Statement Regarding the Departures of Smith and McAnuff
Yesterday (Thursday) finally saw the departure of Tommy Smith and, while all Watford fans were disappointed to see him go, it softened the blow that he chose Portsmouth over Reading. Tommy’s return to Watford in 2006 was not universally welcomed as the nature of his departure in 2003 had angered many, but his performances and commitment to the cause whenever he pulled on a Watford shirt soon won over even his sternest critics. He has consistently been one of our best players over the past 3 seasons and has been the overwhelming choice for the Player of the Season award for the past two seasons. With news of the bids coming in over the Summer, it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before he left. But it is gratifying that the board held out for a fee in line with their valuation of the player. What was also pleasing was Tommy’s attitude in his last games with us. His performance and goals against Forest and Blackpool were superb and he left us on a high. I’m sure all members of Watford Supporters Trust (WST), and all Watford fans for that matter, will join us in thanking Tommy for his hard work while a Watford player and in wishing him well at Portsmouth.
Yesterday also saw the departure to Reading of Jobi McAnuff. Jobi arrived commanding a high transfer fee and his performances have really not justified that outgoing. In the second half of last season, we did see more from him, but most fans will regard him as having been a disappointment. Jobi was another of the players that were expected to leave in the Summer, and the removal of one of the higher earners from the wage bill is certainly to be welcomed.
Of greater concern was the news that a bid had been received for Mike Williamson and that the player had handed in a transfer request. Williamson has been arguably our best player so far this season and his departure would be a great loss. Unfortunately, as we’ve all seen with the Lescott affair, it is becoming nigh on impossible to keep a player that wishes to leave, if the buying club matches the valuation of the player. We can only hope that Mike is still with us come the close of the transfer window on Tuesday evening but, if not, a large fee and a replacement centre back will be needed.
These are uncertain times and we really won’t know for certain the strength of the squad until the end of day on Tuesday, but we must hope that there will be more comings than goings in the interim. These are hard times financially for the club and, much as it pains us to see the family silver being sold off, we have to be realistic. The wage bill needed to be drastically reduced, with the consequence that some crowd favourites would be sold and that the squad would be weakened. We have to hope that the resulting squad is strong enough to remain in this division, and the performances of the loanees and the youngsters from the Academy that we have seen so far have been encouraging. But, as fans, we have to continue to give our support to the management and to the players who wear the yellow shirt.
