STFC Transfer Rumours

[DV]

He was very important to the way we played last season, and i'm sure he is this season as well. We don't have a like for like in the squad, and honestly we needed a target man back up anyway, because its not Drinans position.

He's also very important defensively, and creates a problem with defending set pieces.

But i'm just stating a logical fact, any player in league two is replaceable. There are quite literally hundreds of players bet than them out there. Now if you can afford them, or attract them to the club, or juggle the team to compensate, thats a different question. But at this level nobody is irreplaceable.

So yeah we need would need a replacement of course. And you are unlikely to get a like for like style player, but its certainly not impossible.

You’ve said he is replaceable but we wouldn’t get a like for like replacement

Doesn’t that make him irreplaceable then?

I mean of course if he left we could replace him with literally any unemployed striker in the world purely based on one player out, one player in but that player not being a like for like replacement means we haven’t really replaced the attributes he brings to the team.

It would be like selling your top goal scorer & replacing him with a left back - not even we’d be do something as stupid as that….no, wait…

[Tails]

Stick Ryan Delaney up there to win some headers and let the forwards around him do the scoring.

Tongue in cheek aside though, selling our only target man (who our play relies so heavily on) 2 weeks before the season starts and after you’ve publicly drilled in he wouldn’t be sold would be a fairly big morale hit overall.

The money you’d have to pay to replace him like for like is heavy and likely out of our reach. Smith provides physicality as well as goal scoring. If we were to replace him then within our budget you’d likely only get one of the 2 and you’d have to go for the physicality aspect. Some physical forwards out there for sure but you’re then putting the goal scoring burden on relatively less clinical forwards like Drinan/Glatzel, raw younger players like Ameen/Tabor and a 33 year old Bodin. Not ideal.

In terms of Swindon Town though, this is the most Swindon Town thing that could happen. Regarding whether it’s Cambridge or not means little, we’ve lost players to far funnier teams in the recent past and it’s not too long ago we lost Knoyle over to Cambridge so losing players to anyone doesn’t surprise me whilst we’re in this banter era.

I mean to make it worse, the season starts NEXT WEEK!

Also I feel like we're long overdue an end to this banter era. Been a solid 12/13 years now.

[UTR]

I mean to make it worse, the season starts NEXT WEEK!

Also I feel like we're long overdue an end to this banter era. Been a solid 12/13 years now.

Agreed. 12/13 years of constantly reduced standards year on year to the point we’re at now. It’s Swindon Town.

[No Longer Posh Red]

I think losing Smith will have a similar impact as when Greer left, albeit I’m not sure it will be quite as drastic (relegation).

However, the prediction of 17th won’t look quite as stupid

[Barrett17]

If Holloway is in charge of transfers and the club sell Smith anyway. You'd have to worry about whether he would want to stick around.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

If Holloway is in charge of transfers and the club sell Smith anyway. You'd have to worry about whether he would want to stick around.

That's my concern as well. Lose one, you lose them both. If Holloway genuinely does have the final say on transfers we're fine..if Clem pulls the rug from under his feet and sells him regardless, then we have a doomsday scenario on our hands...

[Batch]

Just met Elliot Benyon in Tesco. He had his boot bag with him.

[Legends-Lounge]

Just met Elliot Benyon in Tesco. He head his boot bag with him.

Shoplifting?

[Barrett17]

That's my concern as well. Lose one, you lose them both. If Holloway genuinely does have the final say on transfers we're fine..if Clem pulls the rug from under his feet and sells him regardless, then we have a doomsday scenario on our hands...

If the 'Not Involved' individuals had their way he would be gone already! Adver bloke just said they have no intention of selling but idk...

[Peter Venkman]

If Holloway is in charge of transfers and the club sell Smith anyway. You'd have to worry about whether he would want to stick around.

That is a very very valid concern.

[Nemo]

There is a possible scenario in which Smith going isn't a disaster (immediate like for like replacement, Holloway happy that he has someone who wants to be here).

However the far more likely scenario is that any replacement is not like for like in terms of style, experience and/or quality, Holloway is pissed off and so are the fans.

Smith is not our best player, but he absolutely is the most important to our style of play.

[Batch]

But if Smith holds his hands up and says "I want out" it leaves Ollie and the club in a very difficult position - and this is the only way I think he goes (with Ollie's agreement).

I get what DV is saying, make him play. But there is the risk he mopes about and becomes a liability - and whether that puts off buyers come January is irrelevant really.

Ollie will have more of a clue about his character than us.

It still looks like a potential disaster.

[Audrey]

If it is known that Smith is amenable to a move I’d expect more than some piss-ass little club like Cambridge to be interested.

He’s spent most of his career at other such piss-ass little clubs. I don’t give a shit if he stays or goes.

[Legends-Lounge]

I’ll go the complete opposite & say we won’t be able to replace him & our chances of being at the right end of the table massively rely on Smith being on the same form he was on last season.

To the point - that aside from an immediate cash boost upfront now - I don’t think selling him would make us any profit come the end of the season. Without his goals there is less of a feel good factor, results aren’t as good, not as high up the table, casual fans not coming in through the turnstiles. The potential down turn in form would cost us as much as we’d sell him for.

Better off keeping his goals this season & letting him walk for free…

Better off keeping his goals this season & letting him walk for free…

I agree, especially if we then get promoted and Cambridge don’t.

[Outletred]

Agree with the above- letting him go would be a disaster as we would have real issues getting a like for like target man as a replacement