Swift to... Southampton

[Hendo]

Fair price I reckon - plays well one game in 5 and has hamstring issues

That's simply not an accurate description of Swift this season.

He's been consistently good and even since the restart he's just been a bit disappointing, and that's 3 games.

It is a fair price as there is no money in the game at all; where have you been since March?

The days of championship players going for silly money are over.

Maybe Championship to Championship or Championship to newly promoted team, but to a team with a chance of finishing in European places and a very good chance of finishing in the top half of the Prem, there is still plenty of money left.

[andrew1957]

Fair price I reckon - plays well one game in 5 and has hamstring issues

That's simply not an accurate description of Swift this season.

He's been consistently good and even since the restart he's just been a bit disappointing, and that's 3 games.

It is a fair price as there is no money in the game at all; where have you been since March?

The days of championship players going for silly money are over.

PL clubs are not nearly as badly affected as EFL clubs as gate receipts form such a small part of their income. The TV deals are largely intact as the season will finally conclude and so they will still have money to invest. It might stop stupid 40M+ purchases of overrated overseas players but I am sure that many PL clubs will be able to afford to scrape together 10M for a home grown talent.

The advantage to a newly promoted team such as Leeds (assuming they don't mess it up again) buying say Swift is that if they do go down after a season or two they have a player who has already proved himself at Championship level. Lets hope for a bidding war.

[Millsy]

As one of our better players and a player who has been here a while I expect slightly more from him. I want to see him take games by the scruff of the neck and get his teammates going, he just seems to go missing when the chips are down.

Interesting point I've always wondered about this. If players around you aren't making the runs or showing effort and are being beaten by the opposition to the balls and not running to make themselves available to you I guess there's not an awful lot you can do. He's not a shouty sort of player but quite reserved it looks like, so it's not like he can go round and instill a bit of passion in the lads like Parky might have done. I just don't think he's that sort of player. Coming to think of it, I'm not sure who is. Meite shows the most passion as far as I'm concerned but it's only internal, he doesn't force it on others. Perhaps that's why Adam was brought in as the older wiser head I don't know. Is it perhap then Moore's 'fault' for not motivating his team? You can see him clearly trying.

[Snowflake Royal]

Fair price I reckon - plays well one game in 5 and has hamstring issues

That's simply not an accurate description of Swift this season.

He's been consistently good and even since the restart he's just been a bit disappointing, and that's 3 games.

It is a fair price as there is no money in the game at all; where have you been since March?

The days of championship players going for silly money are over.

I'm not talking g about the money. 1 good game in 5 for probably our PotS!?

[Snowflake Royal]

That's simply not an accurate description of Swift this season.

He's been consistently good and even since the restart he's just been a bit disappointing, and that's 3 games.

It is a fair price as there is no money in the game at all; where have you been since March?

The days of championship players going for silly money are over.

Don't try getting into a Swift debate with Ian. John Swift could literally take a shit through Ian's letterbox and he still wouldn't say a word against him.

This is hilarious given 12 months ago people were saying the exact opposite.

I genuinely have no idea how you manage to be wrong by so much so often.

[WestYorksRoyal]

As one of our better players and a player who has been here a while I expect slightly more from him. I want to see him take games by the scruff of the neck and get his teammates going, he just seems to go missing when the chips are down.

Interesting point I've always wondered about this. If players around you aren't making the runs or showing effort and are being beaten by the opposition to the balls and not running to make themselves available to you I guess there's not an awful lot you can do. He's not a shouty sort of player but quite reserved it looks like, so it's not like he can go round and instill a bit of passion in the lads like Parky might have done. I just don't think he's that sort of player. Coming to think of it, I'm not sure who is. Meite shows the most passion as far as I'm concerned but it's only internal, he doesn't force it on others. Perhaps that's why Adam was brought in as the older wiser head I don't know. Is it perhap then Moore's 'fault' for not motivating his team? You can see him clearly trying.

It's been a common theme for a few seasons that, when Swift plays well, Reading play well. I'm not sure if this is a compliment. I can't remember a game we've been up against it where he has helped turn the game and stood out above the rest.

I feel like we need stability on the coaching side, but on the playing side we really need fresh impetus in our squad. We've underachieved for 3 years, and the likes of Swift and Moore have been big players the whole time. I'm happy to see them go for reasonable offers.

[Zip]

Plenty of money in top flight football. An offer of £3.5 million for a top end, youngish Championship player is derisory.

[morganb]

Do we think Swift would simply jump at the first chance to play in the Prem or do you think he'd hold out for specific teams to come in for him? Would he really relish playing for Sheff Utd or Leeds when another team's style might suit him better or offer better opportunities?

[Zip]

Do we think Swift would simply jump at the first chance to play in the Prem or do you think he'd hold out for specific teams to come in for him? Would he really relish playing for Sheff Utd or Leeds when another team's style might suit him better or offer better opportunities?

The lure of top flight football is likely to be enough for him. Can’t see there being that many suitors.

[tidus_mi2]

Do we think Swift would simply jump at the first chance to play in the Prem or do you think he'd hold out for specific teams to come in for him? Would he really relish playing for Sheff Utd or Leeds when another team's style might suit him better or offer better opportunities?

Significant jump in wages, better quality team mates, bigger stage to showcase your ability. Frankly, there isn't any real reason for him to stay with us if a Premier League comes in for him.

[Zip]

Who is actually dealing with transfer incomings and outgoings at the club these days?

[South Coast Royal]

Romaine Sawyers cost £2.9 million when moving from Brentford to West Brom having been the playmaker there.
I would expect Swift to cost something similar (about the same level of player) although a bit younger and there could be the premium for a Prem signing so perhaps a bit more than the supposed Sheff Utd bid.

Now what the club should do is another matter.

Would Ejaria and Swift be good enough to play for us in the Premier League?
That's a Yes from me.

Would Moore be good enough to play for us in the Premier League?
That's a No from me?

Do we currently have anybody else currently good enough to play in the Premier League?
That's a No from me with the caveat that the keeper might be good enough and in time, with some significant improvement, possibly Olise.

So what are the club's medium and longer term ambitions?
The answer to that will dictate what we do over selling and buying.

Personally I would like us to keep the 3 midfielders but it may need a better coach than Bowen to find a way of getting the best out of them
A good coach like Chris Wilder may well get more out of Swift just as he has done with Norwood when coaches at Reading, Brighton and Fulham couldn't.

Back to Swift, he is not an unknown who has come up through non-league-he was well thought of at Chelsea and played well for Brentford so coaches and clubs that keep an eye on players in all divisions will be fully aware of his capabilities.
If Sheff Utd are not to be his next club it could well be one of the promoted, one of the Prem relegated or a Burnley, Palace or Brighton that might come calling and a bit of competition could force the price up a bit.

[Crowbar6753]

Things need to change, we need some young hungry players up for a challenge. I really would not be oposed to a total change in direction as now seems as good a time as any (Post COVID) to change it up.
Let Swift go for anything north of 5 million plus add ons, and get a big wage off the books!! Get that young lad in from Shrewsbury on a free, and we still have Ejaria, Olise, Holsgrove, Rhino and that Never's lad from the U23s, i'm happy with that.

I would also let Puscas go for anything north of 5 mill as well as Moore for around the same price. Thats some good money in and a huge chunk off the wage bill, not forgetting let everyone on the books whos out of contract leave as well (Popa, Gunter, McLeary, Adam, Blackett,) and release Barrow and Aluko somewhere lol....

Yes, the squad will look different, but hopefully the cull will weed out the cancer thats stopping us move forward and with a few additional young hungry signings we could hold our own and start building for the future without a huge financial weight hanging around our necks and maybe go back to the so called "Reading Way" which served us well over the years.

[6ft Kerplunk]

He’d struggle at a Leeds where they need greyhounds in midfield

Yeah, Leeds play a very physically demanding style of football especially for their midfield. Not sure that that would suit Swift.

[leon]

He’d struggle at a Leeds where they need greyhounds in midfield

Yeah, Leeds play a very physically demanding style of football especially for their midfield. Not sure that that would suit Swift.

It would break him.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Romaine Sawyers cost £2.9 million when moving from Brentford to West Brom having been the playmaker there.
I would expect Swift to cost something similar (about the same level of player) although a bit younger and there could be the premium for a Prem signing so perhaps a bit more than the supposed Sheff Utd bid.

Now what the club should do is another matter.

Would Ejaria and Swift be good enough to play for us in the Premier League?
That's a Yes from me.

Would Moore be good enough to play for us in the Premier League?
That's a No from me?

Do we currently have anybody else currently good enough to play in the Premier League?
That's a No from me with the caveat that the keeper might be good enough and in time, with some significant improvement, possibly Olise.

So what are the club's medium and longer term ambitions?
The answer to that will dictate what we do over selling and buying.

Personally I would like us to keep the 3 midfielders but it may need a better coach than Bowen to find a way of getting the best out of them
A good coach like Chris Wilder may well get more out of Swift just as he has done with Norwood when coaches at Reading, Brighton and Fulham couldn't.

Back to Swift, he is not an unknown who has come up through non-league-he was well thought of at Chelsea and played well for Brentford so coaches and clubs that keep an eye on players in all divisions will be fully aware of his capabilities.
If Sheff Utd are not to be his next club it could well be one of the promoted, one of the Prem relegated or a Burnley, Palace or Brighton that might come calling and a bit of competition could force the price up a bit.

Sawyers was in the last year of his contract.

[KC Royal]

If we could get a decent fee for him, then I wouldn't be against him moving on. Ejaria is a skilful playmaker so I don't think we would miss him too much.

I would prefer we sold Swift rather than Moore.

+1
If we sold Moore he would need to be replaced when Miazga and Blackett are likely to go. Morrison, McIntyre and Osho (assuming he's part of the plans next season) wouldn't be enough depth imo. Whereas if Swift was sold I think we've got enough options in centre midfield to cope, especially if we see Holsgrove being in the squad next season as well.

Pre pandemic would have been gutted to lose him, but expecting us to have to sell someone now and don't see him signing another contract with us unless we go up next year, so it makes sense to sell if the right bid came in.

[SCIAG]

I don’t think either of the touted moves would be good for him and the fees being talked about are derisory.

Swift is three times the player that Sawyers is - literally. In 126 matches for Brentford Sawyers scored six goals. In 127 games for us Swift has scored 18 goals. In 27 games for Brentford Swift scored 7 goals. You couldn’t get a better illustration of the gulf in quality between them. Sawyers is an Ejaria level player.

So if Sawyers and Ejaria are worth ~£3m then we should be asking for ~£9m for Swift.

[Notts Royal]

I don’t think either of the touted moves would be good for him and the fees being talked about are derisory.

Swift is three times the player that Sawyers is - literally. In 126 matches for Brentford Sawyers scored six goals. In 127 games for us Swift has scored 18 goals. In 27 games for Brentford Swift scored 7 goals. You couldn’t get a better illustration of the gulf in quality between them. Sawyers is an Ejaria level player.

So if Sawyers and Ejaria are worth ~£3m then we should be asking for ~£9m for Swift.

If Swift was worth £9m pre-Covid, he’s worth £6m now I reckon. Still a lot more than the £3.5m but I reckon £5m would do it

[Snowflake Royal]

I don’t think either of the touted moves would be good for him and the fees being talked about are derisory.

Swift is three times the player that Sawyers is - literally. In 126 matches for Brentford Sawyers scored six goals. In 127 games for us Swift has scored 18 goals. In 27 games for Brentford Swift scored 7 goals. You couldn’t get a better illustration of the gulf in quality between them. Sawyers is an Ejaria level player.

So if Sawyers and Ejaria are worth ~£3m then we should be asking for ~£9m for Swift.

If Swift was worth £9m pre-Covid, he’s worth £6m now I reckon. Still a lot more than the £3.5m but I reckon £5m would do it

Yeah, hope for £9m but £5m would be ok.

He's got an injury history afterall.