Jermain Defoe (to Portsmouth)

[Kurtzen]

From reading some of this i can't help asking whether people overestimate JD's wherewithal. Poorly advised, very comfortable with his lifestyle, comfortable with his 'beliefs', aspirations which were more inclined to 'butterfly collecting', rode but did not extend his talent.....somewhat intoxicated by, and possibly grateful, at what life had delivered? Living purely in the moment 18 months was a lifetime away. Ostensibly a well meaning innocent?

 

[Legend10]

Sign a contract then. Prove you want to stay and fight. We're gonna disagree on this because we differ on our ratings of the player to start with. I'm not saying he kicked up a fuss, and I applaud him for not, I'm saying he handled the media very well. Emphasis on handled.

Never seemed to answer: "well, why don't you sign a contract?"

I suppose the retort to this is, well "I'm not guaranteed football" - and there we have our catch-22. No-one is guaranteed football and he stands less chance if he's not co-operating with those at the higher echelons of the club. So what to do? If he wanted to stay at Spurs, sign his contract and prove he could be a European-class striker for a team that's obviously going places then he could. He knew there was never a chance in hell we'd get Sol-ed again, so, pardon the fantastic use of English, he would get sold.

I knew this. He knew this.



What would his worth be in 18 months if he trained with the Reserves? I disagree he could have sat it out. He would have ruined his England chances, and any chance of any Top 10 club wanting him after all that time out. Him not signing a contract and not wanting to move is surely the clearest sign that he would have taken his windfall.



He had his chance to stay. Don't make it sound like we forced him out. Sign or be sold - he knew that.



No, it was more a comment on how the fans perceived him, over others - Christ even boo the manager when they took him off when he was completely ineffectual. His replacement ended up setting up both goals that we won the game with.



I agree.

My post was not to detract from his service to our club - but to point out that it's a bit over the top for our 4th choice striker. I don't dislike Defoe, but he had his choice to stay with us, I expect with a pay-rise too. [That's speculation though, so don't rip into that :lol:]

I'd also like you to explain why my first post was "ill-informed" - I don't think it is. Maybe the truth hurts, eh?

I love it the way people mark their comments as the "truth" and the "facts" when actually they are no more than opinion.

I don't agree with your implication that had Defoe not signed a new contract that he would have spent 18 months training with the reserves or being frozen out of the 1st team in any way. This makes no sense for the club to do at all, if the club took that stance they would greatly reduce their chance of making anything on Defoe either in the summer or next January, it's cutting your nose off to spite your face. The club would still have been able to sell Defoe next january maybe for even 6 or 7 million the problem is the club would probably only get half and the other half would be going to defoe by way of a loyalty payment to get him to leave, point being whilst the player is in contract there is always the possibility of making some money on him. In addition I would be very disappointed in the club if they didn't select the strongest 16 that they had available for matches.

Do you see Arsenal outcasting Flamini who has 6 months left and has so far refused to sign a new deal?

Do you see Sir Alex outcasting Wes Brown who has 6 months left and has so far refused to sign a new deal?

Do you see Downing being outcast at Boro despite having the same term left as what Defoe had?

In fact please show me 1 player who is being outcast from his clubs 1st team because he has 18 months left and hasn't signed a new deal?

I don't believe the signing of a new contract would have affected Defoe's game time either positively or negatively. Therefore I believe that Defoe could well have sat out his contract and walked away on a Bosman as Campbell did and profited handsomely in the process, but he hasn't and he has decided to move on and play football and fair play to him. He fought for his place, didn't win it and has gone, fair play all round.

I just don't understand why a player who has been a model professional during his time at the club and scored some vital and great goals for us can't move on with everybody's good wishes rather than some people taking cheap shots at him.

As for your Jol comments in the Boro game the crowds reaction towards Jol was fuck all to do with JD, it was more to do witha crowd having lost confidence with the manager. But I think that this maybe your problem with Defoe, your still mourning Jol which is fine and for some apparent reason your associating his departure with Defoe because the crowd got on his back on occasions because they wanted to see Defoe play more.

As I said in my post the deal is good all round....

For a player with 18 months wegot a good fee
Pompey got him at a great price when you see what some players are going for.
Defoe gets to play football.

Everybody's happy!

 

[General Levy]

From reading some of this i can't help asking whether people overestimate JD's wherewithal. Poorly advised, very comfortable with his lifestyle, comfortable with his 'beliefs', aspirations which were more inclined to 'butterfly collecting', rode but did not extend his talent.....somewhat intoxicated by, and possibly grateful, at what life had delivered? Living purely in the moment 18 months was a lifetime away. Ostensibly a well meaning innocent?

Would you happen to use a babelfish translator for all of your posts?

 

[Stoof]

I love it the way people mark their comments as the "truth" and the "facts" when actually they are no more than opinion.

Oh come on. We're both speculating, hence my question mark.

At what point have I begrudged people saying "cheers" - if you look I've even done it myself. Yet what I'm saying is, I think people are going waaaaaaaay over the top for what is, in essence a 3rd striker at most.

I don't agree with your implication that had Defoe not signed a new contract that he would have spent 18 months training with the reserves or being frozen out of the 1st team in any way. This makes no sense for the club to do at all, if the club took that stance they would greatly reduce their chance of making anything on Defoe either in the summer or next January, it's cutting your nose off to spite your face. The club would still have been able to sell Defoe next january maybe for even 6 or 7 million the problem is the club would probably only get half and the other half would be going to defoe by way of a loyalty payment to get him to leave, point being whilst the player is in contract there is always the possibility of making some money on him. In addition I would be very disappointed in the club if they didn't select the strongest 16 that they had available for matches.

Levy's policy was clear - I don't care what other clubs do. I'm saying at Spurs that's what I think might have happened. Either way, he certainly wouldn't get a ticket to the first team.

Do you see Sir Alex outcasting Wes Brown who has 6 months left and has so far refused to sign a new deal?

Sir Alex I will pick up on - famously outcasting Van Nistelrooy, Beckham and Stam - for disagreeing with him. Yes.

I don't believe the signing of a new contract would have affected Defoe's game time either positively or negatively. Therefore I believe that Defoe could well have sat out his contract and walked away on a Bosman as Campbell did and profited handsomely in the process, but he hasn't and he has decided to move on and play football and fair play to him. He fought for his place, didn't win it and has gone, fair play all round.

I don't think Levy would have let him. That's what I'm saying. It was sign up or be sold. Now, Jermain had the foresight not to test the third option - which surely has to be being frozen out? Surely??!?

I just don't understand why a player who has been a model professional during his time at the club and scored some vital and great goals for us can't move on with everybody's good wishes rather than some people taking cheap shots at him.

No cheap shots here - more a dimming of this "legend" status he's somehow earned.

As for your Jol comments in the Boro game the crowds reaction towards Jol was fuck all to do with JD, it was more to do witha crowd having lost confidence with the manager. But I think that this maybe your problem with Defoe, your still mourning Jol which is fine and for some apparent reason your associating his departure with Defoe because the crowd got on his back on occasions because they wanted to see Defoe play more.

Nothing to do with a Jol thing - I've gotten over the Jol stuff thank you very much :lol: - more a Robbie Keane thing. That's how I took it anyway. Whilst the crowd booed, me and my two chums belted out "Keano - there's only one Keano" out of respect for the on-coming player. Noting that Defoe had missed quite a few opportunities.

Funny how they never boo Keano coming off, and worshipped the very ground Defoe walked on.

For what? Is my question.

Look, I don't want to start a Keane vs. Defoe thing - but Keano has won. I love that and you don't.

And I bury my hatchet now, and I expect a response and you are of course correct: this is a great deal for the club and for JD.

So COYS, let's move forward and out of ShiftAndShoot's shadow. :wink:

[OK, maybe one cheap shot] :lol:

 

[Ryana]

Although Keane+Berba are my ultimate starting striker duo I'll miss Defoe for sure. He scored important and nice goals for us. I wish him good luck.

 

[Legend10]

Look, I don't want to start a Keane vs. Defoe thing - but Keano has won. I love that and you don't.



I have no problem with that and if you look through my posts you will see at the very start of this month I said it would be best all round if Defoe moved on.

Keane has more than deserved his place in the team of late and has been exceptional, I am very happy about that. I've never preferred 1 over the other in terms of ability and always wanted to see the 1 that was playing better in the side.

My issue with Keane has nothing to do with his ability, it's to do with the fact that he has no bollocks in his shorts!

 

[Dezzydez]

Defoe scored some great goals for us, appreciated his time here but glad this whole saga is over and that he took the Pompey option.

Glad he didn't try and dick us which was what I felt he was trying to do using his remaining 18 months as leverage to get more playtime thus imho get into the England squad...ironic too hes joined up with Sol...:razz:

TBH, once I read that Ramos likes players who are more settled therefore are more focused, I knew he wasn't going to go for Defoe. However talented he is, hes been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently.

I know he can do what the feck he likes in his private life but if Ramos aint down with that, he really had no chance of staying on. Anyway, good luck to him, just don't score too many against us.....

 

[coldasice199]

Im gonna miss the little guy. At one point I thought he was going to become one of the worlds best finishers. I still go by the premice that if you play him in most games he'll score goals. That was always the dillemma really wasn't it. Keane had a better all round game, Defoe a better finish. Then Keane's finishing got better and Defoe didnt have as much football eq as Keane.

He needed to leave really, and I'll give him a big clap when he comes back. I bet he bloody scores too. And he deserves it...he gave this club a great service, and we shouldn't forget. He was bought when Keane was here, to help improve the first eleven, and Keane ended up being better in the end. Still though,

Jermaine Defoe- He was a yiddo....and I'll always love the belter against Birmingham, or the shifty dribble and goal against the scum.

 

[dynamoSpurs]

Damn, its a sad day, I liked Defoe, thought he would never ever leave .

Good luck to him!

 

[peter123]

I wish him all the best, great service, some great goals and will be a star at Portsmouth.

 

[Legend10]

Nice interview with JD on SSN.

Very complimentary about Spurs and our fans and wished the club abd his former team mates all the best.

He's a decent lad and has retained his class to the end.

 

[AnotherSpursFan]

all i can say is we should've sell Berbatov instead of Defoe, but nobody want that overprice pile of mumbo

 

[Evolution]

all i can say is we should've sell Berbatov instead of Defoe, but nobody want that overprice pile of mumbo

:duh:

 

[Rocksuperstar]

all i can say is we should've sell Berbatov instead of Defoe, but nobody want that overprice pile of mumbo

yep...

yep, i think you just about summed that up with them last three words, there :up:

the rest of it, i have no idea...

 

[bomberH]

Great posts by Legend. Sorry Stoof sweetheart, siding with the Defoe fans on this one. Not that i think he's a better plater than Keano, but i just don't think he should've been sold (especially without a ready made replacement alongside Bent).

Legend'd original post pretty much sums up everything that needs to be said but just one thing that wasn't mentioned Stooooof, you keep on referring to the fact that JD supported the goons. I've seen it a few times in posts gone by and i still think it's a pile of monkey's boilox. So what if he did. Jamie O'Hara came from their academy, shall we hate him too. Bergkamp was a Spurs fan due to his love of Hod, does that mean Arsenal fans should hate or disrespect him? And it didn't stop him from spouting shit against Spurs in the media before every single North London derby. If you think JD was less enthusiastic about playing for us just because he was a gooner, you're wrong and a stupidhead (i think Homer said that originally). He's been nothing but complimentary and professional the whole time he was here. Whether he meant it or not is a different matter, the fact is he never ever critcised us publicly (yet...). And it was that attitude, despite him supporting Arsenal millions of years ago, that made him a favourite amongst fans.

Bestaluck JD.

 

[DFF]

ShiftAndShoot

I love that nickname. Succinct and accurate. Well, that and "OffsideALot".

Still, i liked him very much and am sad to see him go. I wish him luck.

 

[Mattspur]

From reading some of this i can't help asking whether people overestimate JD's wherewithal. Poorly advised, very comfortable with his lifestyle, comfortable with his 'beliefs', aspirations which were more inclined to 'butterfly collecting', rode but did not extend his talent.....somewhat intoxicated by, and possibly grateful, at what life had delivered? Living purely in the moment 18 months was a lifetime away. Ostensibly a well meaning innocent?

I was just thinking the same thing. Eek

 

[Stoof]

Stooooof, you keep on referring to the fact that JD supported the goons

Your point, bombom?

I didn't make any reference to it at all. It's just an amusing fact to add alongside "Jermain Defoe - He's/Is a yiddo". That's all. I've never said he plays worse for it, or that we should hate him for it, or that he's unprofessional about it. It's just a throwaway comment.

 

[WildCard]

Do you see Arsenal outcasting Flamini who has 6 months left and has so far refused to sign a new deal?

Do you see Sir Alex outcasting Wes Brown who has 6 months left and has so far refused to sign a new deal?

Do you see Downing being outcast at Boro despite having the same term left as what Defoe had?

Do you see valid replacements in their squads for those player, they are all currently in the first team, the reason the club found it easier to ship Defoe off is because he was on the bench most of the time. Arsenal and United have no one to replace either of those players [unless you count a lacklustre Gilberto!] In Downing's case Middlebrough hardly have strength in depth to be stopping arguably one of their more talented midfielders [over the course of the last few years] from playing.

 

[don1]

sad to see defoe with the pompey shirt but he looked happy wish him all the best with them but not against us just booked my flighf for the pompey game in march on tuesday evening and never would have thought this was on the cards hope he gets a great welcome when he returns
ramos is a top man but i think this might come back to haunt us