Smurthwaite concedes defeat in bid to sign Alex Jones on permanent deal

[News Feed]

Port Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite claims that a failure to agree terms with Alex Jones’ agent caused a permanent deal for the forward to break down. Jones had been a...

 

Click for full article

 

--

 

This is an automated feed from:

 

http://www.onevalefan.co.uk

 

View our home page for our latest features

 

--

[bookworm]

Agents are a blight on football and should be exterminated like the parasites they are, all they care about is their cut of the deal and careth not whether the deal will benefit the player just as long as they get paid for doing sweet FA,a hard days work would probably kill some of the useless bone idle shower of ****.

[bycars bootboy]

Agents are a blight on football and should be exterminated like the parasites they are, all they care about is their cut of the deal and careth not whether the deal will benefit the player just as long as they get paid for doing sweet FA,a hard days work would probably kill some of the useless bone idle shower of ****.

 

I agree with you but it seems Bradford managed to get his signature.If Smurf wants to join the so called bigger teams, then he has to pay the going rate.We haven't got a striker for goodness sake.

[beasty77]

I wouldn't believe a word Smurf says. I swear everything comes out of his mouth is lies. Sell the club Smurf ffs.

[valiant_593]

With crowds of 3-4K there is no hope competing with the likes of Bradford.

[Row L]

we also have to remember that it is Alex that is going to play for the club of HIS choice. The agent is working on HIS behalf and Alex will have signed off on where he is playing. The reality is that Bradford are going to pay more for him than we are able/prepared for. I'm disappointed that Alex hasn't shown more loyalty, but it is HIS choice and he has followed the money/bigger club and he will stand or fall by his decisions as we all do.

[geosname]

we also have to remember that it is Alex that is going to play for the club of HIS choice. The agent is working on HIS behalf and Alex will have signed off on where he is playing. The reality is that Bradford are going to pay more for him than we are able/prepared for. I'm disappointed that Alex hasn't shown more loyalty, but it is HIS choice and he has followed the money/bigger club and he will stand or fall by his decisions as we all do.

 

I dont understand the loyalty bit... he was on loan, his loan period was done he got a better offer... who should he be loyal to? Birmingham? or perhaps himself?

[TheSage]

I think Row L meant showing a bit of loyalty to us, since Jones was plucked from obscurity and given his chance in the league with us.

But as you say it doesn't work like that these days. The grass is always greener elsewhere and no doubt Bradford looks a very enticing prospect for him.

 

It's a risk but one he's prepared to take. However, as someone else has said, his overall play and contribution to the team was often poor and he drifted out of games quite a lot. He knew where the goals were and had an eye for them so for his sake let's hope he maintains that, but if he doesn't get involved much at Bradford (who have a big squad) and hits the ground running he won't be a regular and then might wish he'd done differently. But that's a chance he wants to take and quite frankly we've been so appallingly bad for many weeks now that can you blame him for wanting to jump ship? The team has been in free-fall for 3-4 months and playing some of the worst football I can recall.

Those who watch us regularly as opposed to scanning the BBC sports site weekly will testify the truth of that statement and I wonder if that was the reason Grant wanted out as he could see the way the wind was blowing months ago. Every game currently is a huge struggle for 90 minutes.

[Fosse69]

I think Row L meant showing a bit of loyalty to us, since Jones was plucked from obscurity and given his chance in the league with us.

But as you say it doesn't work like that these days. The grass is always greener elsewhere and no doubt Bradford looks a very enticing prospect for him.

 

It's a risk but one he's prepared to take. However, as someone else has said, his overall play and contribution to the team was often poor and he drifted out of games quite a lot. He knew where the goals were and had an eye for them so for his sake let's hope he maintains that, but if he doesn't get involved much at Bradford (who have a big squad) and hits the ground running he won't be a regular and then might wish he'd done differently. But that's a chance he wants to take and quite frankly we've been so appallingly bad for many weeks now that can you blame him for wanting to jump ship? The team has been in free-fall for 3-4 months and playing some of the worst football I can recall.

Those who watch us regularly as opposed to scanning the BBC sports site weekly will testify the truth of that statement and I wonder if that was the reason Grant wanted out as he could see the way the wind was blowing months ago. Every game currently is a huge struggle for 90 minutes.

Of course once confidence and enthusiasm declines so do players look to their futures, part of Brown`s job is to lift the team`s morale as well as tactics, fitness and squad composition. If we had been in the top 6 with the Bantams, that would have been due to better performances on the field, which may have affected his decision. However Smurf will only pay players what he considers their worth, another unknown factor, he maybe correct in this instance, only time will tell, hopefully there are other targets in view.

[Yukon]

I wouldn't believe a word Smurf says. I swear everything comes out of his mouth is lies. Sell the club Smurf ffs.

 

Just **** right off. What a stupid thing to say

[Yukon]

we also have to remember that it is Alex that is going to play for the club of HIS choice. The agent is working on HIS behalf and Alex will have signed off on where he is playing. The reality is that Bradford are going to pay more for him than we are able/prepared for. I'm disappointed that Alex hasn't shown more loyalty, but it is HIS choice and he has followed the money/bigger club and he will stand or fall by his decisions as we all do.

 

Loyalty? Dream on- I wouldn't sign for us either, and why's that? You answered that question yourself

[Fosse69]

I dont understand the loyalty bit... he was on loan, his loan period was done he got a better offer... who should he be loyal to? Birmingham? or perhaps himself?

It is a job, a job lots of us would have liked to have had, but like any other job if we have a much better offer from a different firm we would take it. Of course working conditions and prospects come into it, and our existing employer or his/her customers may be sorry or glad we have gone, but that is life.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Agents are a blight on football and should be exterminated like the parasites they are, all they care about is their cut of the deal and careth not whether the deal will benefit the player just as long as they get paid for doing sweet FA,a hard days work would probably kill some of the useless bone idle shower of ****.

 

If you were a player you might just be glad that an agent was acting on your behalf.

 

However, they clearly don't have the good of the game in their hearts nor minds..the PFA should handle deals and there should be more than one players' union.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

we also have to remember that it is Alex that is going to play for the club of HIS choice. The agent is working on HIS behalf and Alex will have signed off on where he is playing. The reality is that Bradford are going to pay more for him than we are able/prepared for. I'm disappointed that Alex hasn't shown more loyalty, but it is HIS choice and he has followed the money/bigger club and he will stand or fall by his decisions as we all do.

 

Do you think that if an agent stands to make (say) 50K from a deal with club A as opposed to 10K from a deal with club B he won't try harder when it comes to getting a deal with club A? Might even be tempted to give the player advice that's a tad biased towards club A to sway the player's decision? Of course ultimately the player makes the decision (one of the reasons we don't allow 3rd party ownership) but the agent can have a huge influence on that decision.

 

Alex jones is perfectly entitled to do what's right for him but the agent may have had a say in persuading him what is right for him

[JOHNNYAITCH]

I think Row L meant showing a bit of loyalty to us, since Jones was plucked from obscurity and given his chance in the league with us.

 

We took him on cos it was in the interests of Port Vale for us to do so..at least I hope we did it for those reasons. We should not take on players for any other reason. He gave us some good performances. He owes us nothing