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Tommy Watson ( ...off to Brighton)


McConnell will probably have the best career of the lot along with Rigg and Jobe. He's very highly rated at Liverpool and has struggled with injuries this season hence the depleted game time.
Possibly but like all of the lads who have left he's coming up to 21 and he has not played a lot of senior football. Hugill was very highly rated by Man Utd but has not had a chance and, at his age, is very unlikely to get a chance at Man Utd and looks to really be at the cross roads of his career. Look at Logan Pye - will be 22 in October and may well be out of contract having had no first team football. The best models for career development are the likes of Neil and Rigg who have stayed.
 
Plenty seem to have their schadenfreude primed and ready to go
There may be a bit of that but its more that we now have a record of developing great prospects who decide to better themselves before they have done anything and it doesn't seem to benefit their football development. I think the lads who were flogged by Donald were encouraged to leave but the likes of Watson and Cotcher clearly think they are a cut above Sunderland. I suspect those two were unhappy with the excellent deal Rigg was given.
 
There may be a bit of that but its more that we now have a record of developing great prospects who decide to better themselves before they have done anything and it doesn't seem to benefit their football development. I think the lads who were flogged by Donald were encouraged to leave but the likes of Watson and Cotcher clearly think they are a cut above Sunderland. I suspect those two were unhappy with the excellent deal Rigg was given.
We must cut our cloth accordingly and if this means some may move on to more lucrative pastures so be it. Some of the fans responses have been ott
 
1 - He isn't even our first choice winger
2 - Our clear best winger didn't do all that well when he moved to the PL last season

He's got potential, no question. But expecting him to hit the ground running is a bit much. Perhaps they mean occasional sub for the first 6 months or so? Which would be reasonable.

Tbf Brighton are better at playing players in the position they are actually good in. Rather than the way ipswich used Clarke.

Still, I'd be surprised if Watson started
 
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We must cut our cloth accordingly and if this means some may move on to more lucrative pastures so be it. Some of the fans responses have been ott
Totally agree but as mentioned it was in the press that Watson looked about for other deals before he signed his first pro contract at 17. He or someone around him was advising him he could do better than Sunderland. Greenwood was similar and has certainly done very well financially but, at 23, his career looks to be well on the decline. He is not wanted by Leeds or either of the clubs he went on loan to. I worry that some young players are advised badly and possibly because their agents can get financial gain out of it.
 
As an above poster pointed out. A life changing contract that a footballer simply can't turn down. There should be no animosity between our club / fans and Watson.


Are we really expecting a player to stay and accept for arguments sake £3k per week as oppose to a £20k per week one? We need to stop looking for excuses for the transfer or to shoot down his agent / attacks on the lad's personal life.

Brighton obviously rate him better than our staff do and are willing to give him a contract to set him up for life. There should be zero surprises as to why the transfer has gone through.

The transfer happened in January because we wouldn't have matched it regardless of division. And Brighton wanted to tie him down incase he had a storming end to the season and his stock went up. Believe it or not there has been contact from other clubs as well.

I don’t dispute that? But if t doesn’t change the fact that if it was first team playing time he wanted then he would have been better off staying at Sunderland.
There is rarely only one route or option in life. But to max his career in my opinion he should have done what Jobe and Rigg have done
 
Totally agree but as mentioned it was in the press that Watson looked about for other deals before he signed his first pro contract at 17. He or someone around him was advising him he could do better than Sunderland. Greenwood was similar and has certainly done very well financially but, at 23, his career looks to be well on the decline. He is not wanted by Leeds or either of the clubs he went on loan to. I worry that some young players are advised badly and possibly because their agents can get financial gain out of it.
The 'it's a short career' argument is a compelling one
 
Totally agree but as mentioned it was in the press that Watson looked about for other deals before he signed his first pro contract at 17. He or someone around him was advising him he could do better than Sunderland. Greenwood was similar and has certainly done very well financially but, at 23, his career looks to be well on the decline. He is not wanted by Leeds or either of the clubs he went on loan to. I worry that some young players are advised badly and possibly because their agents can get financial gain out of it.
Or he didn’t sign as the one Sunderland offered when he was 17 was awful. Anyway not the day for it
 
Some people just not getting how young he is

Listen I understand players move on and the world moves on, I just don’t get why he was so desperate to leave before the end of this season,

Nobody in the country id argue gives more starts to kids than Sunderland
Maybe the club thought it best to take the 10 mil now, if they knew he was wanting away.
 
I must admit I do font the timing of this transfer let alone the announcement baffling. I mean we could be in the premier league next season and if so I would have thought his wages would be negotiated in accordance with the division, but more importantly in my opinion he would have had a more realistic chance to have games in our team.
 
Hope the lad goes on to have a great career but very much doubt we will hear much about him for a few years. Josh Robertson went to Brighton and he’s absolutely desperate to come back. But money talks.
 
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