Nelsen thus joins a growing list of managers that have tried to develop Bostock's talents. The midfielder has had four previous loan spells, mostly at League One clubs. All showed initial promise but, somewhat tellingly, three of the four clubs opted to terminate his deal before it was due to end. After he returned early from his first move to Brentford, then Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp hinted that it may be due to a lack of commitment from the youngster. Now perhaps a little more mature at 21, Bostock lined up against Montreal on the right wing of a 4-4-1-1, with former United trainee Richard Eckersley behind him and former City trainee Terry Dunfield beside him in central midfield. Hogan Ephraim played off striker Robert Earnshaw in attack.
Toronto impressed against their more fancied rivals, but went down 2-1 due to some sloppy defending and a lack of clear-cut attacking opportunities. Bostock had largely a poor game. His touch was off, with many of the away side's attacks coming to a disappointing end down his flank. He failed to take on his man much throughout the game, instead opting to cut inside onto his more favoured left foot to play a hopeful ball into the box. None of them caused Montreal a problem.
If Bostock's crossing was poor, so too were a number of his first touches. His opposition full back was Dennis Iapichino, an average Swiss, most likely in the MLS due to playing under Toronto coach Marco Schällibaum in his home country; hardly a world beater. The artificial pitch wasn't an issue either, with Bostock saying before the game that he enjoyed playing on Tottenham's all-weather training surfaces. Being a left-footed player on the right, Bostock had little choice but to come inside when he received possession. Eckersley did not get forward much to support him, while Earnshaw is a good finisher but offers little else. Ephraim didn't really get into the game, so it was only Terry Dunfield, a tidy ball player, who linked up at times with Bostock. Even taking this into consideration, he still needlessly lost possession quite a few times.
The most impressive part of Bostock's game was his physical strength. Given that it was his technical skills that made him stand out as a youth, it's indicative of how his career has progressed in that it's his physical strength that makes him stand out today. When he did retain possession, he used his body well in shielding the ball before offloading it.
The rare times he did beat his man on the wing also owed much to his strength rather than any technical ability or raw pace, leading to Toronto's best chance of the first half. Both runs shows the difficulty Bostock had playing the role of an inverted winger: he beats his man but then has to cut inside again.
So, a poor performance from Bostock in a team that's still finding its feet. Leaving England and the enduring weight of being a child prodigy is probably just what Bostock needs at this stage in his career. Away from the media glare and at a club with less ambitions than others in the MLS, he can concentrate purely on playing. His future remains unclear, even in the short-term. His Tottenham contract ends in July, with Ryan Nelsen saying that he expects the player to join Toronto (or the MLS) permanently. But, given how long Tottenham persevered with Simon Dawkins, there's a chance that he'll maybe stay under contract with Spurs, if only for a potential transfer fee.
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