Football League World
·22 February 2021
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·22 February 2021
Salford City continue to be a club on the rise and, coincidently, their run of just one defeat in seven has come after the capture of Robbie Gotts on loan from Leeds United.
Leeds were quick to make a decision on Gotts in the January transfer window. Lincoln City had offered him just seven League One appearances and, despite Gotts scoring his first senior goal in a Football League Trophy fixture, it wasn’t enough for the Premier League club.
Marcelo Bielsa is a huge fan of Gotts and has handed him all three senior appearances he’s made for Leeds. The club decided that Salford was a suitable destination for the midfielder to develop in that position; not as a full-back like he was at Lincoln.
It’s safe to say that Gotts’ adaptation period across the M62 has been smooth. He scored on just his second Salford start, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw with Harrogate Town.
That was backed up by a goal in a 4-1 win over Cambridge at the start of February. That rout helped Salford put a defeat to Oldham behind them and, since then, they’ve put another four points on the board and have moved to fifth in the League Two table.
Gotts featured for 89 minutes in a win over Barrow, then 90 minutes in a draw with Carlisle.
Despite having the versatility to play at right-back, the 21-year-old is getting freedom from Richie Wellens to play as an attacking midfielder at Salford. The club are finding a balance right now and Gotts is contributing to a run of form that’s thrust them into promotion contention.
A trip to Morecambe comes on Tuesday evening, with Gotts looking set for another Salford appearance in one of the biggest games of the season so far. It’s fourth versus fifth and a result in Salford’s favour will help strengthen their hold on a place in the promotion race.
Leeds are getting what they want out of Gotts’ loan to Salford, with the player gathering a heap of experience in a high-pressure environment of a promotion race.
It isn’t all one way, though, as Gotts helps Salford dream of that next step in the Football. League.