Tommy Smith - Gazumped by Pompey - Thread

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

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

He's better than what we've got currently

[shoey]

Oh!
About T Smith
One of his best seasons by far was the 2008/09 season, where he scored 17 league goals and made 9 assists. In doing so he was statistically named the Championship's top midfielder and was overall ranked second in the list of top 100 footballers in the football League. In addition, as well as finishing as the clubs top scorer, he was named player of the season for the second year running, as Watford finished 13th. Smith also made his 300th appearance for Watford in the penultimate game of the season, a 3-2 win away to Coventry City.

Smith started the 2009/10 season in the same form: notching five goal assists and two goals after the first four league games (meaning Watford's first seven goals of the season all involved Smith). This was despite on-going transfer speculation linking Smith with Reading, managed under former Watford manager Brendan Rodgers and also Newcastle United and several Premier league clubs.

lol, from wiki, maybe I am wrong!

but I would add S Hunt was number four on that top 100 list, and everyone ( not me) hated him, and wanted him out

[Norfolk Royal]

Oh!
About T Smith
One of his best seasons by far was the 2008/09 season, where he scored 17 league goals and made 9 assists. In doing so he was statistically named the Championship's top midfielder and was overall ranked second in the list of top 100 footballers in the football League. In addition, as well as finishing as the clubs top scorer, he was named player of the season for the second year running, as Watford finished 13th. Smith also made his 300th appearance for Watford in the penultimate game of the season, a 3-2 win away to Coventry City.

Smith started the 2009/10 season in the same form: notching five goal assists and two goals after the first four league games (meaning Watford's first seven goals of the season all involved Smith). This was despite on-going transfer speculation linking Smith with Reading, managed under former Watford manager Brendan Rodgers and also Newcastle United and several Premier league clubs.

lol, from wiki, maybe I am wrong!

but I would add S Hunt was number four on that top 100 list, and everyone ( not me) hated him, and wanted him out

Now winning plaudits and MOM awards at Hull of course.

[specialjon]

How on earth is this in team section?

Anyway, whoever said he is Watfords player and they can sell him to who they want to is incorrect, Smith can turn any move down he wants by not agreeing personal terms i.e. Sheff Utd. So if he really likes BR as a manager he can stall on any move that isn't to Reading. Which is possible if the only two offers are from Newcastle and Portsmouth, and our club looks like a very well run club compared to those chuckle brothers

[Alan Partridge]

How on earth is this in team section?

Anyway, whoever said he is Watfords player and they can sell him to who they want to is incorrect, Smith can turn any move down he wants by not agreeing personal terms i.e. Sheff Utd. So if he really likes BR as a manager he can stall on any move that isn't to Reading. Which is possible if the only two offers are from Newcastle and Portsmouth, and our club looks like a very well run club compared to those chuckle brothers

The only slight flaw in the plan being Watford would need to agree a fee with Reading, of which that looks unlikely.

If SMith was really that keen on a move to Reading instead of watford, Sheff Utd, Portsmouth or Newcastle then he would probably fail his medical on mental grounds.

[Hoop Blah]

My take on this sorry situtaion.

1) A lot of people are having a pop at Madejski for pulling out of the deal but we have no idea if this was JM's decision alone or an agreed cut off point with Rodgers and Hammond to prevent splitting our ring piece bending over for Russo.

2) I'm not bothered by us baulking at the extra amount if it's more than what we value the player at.

3) This deal was always going to be a difficult one to pull off with the recent history of Rodgers walking out on Watford to come here

4) Smith would greatly improve our squad but he isn't the be all and end all and I trust that we have other irons in the fire

5) I hope Rodgers learns from his mistake of blurting out his desire to get Smith here before any deal had been done. It was a crass move and one I believe the powers that be have picked him up on.

EDIT: And also...the current transfer policy doesn't have any bearing on the one we've followed for the last few years under Coppell. We still don't really know how much Coppell had to spend as we're now working under a different financial plan. It is interesting that Rodgers is happy to state he isn't getting all the money from the sales to spend though.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Wait until the window closes.

We've not handled this well at all, Rodger's comments, JM's insistence on slowly increasing his bids by small amounts, exactly the same happened when JM was trying to reach a figure for Rodgers in the 1st place.

To be honest still think a big striker, a defensive mid and a right back are more of a priority at the moment. Do think we need a wide player, just think we have weaker areas of the pitch.

Still think Smith will end up a Reading player, Russo's just trying to prove a point and he's right, we went public in the 1st place and have made some frankly insulting bids.

[MalcybabyRFC]

Does anyone have any news on the Tommy Smith situation, and is there any news on a club comment today?

Cheers

[Thaumagurist*]

Does anyone have any news on the Tommy Smith situation, and is there any news on a club comment today?

Cheers

Try looking for yourself:

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Footba ... ip/Reading

[brendywendy]

Im big club and madejski apologist, and i reserve judgement till the window closes
i think we only need a winger and a striker of some different sort to what we have, and if we get them ill be happyish with the summers business
though i do think weve jettisoned the experience too fast, and in most cases too cheap.

but if we dont get these players in, i may have to revise my position
as it is ill remained perched on the fence for another week

[Royal With Cheese]

How on earth is this in team section?

Anyway, whoever said he is Watfords player and they can sell him to who they want to is incorrect, Smith can turn any move down he wants by not agreeing personal terms i.e. Sheff Utd. So if he really likes BR as a manager he can stall on any move that isn't to Reading. Which is possible if the only two offers are from Newcastle and Portsmouth, and our club looks like a very well run club compared to those chuckle brothers

The only slight flaw in the plan being Watford would need to agree a fee with Reading, of which that looks unlikely.

If SMith was really that keen on a move to Reading instead of watford, Sheff Utd, Portsmouth or Newcastle then he would probably fail his medical on mental grounds.

Why Smith would choose Newcastle in their current predicament would be beyond me - unless it was for a significant pay rise.
I could understand Portsmouth as they are still in the Prem.
He's already rejected Sheffield United.
That at least makes him 1/3 mental by your reconing.

[The Quiet Man]

RFC have never really had transfer budgets. The manager is given a rough overview of what the overall financial constraints are and is then left (now with the aid of the DOF) to bid for monies for players that represent good business for RFC (i.e. young and with a resale value or cheap, decent player but relatively unknown) with SJM saying yes or no. It appears that BR came with a plan that said Smith on a two year deal will be required knowing that there is no resale but it would aid the transition over the next two seasons and the player was keen to come here. Once the bidding escalated to £1.8M and negotiations were in the public domain the deal was off as the amount of 'dead' money was too much and having looked at the squad BR himself realises that more than one experienced transformation player is now required and the money for Smith will need to be committed elsewhere.

[Royal_Belly]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/readingfc/s/2056122_reading_fc_pull_out_of_deal_to_sign_watfords_tommy_smith

Well.... thats that then!! Who will be our 2nd choice signing?!

[Alan Partridge]

How on earth is this in team section?

Anyway, whoever said he is Watfords player and they can sell him to who they want to is incorrect, Smith can turn any move down he wants by not agreeing personal terms i.e. Sheff Utd. So if he really likes BR as a manager he can stall on any move that isn't to Reading. Which is possible if the only two offers are from Newcastle and Portsmouth, and our club looks like a very well run club compared to those chuckle brothers

The only slight flaw in the plan being Watford would need to agree a fee with Reading, of which that looks unlikely.

If SMith was really that keen on a move to Reading instead of watford, Sheff Utd, Portsmouth or Newcastle then he would probably fail his medical on mental grounds.

Why Smith would choose Newcastle in their current predicament would be beyond me - unless it was for a significant pay rise.
I could understand Portsmouth as they are still in the Prem.
He's already rejected Sheffield United.
That at least makes him 1/3 mental by your reconing.

What have Reading possibly got what those 3 clubs haven't?

All 3 are bigger clubs who would offer him more money and with a greater chance of being succesful, in Pompey's case they are already a Premiership club. The only one who aren't a bigger club are Watford, but he's already seemingly happy there and a bit of a favourite, is it worth moving to a club who at the moment could realistically offer him not much more than his current employers in terms of money or possible success?

[gazzer, loyal royal]

i'm still sure he'll be a Reading player by the end of the transfer window.

He has one year on his contract, it's doubtful he'll sign at new contract at Watford, so in Jan he'll be worth even less

[MalcybabyRFC]

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/readingfc/s/2056122_reading_fc_pull_out_of_deal_to_sign_watfords_tommy_smith

Well.... thats that then!! Who will be our 2nd choice signing?!

Sorry to be gay about all this TS business but all thats left to say is Tragic, Tragic, Tragic

We needed Tommy Smith to kick start our new campaign this season. An experienced player in a team full of kids already used to the style of play we are trying to adopt, and after 300 games for Watford, the loyalty / determination so many of the Reading fans come to know as the "Reading FC way".

Good luck to Tommy Smith, we desparatly needed his goals and we could have had a premiership player on our books. He wont be a Watford player by the end of the week but he wont be a Reading one either sadly.

[(.)Boobies(.)]

We need a lot more than Tommy Smith to kick start us. We're about 4 quality and experianced players away, and we wont be getting them before the transfer deadline.

[Baines]

What have Reading possibly got what those 3 clubs haven't?

A 49 page thread about him on their messageboards, tbf.

He couldn't conceivably live up to expectations if he came here now, in any event. Back to doing business in private perhaps.

[specialjon]

What have Reading possibly got what those 3 clubs haven't?

A manager?

[andrew1957]

i'm still sure he'll be a Reading player by the end of the transfer window.

He has one year on his contract, it's doubtful he'll sign at new contract at Watford, so in Jan he'll be worth even less

On the contrary I will be extremely surprised if we go back for him now - Sir John will lose far too much face for that to happen.

I suspect we will either now get no one or else that we will panic buy a couple of poor quality older players to placate the fans.

Frankly it is too late now - best to sign no one and accept that we are in a relegation fight and then re-think the strategy at the end of December depending on where we are then.

I suspect That Smith will have moved on to pastures new by then though and sadly not to us.