The left-sided Sheffield Wednesday player has struggled since Steve Evans’ departure from Field Mill.
At a time when development players were flooding into Sheffield Wednesday’s first team, Matt Penney leaked quietly out of Hillsborough.
But despite appearing in two of Mansfield’s first three fixtures following his deadline day loan move, Penney was left out entirely in four of their last six – coinciding with David Flitcroft’s appointment as manager.
According to Flitcroft’s predecessor, Steve Evans – who quit to join Peterborough United a month ago – Mansfield fought off interest from other clubs to sign the versatile Wednesday youngster.
But it is hard to find any justification for that decision, which was compounded last week when Penney played for Mansfield’s Under-23s against Wigan Athletic.
And it’s possible that Penney would have had more first team minutes had he remained at Hillsborough, where neither Morgan Fox nor George Boyd – a midfielder by trade – have nailed down the left wing-back slot they’ve shared under Jos Luhukay.
With eight games left of the regular League Two season, things could yet improve for the Chesterfield native, for whom there is no recall clause – although he is still eligible to appear for Sheffield Wednesday’s Under-23s.
And if they don’t, then Penney can at least take heart from the progress of Owls teammate Jack Stobbs, who found himself in a similar position on loan to Port Vale earlier this season and has gone on to play five times under Luhukay.
Should Wednesday have kept Penney at Hillsborough in January?
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