Planet Swans ArchivesLess than a week after being taken off the transfer list, Jason Smith is leaving Swansea and heading for the Madjeski Stadium in a move that will see Nathan Tyson’s loan spell here a permanent one.
£255,000 will also change hands as part of this deal which will disappoint Swansea fans on one hand although sections of the Swansea support do seem to have taken to Tyson. From my point of view, Tyson is not the finished article – far from it but with work and regular first team football which we can offer him, he does look as if he could prove to be a valuable addition to the squad.
At present, as I mentioned in the Torquay Match Report, Tyson seems to try and take on one person too many and frequently will get caught in possession from doing this. But he worries defenders as he is prepared to run at them and this is something that will always prove valuable.
Smith, on the other hand who is heading in the opposite direction is arguably the best defender we have at the club. The defence has looked tighter since he returned from injury and he will do well at Reading, I’m sure of that. Addison has made moves to add to his defensive options in recent weeks and I’m convinced that in Neil Sharp and Terry Evans he has two players who will provide us with extra cover.
With Chris Todd and Kristian O’Leary also able to come into the side, we seem to have a nice squad of players to cover the defensive line, whether he persists with the wing back formation or reverts to the more orthadox flat back four that we have played with for years.
Whichever way it works out you have to give credit to Colin Addison for working with what he has available and making moves in the transfer market which is something that many criticised John Hollins for. The loss of Jason Smith is a blow but money coming into the club and a new player to boot as well is the plus point.
Only time will tell on whether we are better off with this exchange of players or not but after yesterday’s win and hopefully the beginning of the end of Petty coming on Tuesday, maybe the future is just looking that little bit brighter after all?
The corner is far from turned but we’re getting there…..
Meanwhile, Addison will take his squad away for a few days starting tomorrow as part of a team building exercise for a squad that is starting to believe they may have a chance of reaching the play-offs.
The team will spend the next two and a half days at the Vale Of Glamorgan complex at Llantrisant. Tomorrow morning will be golfing, followed by afternoon training and then an evening at the Sports Cafe in Cardiff. Tuesday will be the same itinerary but with the times of the golf and training reversed and Wednesday will be training in the morning before they all head back to their respective homes.
The cost of the team building exercise is £2650. The Vale of Glamorgan complex is the one used by the Welsh football squad before internationals and also the one that the teams have been staying in before Cup Finals in Cardiff.
