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Tommy Watson ( ...off to Brighton)

Finally gets to play for his boyhood club , been here since just out of nappies, and leaves before even reaching 25 games.

I'd have given anything to be good enough to play for the club potentially at the highest level. Not jump leave before you even get started.

If he's refused a new contract then I don't blame the club, we have to get money in one way or another. I just don't get why he'd want to leave already.
This although I would say how convincing were the club in showing ambition.

We should be saying we are focussing on promotion. If we get promoted we can then compete with Brighton financially.
 

Speakman said the intention was for him to sign a new contract. If he’d indicated that wasn’t going to happen then we’d be silly to keep him beyond this summer.

He’d have 12 months left and if we can get £10m+ for a lad who hasn’t really done much to date (except a couple of good games) then it’s a great deal for the club.

You’d hope this will also give us more wriggle room when looking at likes of Neil, cirkin, Jobe, Rigg situations. We hold the cards
 
Why mate? He has barely kicked a ball at professional level and will almost certainly start next season in the development squad.
Because he’s just moved/moving to a premier league club for 10m+ quid. How much do you think they are paying him. By the way I don’t think he will be on 40k a week
 
We are doing v well in my humble opinion.
I’ve supported the club 60 plus year and if you think this is bad you need to give your head a shake .
We are progressing-got some talent ( that top clubs want )-a very good academy
40000 each week and fans round me at least ?-that enjoy the experience
I’ve brought 3 kids up all of who live behind enemy lines who love the lads and realise it’s not all about the money and achievement-it’s about the people ,club and development ( particularly these days)
I get the “you are part of the problem brigade “-but I genuinely feel we are slowly and “ correctly “ heading in the right direction.
I am happy with who owns us and the way we are heading .Not perfect but we havnt sold out
We’re on our longest period outside the top flight in my lifetime, so yes it is bad. You say I need to give my head a shake, defies belief.

You say it’s not all about money (which I agree with) but to the owners that’s all that matters. Nice long post you’ve written but with no mention of getting promotion, never mind a tad success.
 
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Is this The Model, that we have to do at least one deal like this every season to keep the Acadamy afloat?

I think we’ll be seeing one of our best players leaving each summer, yes.

I don’t think this transfer means we won’t be selling one in the summer. £10m covers the Isidor fee, ELF loan fee and not much else.

Neil will be off in the summer.
 
Because he’s just moved/moving to a premier league club for 10m+ quid. How much do you think they are paying him. By the way I don’t think he will be on 40k a week

He will be on the top end of what they pay young talented players mate. Because of the fee, the contract will be future proofed (for both the club and him) but I’d be very surprised if he starts on more than £10k a week.
 
Because he’s just moved/moving to a premier league club for 10m+ quid. How much do you think they are paying him. By the way I don’t think he will be on 40k a week
I know sites with estimated wages aren't always the most accurate, but every one I can see suggests they're paying Adingra about £12.5k a week. They bought him for circa £8m. Even in the PL clubs have to be careful about overpaying on wages, and they weren't in a transfer battle for him, seems like there was only them and us.

Can't imagine he's seen as an immediate first team option, they've signed purely for potential because the transfer fee is worth the risk for a PL side. Might have good rises built in if he gets x appearances, but doubt they'll have been throwing money at him unnecessarily. Might prove to be the right decision for him, or he might look back and think he could have earned more had he stayed. His decision, but a shame he couldn't stay with the club that developed him
 
Won't know the actual figures but have been told it's it's life-changing or ridiculous money compared to here, which is believable.

There is no doubt that Brighton will be paying significantly more than us. That said though, with us he would be playing championship football at age 18. I know it’s a tough call, but both Rigg and Jobe’s parents saw that as a major benefit.
I think we’ll be seeing one of our best players leaving each summer, yes.

I don’t think this transfer means we won’t be selling one in the summer. £10m covers the Isidor fee, ELF loan fee and not much else.

Neil will be off in the summer.

I think it will be a big shame if we lose Neil tbh. Our offers to the lad have been really poor though and are well under market value. We did the same with Clarke
 
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There is no doubt that Brighton will be paying significantly more than us. That said though, with us he would be playing championship football at age 18. I know it’s a tough call, but both Rigg and Jobe’s parents saw that as a major benefit.


I think it will be a big shame if we lose Neil tbh. Our offers to the lad have been really poor though and are well under market value. We did the same with Clarke

If he doesn’t sign what he’s offered, he’ll be away. Only way he signs is promotion imo.
 
Flying into tackles isn’t his game though. His transfer sounds contractually bound.
Hence he’s effectively playing on loan to us.
Everyone including Brighton will expect commitment and noticeable improvement
You're right, it isn't, but I've seen him make a few. Regardless, you're going into a play off against players who are desperate to get promoted. I know they aren't exactly on the breadline either way, but for their contracts, their lifestyle, their families, they'll be giving absolutely everything to get promoted. Watson won't be in that position, he's set regardless. The biggest risk to his future isn't sunderland losing the match, it's him getting injured and not breaking through at Brighton. That's not a criticism of the lad, it's human nature, he won't be going for it with the same desire as others. And frankly he's not good enough to be effective at 90% or whatever. If we're in a play off I'd rather see Aleksic or someone come on
 
There is no doubt that Brighton will be paying significantly more than us. That said though, with us he would be playing championship football at age 18. I know it’s a tough call, but both Rigg and Jobe’s parents saw that as a major benefit.


I think it will be a big shame if we lose Neil tbh. Our offers to the lad have been really poor though and are well under market value. We did the same with Clarke
We can't even guarantee him that though which will be a part, he's behind mundle for a start
 
You're right, it isn't, but I've seen him make a few. Regardless, you're going into a play off against players who are desperate to get promoted. I know they aren't exactly on the breadline either way, but for their contracts, their lifestyle, their families, they'll be giving absolutely everything to get promoted. Watson won't be in that position, he's set regardless. The biggest risk to his future isn't sunderland losing the match, it's him getting injured and not breaking through at Brighton. That's not a criticism of the lad, it's human nature, he won't be going for it with the same desire as others. And frankly he's not good enough to be effective at 90% or whatever. If we're in a play off I'd rather see Aleksic or someone come on

Whee?
 
Can’t blame the lad really. He might get a bad injury next game and barely play again. It’s a gamble for him moving - might go the way of Clarke at Leeds - but also a gamble staying.
 
It seems a strange one at this time in the season to me and in some ways I wish we had just sold him at Christmas now. Won't be a problem as long as we reinvest. We will lose a few players if we don't go up and Watson was already unsettled.

I suppose if he wanted to go, then it’s not a bad bit of business but we do need to start reinvesting this money and not on crocked players, if a player has injury issues just keep away. I think it will be an interesting summer for us Sunderland fans. We should get good money for Rigg and Bellingham which financially should put us in a strong position. It’s probably our most important window for a decade.
 
It seems a strange one at this time in the season to me and in some ways I wish we had just sold him at Christmas now. Won't be a problem as long as we reinvest. We will lose a few players if we don't go up and Watson was already unsettled.

I suppose if he wanted to go, then it’s not a bad bit of business but we do need to start reinvesting this money and not on crocked players, if a player has injury issues just keep away. I think it will be an interesting summer for us Sunderland fans. We should get good money for Rigg and Bellingham which financially should put us in a strong position. It’s probably our most important window for a decade.
The reason we didn't sell him in January is because there wasn't time to reinvest and people would have moaned had we done it.
 
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