Will Smallbone

[Stuntman_Mike]

I really hope one of our many bariatric fans gets whatever shirt number he's given with 'Bigbone' on the back instead.

[CornwallFox]

Surprised that at only 26 he's without a club. He was Southampton's linchpin in their PL promotion run under Martin. Good move for us I'd say. 

[JonnyBoy]

2 hours ago, kingpowerout said:

He's 26

not sure if he can be described as 'over the hill'

you new to Foxestalk? 18 is over the hill! 

[RedSoxUK]

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/martynglover1football?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_mweb&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile

 

Embarrassing 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Strategic Alignment FC strikes again, let them cook

[DJ Barry Hammond]

3 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

3 year deal for someone who couldn't find a club 

We have too many players for a matchday squad as it is. 

Not in central midfield 

[foxfanazer]

Oh yay another ex Southampton player. We're a recurring nightmare 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

1 hour ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

Exactly what we said about Faes, Soumare, Thomas, Ayew, Okoli, Skipp, Daka, Winks, Mavididi and Souttar when dropping down divisions. How many pissed it?

A cursory look at any pre-match thread and the proposed team selections will tell you a lot of posters on this forum haven’t a clue! 😂

[Kinowe Soorie]

1 hour ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

Exactly what we said about Faes, Soumare, Thomas, Ayew, Okoli, Skipp, Daka, Winks, Mavididi and Souttar when dropping down divisions. How many pissed it?

I’ve always been complimentary about Rodgers and Cooper’s signings…

[Sol thewall Bamba]

2 hours ago, kingpowerout said:

who knows if we'll see his peak or not but there's a better chance of that happening at 26 than 29...

He's clearly going to be a symptom of the fact he's ex-Saints so will be shot down before he's kicked a ball.

 

So up to him to prove a point

Just another signing that needs to pass the "if" test.

 

"If" he keeps fit and "if" he gets back to a level he was at before then maybe yeah he'll be able to contribute. But that's not good enough.

[Muzzy_no7]

The meltdown over this signing 😂😂😂

[les-tah]

 

1 minute ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

The meltdown over this signing 😂😂😂

Its a great signing.

Lets be honest if Messi played for Russel Martin at Southampton the meltdown would equally be the same - its just trendy to criticise now.

[DAS Boot]

4 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

I bet Rudkin's got a small bone. 

Guess again.

 

Its like a firemans hose apparently.

[foxfanazer]

48 minutes ago, les-tah said:

 

Its a great signing.

Lets be honest if Messi played for Russel Martin at Southampton the meltdown would equally be the same - its just trendy to criticise now.

Yeah we really are spoiled as fans of this club 

[Corky]

Without a club well into the season so naturally worth a three year contract.

[st albans fox]

Faes wages saved 

for a week!

[sm1]

He was an integral part of the Southampton team that was promoted to the PL. No reason why he couldn't do a good job at L1.

[Vowels]

Really don't understand the negativity here. If you've ever watched him play, you'll know that providing fit and motivated he's far too good for league one.

 

Negative where its justified. This is a sound signing with what we know. Who knows what we dont?

 

 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Vowels said:

Really don't understand the negativity here. If you've ever watched him play, you'll know that providing fit and motivated he's far too good for league one.

 

Negative where its justified. This is a sound signing with what we know. Who knows what we dont?

 

 

Just seems overkill for a squad thats already vast and can only field 7 subs in a matchday squad. By my last count thats now 7 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers that won't make the matchday squad every week. No excuses no from Martin for not having the tools.

[LCFCJohn]

Probably a decent player, better than this level. But same old, major injuries. At 26 he should be in his prime but he’s without a club and after the transfer window. Surely means either nobody wants to take a risk with his fitness or his demands suggest playing football is not his priority. 
 

Either way, another lengthy contract on a no doubt large wage is a concern. And of course he’s not off to the best start being ex Southampton and a former player of Martin’s.

Edited 1 October by LCFCJohn

[The boy Linacre]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

Just seems overkill for a squad thats already vast and can only field 7 subs in a matchday squad. By my last count thats now 7 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers that won't make the matchday squad every week. No excuses no from Martin for not having the tools.

Allied to which I really hope its works and it could, but with our issues about lengthy contracts and deadwood and having to get rid of them, of course he has shown promise, but on the other side of the coin there is some reason he is where is prior to the move to us.

Its just the length of the contract that is an issue for me, so many have gone wrong in the last 4-5 years.

 

[filbertway]

People mentioning he was an important part of a Southampton team that got promoted to the Premier league...

 

Have any of you stopped to consider why Southampton, of the championship, have released such a great player coming into his prime years?

 

And why is such a great player not now playing for a Prem/top end champ club?

 

A 3 year contract is absolutely bananas. It's genuinely like someone is playing FM and purposefully trying to make as many potentially destructive decisions as possible.

 

[messerschmitt]

He might turn out to be the best recent ex-Southampton recruit, mind you, with Bertrand, Vestergaard, Aribo and McCarthy, the bar's pretty low.

[Salieri]

23 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

To be fair he was excellent for Brussell in 23/24. Was their most impressive player in the few games I remember watching. Not done owt since though, but would be keen ro know if he was any good when on loan at Stoke back in 22/23.

Spoke to my mate earlier (Stoke fan). He said that Smallbone was really good for them that season, played in almost every game. Apparently they wanted to sign him but Southampton didn’t want to let him go. 
 

Obviously the injuries since that spell are the main concern, if (big if) he could stay relatively injury free then I think that this could be a good signing, especially at this level. 

[Philkeavo]

16 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Just seems overkill for a squad thats already vast and can only field 7 subs in a matchday squad. By my last count thats now 7 outfield players and 2 goalkeepers that won't make the matchday squad every week. No excuses no from Martin for not having the tools.

I think we have a squad more than good enough to get promotion. It’s not about the tools anymore, it’s how they’re deployed. If he doesn’t apply the sense to tweak his suicidal playing out from the back mantra, having the best tools still won’t be enough to get promotion. This ends only one way.