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Tommy Watson ( ...off to Brighton)


It's nonsense to be having a go at the club on this one too.

They have been very proactive with contract extensions over the last few years and the only cases they haven't managed to get an extension done is when the player has put their foot down and said no (Stewart, Clarke) and in each of those cases, they club have got a decent fee in given the circumstances.

They'll clearly have been trying to get him tied down but it's not North Korea, players cannot be forced to sign a new deal if they don't want to.

You only have to look at examples in recent seasons of Patterson, Ballard, Cirkin, Neil, Alese etc to see that they are on the ball when it comes to this.
 
The Situation said:
Said it a few days ago in this thread but
am I the only one who doesn't see the massive doom on this one?

There's only 3 years between him and Mundle and personally, as things stand, I don't see him starting games ahead of Mundle if/when both are fit.

I think Mundle's injury has made us forget just how good he has been, with 7 goals contributions in 15 games and lets be honest, he'd been playing so well that we'd even forgotten we had sold our best player last season in Jack Clarke!

I'm sure Watson will go on to have a good career and he looks an excellent talent, but if we can get a decent fee for a player who has 18 months left on his deal and is likely to be second choice in his own position behind a player who is only 3 years older than him (so alleviating any continuity issues in which we're looking for a replacement in the short term), I don't see a massive issue.

We'd all like to have 2 or 3 players fighting it out for each position but the reality is that, at this level especially, it is not always realistic.

Reported fees of £12m+ for what very possibly could be a player who is second choice in his own position at the club and who is not going to sign a new deal here, thus going for free or a minimal fee in the next 12-18 months, seems okay to me.
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There is NO doom in my opinion. He has potential but he's done fuck all for us as a first team player so we aren't really losing anything in terms of the here and now. Yes it will grate if he goes on to bigger and better things with Brighton but them's the breaks.
 
Nelson! said:
Others, like Jobe and Rigg, are prioritizing game time at a good level and being patient about when to make a big move. Maybe they’re less worried about “what if?” And have a plan they trust to work for them.
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Very few really know - but a plausible explanation is that both Jobe and Rigg managed some level of commitment/expectation about game time before signing their contracts. Perhaps TW asked for similar because he agrees that the best way to develop is to play. If we weren't able/willing to give the assurances to TW that he knows that Rigg/Jobe were given then he might as well take the big pay rise now.
 
Going to be interesting to see who the club bring in as a winger.

Most of us thought we could do with another even before Watson went. Can't see anything else but a young PL loan at this point.
 
VenisonsMullet said:
There is NO doom in my opinion. He has potential but he's done fuck all for us as a first team player so we aren't really losing anything in terms of the here and now. Yes it will grate if he goes on to bigger and better things with Brighton but them's the breaks.
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Apart from two goals? Fuck all is a bit harsh mind.

Roberts has scored the same number of goals in nearly three times as many appearances.
 
My money is him signing for Villa if he leaves for anyone. Having people you know in the area always help for youngun's. I don't think he'll leave personally.
 
UaeExile said:
Apart from two goals? Fuck all is a bit harsh mind.

Roberts has scored the same number of goals in nearly three times as many appearances.
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Not critcising the lad, just saying he hasn't done much as a 1st team player. Not saying he isn't good, or won't be great just that he's only started 6 games so we aren't losing much.
Bit like when Mogga was asked about how big a blow it was losing Ross Stewart, he replied saying he'd barely played for him so it wasn't that big a loss because he hadn't contributed.
 
I think most of the gloom is likely from those who have seen him play in the academy and realise just how talented he is. The expectation being over the next few years they would get to see him develop into a really key first team player. At times he just glides past players and is happy to use both feet. If it's best he moves on then fine but it will be a shame to not see that happen.
 
Wakoro said:
I know that they have not spent on players anywhere near what they got for Stewart, Clarke, Lihadji etc. So I can reasonably deduce that the balance is being used to fund the day to day expenses of the club, unless they have it sitting in the bank collecting dust. Either way, I am correct in saying fans should not get excited about big fees, when history shows they don't translate into benefits for the fans.
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We need to pay players so the benefits for the fans would be seen in funding their contracts. We dont benefit by the club paying out big transfer fees. Better for them to spend it on wages to attract and keep the best players.
 
Wakoro said:
I am not necessarily against them taking their profit, it's a business for them after all. I am just saying the large fees we get for players is nothing to get excited about for the fans, when we know they do not reinvest much of it back into the team.

I am also not saying the club is making a profit, but it doesn't have to be making a profit for them to take money out of it. The accounts we have seen are not clear or complete, it takes a resident forensic accountant on here to try and deduce what state the club is in financially. We don't even know what owner owns what really, KLD got caught out lying about how much he actually owned. The fact he lied tells me everything is not above board.

Also one of our owners is known for dodgy dealings;

So forgive me if I am skeptical on our finances.


I know that they have not spent on players anywhere near what they got for Stewart, Clarke, Lihadji etc. So I can reasonably deduce that the balance is being used to fund the day to day expenses of the club, unless they have it sitting in the bank collecting dust. Either way, I am correct in saying fans should not get excited about big fees, when history shows they don't translate into benefits for the fans.
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Can you show us where the ltd company have made a profit to declare a dividend?
 
Spaceturtle said:
I don’t, maybe he is jealous so could be a factor

You can’t say that, if he turns out to be a world beater it will never be enough.
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They're paying more than he's worth now by all accounts...an amount of what he might become (which he also might not) is factored in.

Are you expecting them to pay the value of a world beater when he is an injured, second choice, newly debuted player with 18 months left on his contract?
 
I’m not sure what Watson’s potential level is because he’s played so few games, but I’m not sure this is the right move for him. Anyway, good money for pure potential. If he turns out like Jack Clarke, it’ll be a good deal.

Brighton seem to know what they’re doing though, so they must see something.
 
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