switch.
Donley has only made four league appearances since going on loan to Stoke, playing just 77 minutes of Championship action so far this season. He has only started in the Potters’ two League Cup games against Bradford City and Walsall.
After being brought on as a late replacement in Stoke’s season opener against Derby County, the 20-year-old got off to a good start in the Potteries, coming on and helping to set up the third goal in a 3-1 triumph.
Donley hasn’t gotten much better than that. He didn’t even make the matchday squad against Bristol City over the weekend, which led to rumors of an early recall in January. Football League World is considering three clubs that ought to be keeping a close eye on the situation.
West Brom
According to reports, West Brom had asked Donley about his availability prior to his move to Stoke.
On paper, the connection between Donley and West Brom, led by former Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason, made perfect sense, but the Northern Irishman decided to sign with the Potters instead.
In Mason’s preferred 4-2-3-1 style at The Hawthorns, fellow Northern Irish international Isaac Price has solidified his position as an offensive midfielder. He has started all 13 games so far this season, scored five goals, and provided one assist.
The fact that West Brom has failed to score more than one goal in 10 of their previous eleven games is troubling because the Baggies also have attacking possibilities including Tammer Baby, Daryl Dike, Jed Wallace, Josh Maja, Karlan Grant, Mikey Johnston, Aune Heggebo, and Samuel Iling-Junior.
Mason will be closely monitoring the Donley situation in anticipation of a possible return to the deal, and he may enter the market again in January if he is still unable to get a tune out of his attack.
United of Sheffield
Chris Wilder was relieved of his duties and replaced by Ruben Selles after the Blades narrowly lost to Sunderland in the play-off final the previous season. However, Selles was fired after just five league losses in five games this season, and Wilder took over as manager for the third time in a row.
With three victories and eleven losses from 13 games, Sheffield United has had a terrible start to the season and is currently in the relegation zone, with only fierce rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City below them.
Their offensive now appears especially lackluster, and they are tied with Wednesday on 10 points, making them the league’s joint-lowest scorers.
Louie Barry, a loanee from Aston Villa, hasn’t lived up to Championship standards so far. Since Wilder rejoined the team, he has only made one start and wasn’t part of the matchday squad for their home loss to Derby County.
A loan position in an offensive area would become available if Barry’s loan were to be canceled early, and Wilder might be keeping an eye on Donley’s circumstances at Stoke.
Donley would fit right in with one of the number ten positions now held by Callum O’Hare, Andre Brooks, Tom Cannon, or Gus Hamer, as the Blades manager prefers a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Donley’s transfer to the Blades would be a low-risk, high-reward transaction from which they may profit greatly at Stoke’s expense.
Leyton Orient
Last season, Northern Irish international Donley joined Leyton Orient on loan in League One to continue his development, where he excelled. This was his first taste of senior football.
The dynamic midfielder swiftly won over the fans at Brisbane Road after making 39 appearances in the third division last season, scoring eight goals and dishing out ten assists.
After overcoming Stockport County over two legs to secure a spot at Wembley, Orient advanced all the way to the League One play-off final. However, Donley played the entire ninety minutes as Orient lost to London rivals Charlton Athletic 1-0.
Donley had a productive relationship with Richie Wellens and the supporters despite his disappointing time in East London. He will undoubtedly be closely monitoring his situation at Stoke and hoping for an ambitious early reunion to help a play-off charge in the second half of the season.
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