Will Smallbone Joins

[funkyrobot]

4 hours ago, Officer Doofy said:

3 years

 

 

****ing idiots

He’s 26. Signed on a free. 3 years isn’t a long contract for someone at that age. 

[filbertway]

5 minutes ago, funkyrobot said:

He’s 26. Signed on a free. 3 years isn’t a long contract for someone at that age. 

He's 26 and nobody seemed to want him due to his injury issues, obviously jobs for the boys Russ has sorted him out though. 3 years is a long contract for someone in that position.

 

A deal till June with an option to extend would have been the logical move.

[cityfanlee23]

I’m getting flashbacks to that time Paul Konchesky left for the summer as bald as a bollock and came back for pre season with a full barnet 🤣

[Jobyfox]

I was so excited by this signing that I had a Smallbone! 

[Officer Doofy]

2 hours ago, funkyrobot said:

He’s 26. Signed on a free. 3 years isn’t a long contract for someone at that age. 

It is for an injury prone released player with no club after the season has started.

[murphy]

If your surname is Smallbone, would you really name your son Willie?

[Tiny earl]

1 hour ago, murphy said:

If your surname is Smallbone, would you really name your son Willie?

Probably expecting automatic deed poll intervention,

[AyewJoking]

2 hours ago, murphy said:

If your surname is Smallbone, would you really name your son Willie?

Better than Ivor

[Long Eaton Fox]

I remember him playing for Southampton v us at home and he was the best player on the pitch. We seem to be building a challenging league 1 winning team.  Hope we get the tactics right.

[Headcase]

On 01/10/2026 at 16:38, Ric Flair said:

Hang on, where's that hair come from. That's properly done me, like when Konchesky suddenly had a full head of hair again after years of pure skinhead.

Hes been in Turkey....probably gotvhis hair and teeth done as a signing on bonus

[filbertway]

I hope McCarron is livid at this deal. It's funny to a point watching mentally challenged people try to run a football club, but at some point I'd love us to be a respectable football club again.

 

Still remember Paul Mcguiness joining to oversee the academy and he got out asap

 

[Headcase]

49 minutes ago, Long Eaton Fox said:

I remember him playing for Southampton v us at home and he was the best player on the pitch. We seem to be building a challenging league 1 winning team.  Hope we get the tactics right.

Tactics? Plural nah, it will be the exact same tactic, that we have played for every minute of every game, we only have one tactic.

Russell tactic

[Motty]

3 hours ago, Headcase said:

Tactics? Plural nah, it will be the exact same tactic, that we have played for every minute of every game, we only have one tactic.

Russell tactic

Its not a tactic. It's a way of life for a one trick pony.

[Oldblueyes]

If he can pass a ball sideway whilst walking, he will fit right in here.

[fazzyfox]

On 01/10/2026 at 19:05, sphericalfox said:

Signed him to keep the physios busy

Cue misunderstandings galore-

 

RM - Smallbone injury?

Physio - No it’s a minor muscle tear!

[SafewayFox]

17 hours ago, Stadt said:

Christ, I didn't realise he's started 96 club games in his career and he turns 27 this season.

 

Kamari Doyle has just turned 21and he's started 62. Braybrooke 51 starts. We build the least robust squads possible.

That’s a horrendous stat.

 

Thanks for making me dislike this predictable signing even more.

[fazzyfox]

On 01/10/2026 at 20:16, MaidstoneFox said:

Joe Aribo still a free agent if we need more midfielders

Aribo is not one I would chews.

 

On 01/10/2026 at 23:58, HarryDee8 said:

What song is Mr small bone gonna get?

To the tune of when the saints go marching in -

Former Saints (former saints)

They join our club (they join our club)

Oh former Saints they join our club

They’re always s**t, s**t or s**tter, 

Oh former Saints they join our club

[Ric Flair]

7 hours ago, Long Eaton Fox said:

I remember him playing for Southampton v us at home and he was the best player on the pitch. We seem to be building a challenging league 1 winning team.  Hope we get the tactics right.

Best player on the pitch? We obliterated them 5 nil and Fatawu was devastating. That's quite a niche opinion 😂

[Pliskin]

Come on people… so far Brussels mates have all been dreadful. 
 

Chaplin may as well retire… Monty Burns looks like a love island contestant, McCarthy couldn’t catch a cold, that chap from Blackpool is getting paid to have a jolly at Seagrave and Cullen is as useful as a shit in a saucepan.

 

He will be shit.

[Ric Flair]

23 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

Come on people… so far Brussels mates have all been dreadful. 
 

Chaplin may as well retire… Monty Burns looks like a love island contestant, McCarthy couldn’t catch a cold, that chap from Blackpool is getting paid to have a jolly at Seagrave and Cullen is as useful as a shit in a saucepan.

 

He will be shit.

To be fair he's never worked with Chaplin or Burns before, but agreed in their contributions or lack of so far. O'Hora and Doyle dubious starts too.

[LCFCJohn]

Just oh so predictable…..

 

Former Southampton, bad injury record, a Martin signing who we can all see is failing and needs to go and on a 3 year deal and will likely be injured and hanging around long after Martin has gone. 
 

I hope he can stay fit and contribute well but it’s not the most likely outcome here.

[Chrysalis]

I remember rating him in the past, really its just hoping the wages are sensible.

[Saints Fan In Peace]

On 02/10/2026 at 09:08, Ric Flair said:

General comments on him is he's good for a goal, tidy passer but lightweight and very slow. It's just rinse and repeat isn't it.

That’s pretty much him in a nutshell.

In a midfield two he’s totally ineffective - too lightweight, can’t tackle, no aerial ability, doesn’t track back enough, no pace.

 

Get it into his feet as the most advanced of a midfield three and he can absolutely contribute. Very tidy on the ball, got a good eye for a pass and got goals in him arriving late into the box. 

He split the room a bit with us but a lot of people have a soft spot for him as he threaded the pass at Wembley for the goal that won the play-off final.

 

Martin loves him as he looks after the ball, is comfortable playing one touch and keeps it moving. Just don’t expect him to add anything physically. 

 

What I’m not sure about is his current fitness record. I know he had a long time out with ACL problems but no idea if he’s fully over that. 

 

Yes he does suffer from a form of alopecia. It started about 5-6 years ago and it hit him quite hard at the time. As a young lad taking shit for it from football supporters it knocked his confidence. But fair play to him, he embraced it and is now an ambassador for alopecia UK. 
 

Overall, keep him fit and play him in the right areas, give him runners in behind to pick out and he’ll add something. He’s got the quality on the ball to do well up to decent Championship level if used correctly, he’s a good lad and the vast majority of Saints fans are wishing him well and want him to succeed with you.
 

Edited 3 October by Saints Fan In Peace

[dmayne7]

19 hours ago, cityfanlee23 said:

I’m getting flashbacks to that time Paul Konchesky left for the summer as bald as a bollock and came back for pre season with a full barnet 🤣

You're obviously a lot younger than me if your bollocks aren't hairy

[Richmondfox]

11 hours ago, Long Eaton Fox said:

I remember him playing for Southampton v us at home and he was the best player on the pitch. We seem to be building a challenging league 1 winning team.  Hope we get the tactics right.

I can’t tell if that’s irony.