Coventry’s winning goal on Saturday was a huge error by goalkeeper James Beadle. However, I disagree with the online chatter that he should be dropped or that the Owls were wrong for re-loaning and starting him ahead of talented 19-year-old Pierce Charles.
Firstly on Charles, he is very highly-rated behind the scenes at Hillsborough.
I remember going on Wednesday’s summer training camp in 2023 with several players commenting he was destined for big things. Some suggested he’d make an excellent outfield player, let alone a keeper.
He has impressed at international level for Northern Ireland, winning four caps before he even turns 20. His range of passing is impressive, with one particular delivery that set up a goal against Grimsby in the League Cup sticking in the memory.
However, this is no time for a rookie. He has yet to make a league start.
As we saw in the FA Cup against Coventry recently, Charles still has plenty to work on. The Sky Blues consistently tested his ability to deal with set pieces delivered into his range and he didn’t look comfortable or commanding. He’s 19 and learning.
Beadle might be young (he’s only one year older than Charles) but he’s far more experienced. He’s approaching 100 league starts. He’s been Wednesday’s number one for over a year.
It’s easy to focus on the error against Coventry but how many times has Beadle pulled off a brilliant save to secure a point or three for the Owls?
He’s performed well enough, at least, to be given the opportunity to spend time training with England’s senior team when he’s been on Under-21 duty.
You aren’t hampering Charles by not thrusting him into the thick of a play-off push at 19, or by putting immense pressure on him as a more-or-less unchallenged starter at the beginning of the campaign.
It’s not a waste of money on a loan fee to have a quality keeper like Beadle, with league experience, as your number one.
Wednesday aren’t just developing Beadle for Brighton. They’re getting a top performer who, like most keepers, isn’t flawless and makes the occasional gaffe. Danny Rohl clearly believes it was pivotal to have him back as first choice.
Any successful Championship campaign typically includes one or two smart young loan signings from the Premier League. In Beadle and Shea Charles, Wednesday have nailed it in a way they have failed to do in previous seasons.
You cannot just take the loan-fee money and use it on permanent deals for younger players, as some have suggested. That’s not easy. It’s a competitive market. Those players will need to be developed with no guarantee of immediate or long-term success.
In the meantime, do the Owls struggle in the second tier? Or do they want to kick on, as they have done this season?
Charles would’ve been better off having his own loan spell before being put in as the starter. He might not get that opportunity now.
Yet there’s no reason to second guess bringing back Beadle after the Coventry error, or question the return of a loan player who has had a good season for the Owls.
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