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Tommy Watson ( ...off to Brighton)

Hetty said:
I wonder if RLB will say something in press conference or just bat the question away and ask others the question
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See above -I think you will be right Hetty
But if the journalists persist he may have to answer -he must be at least disappointed.
I’m as intrigued to see how far he gets “pushed” on the matter
 

vinegar hill said:
The clubs done the only thing it can do considering he simply would have ran down his contract.
I’m just a bit disappointed in the player though it just reinforces the view that they don’t think like us fans.
They’re hard nosed professionals even 18 year old local kids like him,who you would think would be wanting to live the dream, but there you go.
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Are they hard nosed professionals or just sheep? They see the big bucks now and lots of them grab it even though long term it might be not best for their career. No doubt led by talentless wanker's like Danny Graham :oops:

Clarke should never have gone to Ipswich, they were always likely to struggle. He got a big signing on fee and a big wage increase but he has done nothing at all for his career.

I think the Bellingham's are very clued up. The move to Dortmund was perfect for Jude. Jobe's move here was the right level for him too. I think Rigg also made a wise move. There's no rush when you have talent in your late teens, you have another 15 years of a career in front of you. You need first team football not under 21's or a loan to a random club.
 
Big Bellyingham said:
See above -I think you will be right Hetty
But if the journalists persist he may have to answer -he must be at least disappointed.
I’m as intrigued to see how far he gets “pushed” on the matter
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I think RLB would say something along the lines of we wish him well, but he’s part of our squad until the end of the season.

It’ll be a pretty standard response.
 
ferryhill mackem said:
first professional contracts can only be a maximum of 3 years and he took long enough to sign that
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Why is that ?-and why is it necessary?
Certainly dosnt seem to protect a club that’s nurtured a talent from the age of 6-massively favours the rich
Could this not be challenged somewhere /somehow
The way we are as a club development is key and this is a problem moving forward ?
 
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My main concern about the Watson transfer is that we are selling someone that we have hardly seen - and have done this a few times before.

It begs the question of "what is a youth system for and for whose benefit" because essentially here we have trained the lad up since he was 6, he has only played a handful of games and Brighton gets the benefit of Tommy at first team level - not us.
 
harryCLSsafc said:
My main concern about the Watson transfer is that we are selling someone that we have hardly seen - and have done this a few times before.

It begs the question of "what is a youth system for and for whose benefit" because essentially here we have trained the lad up since he was 6, he has only played a handful of games and Brighton gets the benefit of Tommy at first team level - not us.
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Some on here questioned this when the transfer was announced when I said he is the best we have. Well if we have hardly seen him play what have we missed if Brighton targeted him so strongly.
 
harryCLSsafc said:
My main concern about the Watson transfer is that we are selling someone that we have hardly seen - and have done this a few times before.

It begs the question of "what is a youth system for and for whose benefit" because essentially here we have trained the lad up since he was 6, he has only played a handful of games and Brighton gets the benefit of Tommy at first team level - not us.
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Who have we done it with under this ownership? I think our hand was forded and he’s wanted out for over a year. End of the day, it’s a life changing deal, we couldn’t match, and at a club known for promoting youth also.
 
harryCLSsafc said:
My main concern about the Watson transfer is that we are selling someone that we have hardly seen - and have done this a few times before.

It begs the question of "what is a youth system for and for whose benefit" because essentially here we have trained the lad up since he was 6, he has only played a handful of games and Brighton gets the benefit of Tommy at first team level - not us.
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Well there's a £10 million benefit to the club for starters.
There are others that haven't moved on yet but the supporters have to accept these lads have only one career and they have to do what's best for them.
It's well known that we are nowhere near the highest payers, even in the Championship, so when a team offering multiples of their current wage it's only natural they make a decision purely on their best interests.
 
fireballs said:
Think for us it's the best we could have got given the circumstances rather than an outright win.
£10m is decent wedge for where we are but his potential is worth a lot more even right now, unfortunately he's got only a year left and obviously wants away. It's peanuts really for Brighton and well worth the risk. Hope we've got a decent sell on clause and we get maximum from it which means the lad will have developed well.

Not a fan of the timing of the announcement but good luck to the lad.
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I think it has been reported to be a 20% sell on clause which is decent to be honest. I think the big win here for us really is the fact the lad dint go before turning 18 as some other young players have done and then received a small compensation package. For Brighton it’s peanuts as you say and to be honest they do seem good at getting young players in and polishing them to make a good profit so for them it’s great. For the player too he’s got a wage increase with a signing on fee no doubt and being in the prem increases any further wages wether he stays or goes elsewhere. I’m cool with it all apart from 2 things and that is the timing of it which by all accounts was done as to not have it come out indirectly before the club have had a chance to give their reasons and also for the lad to still play for us in such important games in the play offs where we need motivated and committed players of which I don’t see Watson as being. Aleksic for me
 
hertsmackem said:
Some on here questioned this when the transfer was announced when I said he is the best we have. Well if we have hardly seen him play what have we missed if Brighton targeted him so strongly.
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Neil, Bellingham and Rigg have appeared far more than Watson, yet none have been pursued as much as him by a PL club. A shrewd observer of the game who I spoke to last year rated Watson as possibly the best of all our youngsters. Having finally watched Watson in first team action (starting, not coming off the bench) I agreed with him. Your post is valid.
 
MustardAndOnions said:
Watson wanted to go, in the end we had to let him go, his message was utter bollocks, Sunderland fan desperate to leave at 18, bizarre. Wait and see if we go up.

However, I am doubting our plans overall for the first time, its not a good sign that we could not get one of our own to sign a deal, been here since 6. We clearly give young players game time, and have a great eye for a player, but this is Sunderland and it has to end up with consistent premier league footy. And Iam not convinced it will.

I think the aim is more to be self sufficient, which is obviously not a bad thing, but we dont seem to be able to match wages or ambitions of players. Selling Clarke and spendin the money on 2 players have contributed absolutely nothing this season, but will probs be good in a years time, kind of sums it up.

I dunno, I am rambling a bit but this disapointed me and its not a good look

I really dont like the comments by Speakman (who I always defend) in this and the Clarke deals. Along the lines of "proud of our role in his development"....and for me that is just utter bollocks, proud to flog our best player to f***ing Ipswich and proud to sell off one of our best young talents before he has barely kicked a ball for us. That is not what the club should be about.

Not for me thanks.

BTW there is absolutely no way Watson should play another minute for our first team or Under 21 team...again this is not my usual position...but fuck him...no chance.
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I just dont understand Watsons determination to leave and his message he posted didnt wash with me
....ok if we didnt want him but thats not the case...he has plenty of time to get his mega bucks he seems to desire.....we could have easily given him a buy out clause if he still wasnt happy in 2 years time......it ll be sad if he is loaned back to Championship next year
 
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Big Bellyingham said:
Why is that ?-and why is it necessary?
Certainly dosnt seem to protect a club that’s nurtured a talent from the age of 6-massively favours the rich
Could this not be challenged somewhere /somehow
The way we are as a club development is key and this is a problem moving forward ?
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All this nurture business is bullshit. For every Watson the club will have discarded dozens of kids that trod the same path as Watson until the club decided to get rid of them.

Personally, I much preferred the system where kids played for their schools and Sunderland or Seaham and District boys before signing Associate Schoolboy forms with clubs.

It sickens me that kids are dragged all over the country playing for junior teams when it is a dead end for the vast majority.

Rant over.🤔
 
columbo70 said:
I just dont understand Watsons determination to leave and his message he posted didnt wash with me
....ok if we didnt want him but thats not the case...he has plenty of time to get his mega bucks he seems to desire.....we could have easily given him a buy out clause if he still wasnt happy in 2 years time......it ll be sad if he is loaned back to Championship next year
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What message has TW posted? I've not seen it.
 
GordonMuchallNo1Fan said:
let the lad rot with the reserves
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He’s hardly gonna rot his career away in six weeks. He won’t want to play in our stripes again this season. We shouldn’t want him too. He can’t possibly be 100% committed and isn’t the most tackley type player anyway.
I reckon he’ll be house hunting in East Sussex for the rest of the season.
Gloucester said:
All this nurture business is bullshit. For every Watson the club will have discarded dozens of kids that trod the same path as Watson until the club decided to get rid of them.

Personally, I much preferred the system where kids played for their schools and Sunderland or Seaham and District boys before signing Associate Schoolboy forms with clubs.

It sickens me that kids are dragged all over the country playing for junior teams when it is a dead end for the vast majority.

Rant over.🤔
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It was always a dead end for most of them even when playing for Sunderland or Seaham boys. 95% are out of all organised football by 25 atm.
 
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I understand the system, but he has hardly played. I notice he went straight down the tunnel after the match on Saturday, so maybe he has wanted away for a while.

A shame he didn't give us a couple of seasons, as I think it would have benefitted both parties.
 
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