Everton Loans Recap: Busy holiday period

It has been a hectic couple of weeks in the Championship where most of Everton’s loan contingent play, so we’ll try to do a quick recap of how each player has done over the fortnight.

Kieran Dowell was on a goal-scoring tear to begin the month of December, but now it seems the goals have dried up for the attacking midfielder despite his best attempts. Forest failed to score in their three festive season games, even though Dowell has continued to get shots on goal and create chances for his teammates. Doesn’t sound like anything to be too worried about and the goals will come.

Joe Williams led his Barnsley side to three undefeated games with one win. The Tykes hover uncomfortably just above the relegation zone and will look to kick on in the next few games. Paul Heckingbottom has underlined the importance of Williams’ role at the club by asking Barnsley to consider making his loan move permanent at the end of this season.

Sunderland won once and lost twice over the holidays, with Tyias Browning make the right-sided centerhalf position his own in the three-man backline that new manager Chris Coleman has installed. Brendan Galloway meanwhile has disappeared into oblivion once again and will likely be sold to the lower Leagues by the Blues sooner than later.

Bolton Wanderers meanwhile lifted themselves out of the Championship basement with two wins in three games. Antonee Robinson has made the left back position his own for the Trotters for the last couple of months, and was even the best player on the pitch for the win over Sheffield United. His peach of a cross set up the winner against the Blades and looks to have marked a turnaround in Bolton’s campaign.

Callum Connolly has gone off the boil lately for Ipswich Town who are in a rut currently, with four losses and a draw in their last six games. The fullback-turned-midfielder has struggled at the holding midfielder position, with no game worse than the 4-1 beating at Fulham where he got booked and then watched as the hosts scored four times in seven second-half minutes against ten-man Town to come back from behind and win.

Finally, Matthew Pennington has barely gotten any game time recently, stapled to the bench for two games over Christmas and not even in the squad for the New Year’s Day draw against Dowell’s Forest as Leeds United had a mixed period with one win, one draw and a loss leaving them precarious in the last playoff spot in sixth.

Outside the Championship, in League 2 midfielder Conor Grant has been playing regular minutes for Crewe, but his side still sit in 19th out of the 24 clubs that make up the league.

There have been no updates on the injury situation surrounding Henry Onyekuru, with there being conflicting reports regarding whether he will need surgery or not to repair a torn medial ligament in his knee. The player is currently back at home in Nigeria continuing to recuperate at his family home.