FanSided World Football
·5 April 2025
Spurs loan watch: Championship review

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Yahoo sportsFanSided World Football
·5 April 2025
On Saturday afternoon, there was Championship action for three Tottenham Hotspur loanees. In one of the three early kick offs, Will Lankshear and his West Bromwich Albion side hosted Sunderland, whilst in the 15:00 games – Ashley Phillips and his Stoke City side faced Preston North end on the road, whilst Yang Min-hyeok and his Queens Park Rangers side hosted Cardiff City.
To begin, Lankshear was named on the substitutes bench by West Brom manager Tony Mowbray, meaning he had still started just one game in the first two months of his loan. After 35 minutes, Sunderland took the lead. The Baggies made all five of their allocated subs in the second half, the fourth of which was Lankshear, who came on after 79 minutes.
Unfortunately, West Brom could not find a way back into the game, and they were condemned to a tough 1-0 defeat – leaving them outside of the play offs, sitting in eighth place, with 57 points from their 40 games.
Meanwhile, Phillips was named in the Stoke starting XI by manager Mark Robins – his 29th in the league this season, which have come under three different managers, just to give you an idea of the turbulence this season.
After 10 minutes of the game, Preston took the lead, quickly evaporating any chances of a clean sheet. Stoke were the better side for much of the second half, but went into the half time break one goal down.
In the second half, Stoke continued to play well, and eventually got their reward 15 minutes from time, as they equalised from the penalty spot. Despite dominating the game, that was how it finished – and the Potters were forced to make do with a point. Phillips played the 90 minutes, and made nine clearances. That is 2542 league minutes this season for the Spurs loanee.
Although in theory, a point away from home against a side above you in the league is nothing terrible, quite a few of the other results did not go Stoke’s way. They sit 20th in the Championship, with 43 points from 41 games – two points above the bottom three, with better goal difference.
For QPR’s game, Min-hyeok was named in the starting XI by manager Marti Cifuentes, this time starting off the left hand side of a front three. The game proved to be an incredibly lowkey and dull affair, finishing 0-0 with few opportunities for either side. Min-hyeok played 61 minutes before being replaced.
This draw leaves QPR in 16th place in the Championship, with 46 points from 40 games – they are not definitely out of any relegation scrap. That is just two points from their last seven games now.
As there often is in the Championship – there is a full midweek slate of action. On Tuesday, Stoke host Luton Town, whilst West Brom face Bristol City away from home. On Wednesday evening, QPR face Oxford United on the road. All games kick off at 19:45 BST.