Smallwood signs

[tomphil]

27 minutes ago, A Northern Horde... said:

I just pray and hope we can improve upon players like Smallwood.We MUST if we are ever to move forward.

We already did to be fair but letting him sit out his contract and even add another month or so when there was no intention of using him sticks in the craw a bit.

Similar to the stuff with Mulgrew, Gladwin etc that's what needs to change if we are to move forwards. Every available penny should be used to push and improve not look after people.  Yes there's responsibility and the human angle but there's a fine line between that and taking the piss.

[Mattyblue]

41 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Yep, very important in League 1, not a Championship level player but just what we needed when we went down.

Don't blame him for sitting on his contract either, anyone would struggle to rip up a years worth of wages higher than he could have got anywhere else, we handed out far too many to average players when we got promoted, Smallwood, Williams, Bennett, Mulgrew etc, I suspect that all of them could be off the payroll now had we not done that.

Could have gone on loan though, no?

Instead of wasting a year of his career, in his late 20s prime too.

Always thought footballers ‘just want to play’?

[roversfan99]

4 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Could have gone on loan though, no?

Instead of wasting a year of his career, in his late 20s prime too.

Always thought footballers ‘just want to play’?

Perhaps, I think the last sentence is definitely a figment of a supporters imagination at times. 

[Mattyblue]

Indeed. There’s more Winston Bogarde’s than anyone would like to admit...

[roversfan99]

Very true. Plus I can sort of understand it if the only 2 options are stay on a higher wage or go further down on a lower wage, we would all find it difficult to cut thousands of pounds a week away.

I think we can focus on the clubs perspective more and query why we are handing out new deals as rewards as if they are going out of fashion. The line "hes looking after them as humans" doesnt cut it.

[Angry_Pirate]

Should never have been given that additional 12 months. (Or this last month - Christ).

Hate that he did, but can't really blame him for refusing to leave last summer and instead taking career defining money for one last year, to play in 2 Cup games. Doesn't explain why he wouldn't have wanted a loan though (same money).

I still think Jason Lowe was better. 

Won't be remembered.

[Exiled_Rover]

My residing memory of Smallwood is the sinking feeling you'd get when you heard his name being called out on Radio Rovers before walking down the hill to the ground and seeing the mood in the car deflate. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Exiled_Rover

[tomphil]

He was an upgrade on Lowe and far more suited to the role, a shrewd signing at the time by Mowbray. 

Be interesting to see where he ends up next when you look at Lowe's career path that's now arrived at Salford probably earning more than he did at Bolton.  Would expect Smallwood to get a decent lge 1 gig somewhere.

[Scotland1]

Pompey and Sunderland interested in January be interesting if they crop up again

[Tom]

Blackpool I think for him and Hart 

[Mike E]

OH WEY OH!

Instrumental in our L1 season spine of Raya, Mulgrew, Smallwood, Dack, Graham.

Unfortunately not able to hack it in the Championship. Played his part well just when we needed it.

[joey_big_nose]

6 hours ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Smallwood hasn't been anywhere near the first team for months so we already have improved on him with Travis. 

Travis and Evans are a top 6 CM partnership IMO. Evans is underrated. 

Travis improve anyone he plays with. Evans is totally different prospect with him, as Downing, Johnson or whoever.

I would say the one area of the pitch we need to sign absolutely nobody is central mid (we currently have 8-10* of them even with Smallwood gone)- whether that be attacking cm or defensive cm or box to box cm or whatever. If we do I will go mental. We do however need to sign players in every single other position.

Sadly I am fully expecting Tony to sign 3 centre mids.

*8= Travis, Evans, Johnson, Rothwell, Davenport,  Dack, Holtby, Buckley. Downing and Bennett who are used there also takes you to 10.

Edited July 25, 2020 by joey_big_nose

[Bigdoggsteel]

6 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Yep, very important in League 1, not a Championship level player but just what we needed when we went down.

Don't blame him for sitting on his contract either, anyone would struggle to rip up a years worth of wages higher than he could have got anywhere else, we handed out far too many to average players when we got promoted, Smallwood, Williams, Bennett, Mulgrew etc, I suspect that all of them could be off the payroll now had we not done that.

100% He just got married and had to think of his family. He got a good deal, he knows his level is probably league 1. You get an injury then and your in trouble. Dead right for taking the money. I wish him the best and if I was Sunderland or a club like that I would be taking a look. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

6 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Could have gone on loan though, no?

Instead of wasting a year of his career, in his late 20s prime too.

Always thought footballers ‘just want to play’?

He got to use the best facilities at rovers , train away ,get well paid. Go and slog it in league 1 where he surely knows that's where he will be for the rest of his career? Nah, he was dead right. He will get a good move there now with his stock for that level still relatively high 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Bigdoggsteel

[Bigdoggsteel]

Smallwood was exactly what we needed at that time. We had watched Jason Lose try to be that. We obviously had better players around him for that level, but you need someone to do that stuff. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

52 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Smallwood was exactly what we needed at that time. We had watched Jason Lose try to be that. We obviously had better players around him for that level, but you need someone to do that stuff. 

My favourite memory of him, apart from him going in goal, was the goal he got a Rochdale in the promotion season. He picked up a loose ball in the last third, fed Bennett out wide right, then made a great run into the box to get on the end of a good cross to volley the ball home left footed from about 10 yards out. He made it look easy.

Mowbray probably said to him " What were you doing there son ? Hang around on the half way line in future ".

He brought some real pride back into the shirt when it was badly needed. I'll always be grateful to him for that.

[Mattyblue]

18 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

He got to use the best facilities at rovers , train away ,get well paid. Go and slog it in league 1 where he surely knows that's where he will be for the rest of his career? Nah, he was dead right. He will get a good move there now with his stock for that level still relatively high 

Im not knocking it, his career. 

Will just make me chuckle when he turns up at Shrewsbury or wherever, ‘ I just want to play football’
 

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

46 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Im not knocking it, his career. 

Will just make me chuckle when he turns up at Shrewsbury or wherever, ‘ I just want to play football’
 

 

I'd say he would walk into their team! 

[Mattyblue]

I’m sure he would, as he would’ve on loan this season. But as you say he’s enjoyed his sabbatical first.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Mattyblue

[SBlue]

11 hours ago, arbitro said:

I agree. Smallwood was good in League One but hung around for 18 months in the knowledge there was very little chance of actually playing. I remember a Lancashire Cup match against Accrington last season and Mowbray (stupidly in my book) gave senior professionals who weren't getting game time the option of playing. Danny Graham played and put a real shift in but Smallwood was nowhere to be seen. That was disappointing to me.

Watching his “leaving interview” on ifollow, I got the impression that he genuinely believed in his ability to get back in the team. He got his head down, didn’t make a fuss, and even mentioned “that red card” that gave Travis the green light. Of course, everyone else knew the writing was on the wall with that cracking young footballer just waiting for a run in the side, but the fighting, belligerent and confident spirit is exactly what I would have expected from him. Can’t blame him for wanting to be a part of something he was previously integral to, and if Trav had got suspended and Johnson pulled his hammy then letting him go before the end of the season might not have been too wise.

11 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

Don't really need to add anything to this, other than in the summer before he signed it was quite difficult to even like most of our players. Smallwood was one of the main figures in changing that in the L1 season.

The ceiling of his ability is towards the lower half of this division, so right for all parties that he goes, but's right to recognise his role in letting us enjoy going to the football again.

I really do think he was a little underrated here.

Yes his game was legs, lungs and bruises and he was no progressive creative force but I think he really took care of the ball well, he rarely played a Bennett style stray pass to the opposition and he didn’t run into Rothwell trouble. A clever footballer who played to his strengths. He’s a fantastic player for the League One level and I hope he finds another team to help drag up.

 

Finally. I really can’t explain how refreshing he was to me when he came in. He was a decent midfielder, he was better than we’d had, and he played with a tireless honesty and commitment that really galvanised supporters and set the tempo for the League One season. He embodied and illustrated the difference between years of mercenary strollers and a team that whilst somewhat limited, would put some pride back into playing for the shirt.

 

Exactly what we needed at the time, and he leaves with my best wishes.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

1 minute ago, S8 & Blue said:

Watching his “leaving interview” on ifollow, I got the impression that he genuinely believed in his ability to get back in the team. He got his head down, didn’t make a fuss, and even mentioned “that red card” that gave Travis the green light. Of course, everyone else knew the writing was on the wall with that cracking young footballer just waiting for a run in the side, but the fighting, belligerent and confident spirit is exactly what I would have expected from him. Can’t blame him for wanting to be a part of something he was previously integral to, and if Trav had got suspended and Johnson pulled his hammy then letting him go before the end of the season might not have been too wise.

I really do think he was a little underrated here.

Yes his game was legs, lungs and bruises and he was no progressive creative force but I think he really took care of the ball well, he rarely played a Bennett style stray pass to the opposition and he didn’t run into Rothwell trouble. A clever footballer who played to his strengths. He’s a fantastic player for the League One level and I hope he finds another team to help drag up.

 

Finally. I really can’t explain how refreshing he was to me when he came in. He was a decent midfielder, he was better than we’d had, and he played with a tireless honesty and commitment that really galvanised supporters and set the tempo for the League One season. He embodied and illustrated the difference between years of mercenary strollers and a team that whilst somewhat limited, would put some pride back into playing for the shirt.

 

Exactly what we needed at the time, and he leaves with my best wishes.

Smallwood dragged us through the first few months of our League 1 campaign when the rest of the team were struggling to get going. His and Bennetts performances against Shrewsbury at home when we effectively ended their chances of reeling us in will live long in the memory. They were phenomenal. 

Smallwood was a brilliant L1 signing. 

[SBlue]

Just now, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Smallwood dragged us through the first few months of our League 1 campaign when the rest of the team were struggling to get going. His and Bennetts performances against Shrewsbury at home when we effectively ended their chances of reeling us in will live long in the memory. They were phenomenal. 

Smallwood was a brilliant L1 signing. 

They would both have been sent off after 20 mins in the Championship, absolutely crunching through anyone and everything that came near them.

Good game and good memories.

[Admiral Nelsen]

11 hours ago, S8 & Blue said:

I really do think he was a little underrated here.

I think so too. I think we're all prone to exaggeration in one way or another, but I think a few of our players are too harshly judged as 'not championship players', where 'not good enough for a team wanting to get promoted' would be fairer.

Splitting hairs maybe, but Smallwood is definitely in that category for me. 

[BRFC4EVA]

I still sing the king of Ewood song to my 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 yr old in New Zealand here. Agree with all the previous sentiments, excellent league 1 players, can do a job bottom third of championship and should have gone last season. All the best to him

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]