Thorup explains why Liverpool loanee Gordon never worked out
Thorup explains why Liverpool loanee Gordon never worked out
Kaide Gordon’s brief Norwich City loan stint was a case of ‘right player,
wrong time’ in the view of head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup.
The 20-year-old returned to Liverpool last week after the Canaries exercised a clause to cut short his
season long loan.
Gordon made one Championship start, and scored one league goal, in 10 appearances,
but Thorup is convinced a summer deadline night move for the winger was worth the gamble.
“I rate him as a good player with a big potential,” said the Dane.
“The situation with him is when we bring a player in on loan you expect more or less a performance from day one.
“If he was a player here on a long term contract I would be more than happy to work with him,
because there is a player with potential. He can show that if you give him the trust and maybe he finds a place over the next couple of years where he can show that.
“It was difficult because he came in and that performance was not there from day one. We had to build him, physically and also tactically in the way we play.
“It is always a fine balance because we could commit a lot of time on him, and you get to a point where he is ready to play maybe eight games from the end of the season, or we can choose to do the opposite and focus on a player in the building on a long term contract? Is it better for us to spend time on him?
“A great player, a great person and I think he loved to be here. He was great around the team, I think I can speak on behalf of some of the players to say he was a great friend to some of them. We wish him all the best.”
Gordon is tipped to head back out on loan to the Football League in the second part of the season.
“This league is so competitive, so physical, you can be prepared in some ways but it is a completely different environment to youth football. It will take time,” said Thorup. “Some are good at more or less taking that step from day one.
“Others it takes longer but with a loan player you need that step more or less from day one. I think for him it would be good to get game time for a season or two in one place.”
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