Still confused about the Tommy Smith saga.

[Millsy]

Can someone pleae clear this up for me.

Much as I'm in gloating heaven right now after the total failure of Rodgers, a part of me can't help thinking that had we got Tommy Smith things might've been very different indeed.

A lot of us agree that the finishing was a big problem and it is fair to say that Rodgers was fairly certain of bringing his man Tommy with him. We also know that Rasiak was NOT a replacement for TOmmy Smith but was planned anyway IN ADDITION.

This means that poor old Rodgers was left with a gaping hole in his plans for us.

It is therefore arguably the case that his failure, and our woeful league position, is largely (if not almost wholly) due to our inability to sign the vital part of Rodgers' jigsaw.

Who exactly was to blame for this? Was it NH? Ws it Madman? Was it Rodgers? Or was it just plain bad luck and we should have had a backup? I know there were many threds on this but I'm still unclear about this and regard it as quite an important issue.

[Pseud O'Nym]

No.

[Millsy]

No.

Ah thanks all clear now. Lock thread please.

[Dirk Gently]

Can someone pleae clear this up for me.

Much as I'm in gloating heaven right now after the total failure of Rodgers, a part of me can't help thinking that had we got Tommy Smith things might've been very different indeed.

A lot of us agree that the finishing was a big problem and it is fair to say that Rodgers was fairly certain of bringing his man Tommy with him. We also know that Rasiak was NOT a replacement for TOmmy Smith but was planned anyway IN ADDITION.

This means that poor old Rodgers was left with a gaping hole in his plans for us.

It is therefore arguably the case that his failure, and our woeful league position, is largely (if not almost wholly) due to our inability to sign the vital part of Rodgers' jigsaw.

Yes. TS was absolutely integral to his plans from the start.

Who exactly was to blame for this? Was it NH? Ws it Madman? Was it Rodgers? Or was it just plain bad luck and we should have had a backup? I know there were many threds on this but I'm still unclear about this and regard it as quite an important issue.

Blame Pompey for gazumping us in this.

As soon as money was freed up by the sale of Hunt (I think!) we made an offer to Watford that matched the price they'd quoted to us. They immediately upped that price, and we matched that new price 2 days later and the deal was agreed.

Then Pompey stepped it - they may well have done the same regardless of the timing.

[Sir Rodger Doyle]

Can someone pleae clear this up for me.

Much as I'm in gloating heaven right now after the total failure of Rodgers, a part of me can't help thinking that had we got Tommy Smith things might've been very different indeed.

A lot of us agree that the finishing was a big problem and it is fair to say that Rodgers was fairly certain of bringing his man Tommy with him. We also know that Rasiak was NOT a replacement for TOmmy Smith but was planned anyway IN ADDITION.

This means that poor old Rodgers was left with a gaping hole in his plans for us.

It is therefore arguably the case that his failure, and our woeful league position, is largely (if not almost wholly) due to our inability to sign the vital part of Rodgers' jigsaw.

Who exactly was to blame for this? Was it NH? Ws it Madman? Was it Rodgers? Or was it just plain bad luck and we should have had a backup? I know there were many threds on this but I'm still unclear about this and regard it as quite an important issue.

Rodgers arrives, and targets Tommy Smith as an essential part of his plans.
Reading offer £500K and Sheffield Utd offer £1.8M
Sheffield Utd offer accepted by Watford, Reading offer laughed at.
Smith does not want to go to Sheffield Utd and holds out for an acceptable bid from Reading.
Reading offer £600K, offer is rejected by Watford and they point out that they have received an offer of £1.8M which they say is acceptable.
Watford reject all pathetic offers from Reading while tapping their watch. I think this continues for two weeks.
Reading make deadline £1.8M offer for Tommy Smith which is accepted.
Offer comes too late, Smith's head is turned at the last minute by the lure of Premier league football (higher wages)
Rodger's key transfer target is lost.

We tried to buy Smith as cheaply as possble and used his desire to come to Reading as leaverage with Watford. If we had matched the Sheffield Utd offer at the start then Smith would be a Reading player. Who is to blame?

Chairman,
Brendan,
Nick Hammond,

[Dirk Gently]

Reading make deadline £1.8M offer for Tommy Smith which is accepted.
Offer comes too late, Smith's head is turned at the last minute by the lure of Premier league football (higher wages)
Rodger's key transfer target is lost.

What deadline? Pompey gazumped us on Wed 26th August, 5 days before the deadline.

And how can you be so sure that Pompey wouldn't have gazumped us whenever the deal was done?

[Millsy]

To me it seems fairly obvious that we totally and utterly screwed this up but I'm open to other explanations.

Should have been dead and buried long before Pompey decided to go for him.

Although I maintain Rodgers was never the right choice I can't help feeling sorry for him.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Much as I'm in gloating heaven right now after the total failure of Rodgers,

What is this "gloating heaven sh1t?"

You have enjoyed the demise of our team and the humiliation of a Reading supporting and up and coming management prospect?


It fell flat on its face (despite a modest improvement in results recently)...............but to "gloat" at someones sacking..... is just typical of the fickle folk on here that just need to get back to enjoying their football...and to spend less time analysing and lauding it up just to make a point on some unofficial football website.

The likes of you mystify me "2ww and 1 Egg Cup"

[SLAMMED]

He wouldn't have made a huge difference.

[Millsy]

Much as I'm in gloating heaven right now after the total failure of Rodgers,

What is this "gloating heaven sh1t?"

You have enjoyed the demise of our team and the humiliation of a Reading supporting and up and coming management prospect?


It fell flat on its face (despite a modest improvement in results recently)...............but to "gloat" at someones sacking..... is just typical of the fickle folk on here that just need to get back to enjoying their football...and to spend less time analysing and lauding it up just to make a point on some unofficial football website.

The likes of you mystify me "2ww and 1 Egg Cup"

You're right, which is why I've not been gloating publicly despite takig a hammering from idiots here when I was ranting against him ebing appointed. And you can see I'm trying to stick up for Rodgers in this thread and I used that line just so people would realise I'm not a pro-Rodgers man who is trying to come up with excuses that's all. Plus you'll find I was one of the most vociferous pro-Rodgers voices here trying to stick up for him even though I didn't want him here. I would *much* rather be proved wrong with his success but alas it wasn't to be.

I do agree with your general sentiments against those more interested in proving their points though even if it's not applicable with me so no offence taken.

I think 2ww 1 egg up is a better name!

[URZZZZZZZZ]

Can someone pleae clear this up for me.

Much as I'm in gloating heaven right now after the total failure of Rodgers, a part of me can't help thinking that had we got Tommy Smith things might've been very different indeed.

A lot of us agree that the finishing was a big problem and it is fair to say that Rodgers was fairly certain of bringing his man Tommy with him. We also know that Rasiak was NOT a replacement for TOmmy Smith but was planned anyway IN ADDITION.

This means that poor old Rodgers was left with a gaping hole in his plans for us.

It is therefore arguably the case that his failure, and our woeful league position, is largely (if not almost wholly) due to our inability to sign the vital part of Rodgers' jigsaw.

Who exactly was to blame for this? Was it NH? Ws it Madman? Was it Rodgers? Or was it just plain bad luck and we should have had a backup? I know there were many threds on this but I'm still unclear about this and regard it as quite an important issue.

I think there is definately substance to what you are saying. Smith is the natural finisher we have missed all season, and its a cert that we would have more points if he had been playing for us this seen, particularly from the number of games we have thrown away leads!

As for blame, it must lie with Hammond and BR. BR for not shutting his gob and riling the bitter Watford Chairman more than was necessary. Hammond for trying to gain a bargain at the expense of actually purchasing the player. It would be easy to point the finger at Madj here, but I don't think it should be the case. Hammond is the football man and would have put the valuation forward, by the time he's seen sense and offered a suitable amount, Smith has (rightly so) decided to move to the Premiership.

[Barry the bird boggler]

From what I understand 1 tentative offer was made before Sheff U tabled their bid.

Reading then did not go back on that offer as, apparently, they had no money whatsoever (despite spending 1.1 million on a centre back who was obviously not priority playing wise).

And so it all went quite until we had "some money" (after Bikey going) at which point the 1.8 million was matched but then gazumped by Portsmouth who came in about 20 minutes before Smith was due to arrive at the Mad Stad to sign his contract.

The blame is with SJM who holds the purse strings and perhaps BR for not standing his ground hard enough and demanding something was sorted for Smith asap.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Smith has shown that money was more important, hardly setting the Prem alive is he.

[facaldaqui]

Tommy Smith would have been a gamble and I doubt he would have scored many goals for us in the present team. He did have one prolific year at Watford (last year), scoring 17 goals, but other than that he never scored that many. I think by now we'd have been thinking he wasn't worth the money and was another of Brendan's dodgy buys.

There's definitely a mystery about the Smith bid. Some of the proposed Smith money should still be available, surely. But I don't take against Madejski and Hammond over the matter. As soon as they could afford it, they made the required offer, but Smith then went to Portsmouth when the premier club jumped in. C'est la vie. He's failed there and they'll probably offload him; I hope we no longer want him, now that Rodgers has gone.

Watford probably aren't even getting their instalments, as Portsmouth have been transfer-banned for not paying transfer fees. And Smith has twice not been paid his wages on time. So, which is the more carefully run club, Pompey or us? Or, come to that, Watford? Madejski haters, get real.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Smith has the ability to finish though. He hasnt always scored a lot of goals no, but he has played on the wing quite a bit throughout his career so he isnt expected to get 15+ goals a year

He would have definately added goals to this side though, and thats what we were missing to turn decent performances into wins. Smith would also have meant we probably would have started the season a bit better as he would have been a key player who actually knew what Rodgers was trying to do

Who was to blame though, all of them

We didnt have the money to start with though but we should have had a backup plan once we lost out on Smith, that bit was down to Rodgers

[glass half full]

Watford would have taken an offer from anyone over Reading.

[facaldaqui]

But Smith wouldn't have. Reading was his desired move till Pompey came in.

[Royal Lady]

As people have alluded on here, what I'M confused about is all this Tommy Smith hype. What is he doing at Pompey? He's not even in their first team now is he? How many goals has he scored? I think people are just using that saga as an excuse as to why we've been, frankly, dog doo-doo this season and I don't think we'd be much different, if at all, if we had signed Smith, except we'd have even less money.

[Southbank Old Boy]

As people have alluded on here, what I'M confused about is all this Tommy Smith hype. What is he doing at Pompey? He's not even in their first team now is he? How many goals has he scored? I think people are just using that saga as an excuse as to why we've been, frankly, dog doo-doo this season and I don't think we'd be much different, if at all, if we had signed Smith, except we'd have even less money.

You have noticed that Pompey are in the Prem right?

You do remember that players get paid a shed load more money to even be in a Prem squad

I think he would have made quite a big difference, especially early in the season when the players didnt quite get Rodgers as much as towards the end. It would also have been another definate name on the teamsheet which might have led to a bit less tinkering from Rodgers

[Royal Lady]

Yes, I know they're in the Prem. But until the last couple of games, they've been pretty poor themselves and wouldn't have looked out of place in the Championship!

He started for Pompey and then appears to have been dropped - probably because he's not actually that good. I think far too many people are using the Tommy Smith saga as an excuse.