Tommy Smith - Gazumped by Pompey - Thread

[loyalroyal4life]

As soon as I saw Russo quoting that his Madj had pulled the plug on the deal I knew it was a wind up. Hammond is the one that does all the deals and would of been the one that called up to tell them to piss off.

BR also needs to keep his mouth shut and stop saying things like we've matched the offer made by another championship club.

not necessarily as mr mad gives hammond an upper limit in which to work with so he probably told him to cut loose from any deal. i for 1 think it is a joke that £200k in light of what we have coming in in terms of revenue looks to of put this deal out

[Stranded]

Just to post again here, we have bid £1.8m, matching the supposed valuation of Tommy Smith.

The terms of our bid were identical to the bid they had already accepted from Sheff Utd.

Watford have rejected this bid from us.

[Mr Controversial]

6 players?

So you'd rather we didn't bother with this whole Academy business and just recruited players from outside?

The young players have all shown this season that they have some definite attributes and, at times, have looked perfectly comfortable at this level. Sure, maybe a bit of experience is needed to bolster them a bit, but if we bring in 6 new experienced players their progress will come to a juddering halt.

It's time for some balls and some faith.

RR - I dont think anyone can take issue with us bringing through talent from our academy that have "some definite attributes and, at times, have looked perfectly comfortable at this level".

The "sensible" way of using this talent would be in stages - not, as RFC appear to have done - sell the entire first team and replace everyone with academy players all at once.

Recipe for disaster as has already been shown this season!

[loyalroyal4life]

Just to post again here, we have bid £1.8m, matching the supposed valuation of Tommy Smith.

The terms of our bid were identical to the bid they had already accepted from Sheff Utd.

Watford have rejected this bid from us.

is that definately the case though as i though Russo is saying we did not match the valuation ie same value as what was accepted from sheff utd. if we did then it is surely down to the way we have propsoed the deal be structured.

[Stranded]

Just to post again here, we have bid £1.8m, matching the supposed valuation of Tommy Smith.

The terms of our bid were identical to the bid they had already accepted from Sheff Utd.

Watford have rejected this bid from us.

is that definately the case though as i though Russo is saying we did not match the valuation ie same value as what was accepted from sheff utd. if we did then it is surely down to the way we have propsoed the deal be structured.

This is definitely the case to the best of my understanding - it's what has come out of RFC anyway.

[Negative_Jeff]

6 players?

So you'd rather we didn't bother with this whole Academy business and just recruited players from outside?

The young players have all shown this season that they have some definite attributes and, at times, have looked perfectly comfortable at this level. Sure, maybe a bit of experience is needed to bolster them a bit, but if we bring in 6 new experienced players their progress will come to a juddering halt.

It's time for some balls and some faith.

Spot on and I reckon Rodgers would endorse those comments himself. The trouble is the manager has identified Tommy Smith as that "bit of experience" from the moment he arrived at the club. Given all the player departures forced upon him, surely the failure to land Smith has made Rodger`s position untenable.

[Royal Rother]

6 players?

So you'd rather we didn't bother with this whole Academy business and just recruited players from outside?

The young players have all shown this season that they have some definite attributes and, at times, have looked perfectly comfortable at this level. Sure, maybe a bit of experience is needed to bolster them a bit, but if we bring in 6 new experienced players their progress will come to a juddering halt.

It's time for some balls and some faith.

RR - I dont think anyone can take issue with us bringing through talent from our academy that have "some definite attributes and, at times, have looked perfectly comfortable at this level".

The "sensible" way of using this talent would be in stages - not, as RFC appear to have done - sell the entire first team and replace everyone with academy players all at once.

Recipe for disaster as has already been shown this season!

We already have experience waiting to come in - Harper, Matejovsky and NHunt have all been short of match fitness (yes, no doubt they could have contributed more but it would probably have jeopardised their long-term fitness) and of course Ingimarsson will be available in a few weeks' time.

I'm sure Rodgers will have learned a lot already about the young players, they have all been given a chance now, and the tough baptism they have had will pay dividends in the longer term.

It's a shame we are now at the wrong end of the table but in other circumstances it might have taken a whole season to give young players this much pitch-time. Rodgers will not let the knowledge gained go to waste.

[07RFC]

Just to post again here, we have bid £1.8m, matching the supposed valuation of Tommy Smith.

The terms of our bid were identical to the bid they had already accepted from Sheff Utd.

Watford have rejected this bid from us.

is that definately the case though as i though Russo is saying we did not match the valuation ie same value as what was accepted from sheff utd. if we did then it is surely down to the way we have propsoed the deal be structured.

This is definitely the case to the best of my understanding - it's what has come out of RFC anyway.

sauce?

[Stranded]

Reading Post reporter on my podcast yesterday - story also now up on the getreading website.

[07RFC]

hmm Reading post aren't exactly reliable, but i guess it's something.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... article.do


I hope they have rehashed the old story, or it seems a very odd thinkg ot occur, wasnt sure where to put this so feel free to merge it elsewhere mods if needed

[Platypuss]

Not sure why the "disgrace" thread got merged, as the latest developments re: Smith are hardly rumours and all it means is we'll have loads of new threads started on The Team.

[southbank1871]

This had probably already been mentioned but I can't be bothered to trawl back through the thread. What business has Russo got to speculate on what money we have or haven't brought in for players and what savings we've made on wages?

And LOL at people saying "just £200k". Based on what Stranded's saying, it sounds like Watford are just trying to squeeze more money out of us because they either think that we have a lot of money or because they hold a grudge over Rodgers. Just because Smith is a player Rodgers really wants, doesn't mean we'll pay over and above what the club thinks he's worth.

[shoey]

Smith isnt even that good, a good championship creative player, not really the goal scorer we need imo.

[Alan Partridge]

This had probably already been mentioned but I can't be bothered to trawl back through the thread. What business has Russo got to speculate on what money we have or haven't brought in for players and what savings we've made on wages?

And LOL at people saying "just £200k". Based on what Stranded's saying, it sounds like Watford are just trying to squeeze more money out of us because they either think that we have a lot of money or because they hold a grudge over Rodgers. Just because Smith is a player Rodgers really wants, doesn't mean we'll pay over and above what the club thinks he's worth.

Which is the problem when your manager shouts off about other teams players.

Watford know roughly what we've got and Rodges is hardly flavour of the month there.Having annoyed them further with the Smith transfer, it is hardly surprising they are playing hardball. They own the player and can decide if they want to sell him and who to.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Smith isnt even that good, a good championship creative player, not really the goal scorer we need imo.

If he's creative, that's exactly the sort of player we need. Our problem is that we don't create chances, not that we have trouble taking them.

[Dorset-Knob]

Smith isnt even that good, a good championship creative player, not really the goal scorer we need imo.

I don't know how good, bad or indifferent TS really is, but I hope we don't sign him, the weight of expectation on one £2 million pound player in a world where Joleon Lescott is worth £24 million is more likely to crush him, than lift us into the realms of world beaters!

[Platypuss]

It's clear that Watford have been playing us like a cheap violin in the last couple of months and we have been comprehensively thrashed in the media "war" that has developed.

Russo's latest media shot has been clearly designed to focus pressure on the Madejski/Rodgers relationship.

[southbank1871]

This had probably already been mentioned but I can't be bothered to trawl back through the thread. What business has Russo got to speculate on what money we have or haven't brought in for players and what savings we've made on wages?

And LOL at people saying "just £200k". Based on what Stranded's saying, it sounds like Watford are just trying to squeeze more money out of us because they either think that we have a lot of money or because they hold a grudge over Rodgers. Just because Smith is a player Rodgers really wants, doesn't mean we'll pay over and above what the club thinks he's worth.

Which is the problem when your manager shouts off about other teams players.

Watford know roughly what we've got and Rodges is hardly flavour of the month there.Having annoyed them further with the Smith transfer, it is hardly surprising they are playing hardball. They own the player and can decide if they want to sell him and who to.

Fair enough, BR shouldn't have come out and said anything about Smith wanting to come here like he did, but I find it slightly laughable that so many people on here are giving themselves nose bleeds about the conduct of Reading. Seems to me it's Watford who are playing the games here not Reading.

[shoey]

WE HAVE MAREK as a creative player, its just our current manager doesnt seem fit to play him, I have heard he is fit now.
And if we did sign Smith, I do not see Long as our great goal scoring threat at all, he is an impact player from the bench