Matt Tubbs |
Crawley Town have signed striker
Matt Tubbs, on a one-month loan from Bournemouth. Goals have been a problem for
the midtable side, who have scored twenty-five times this season – only four
teams in League One have scored less.
They have a very obvious problem
in terms of strikers. Last season’s loanees, Paul Hayes and Aiden O’Brien,
returned to their parent clubs, Emile Sinclair’s form has been unspectacular
since he joined from Peterborough, while Billy Clarke does not tend to play as
an advanced forward. The team needed a boost of firepower up front.
However, the signing of Tubbs
came in rather unorthodox circumstances. Chairman Dave Pottinger made the
unusual move to ask Crawley Town fans who they would like the club to bring in,
via his personal Twitter account. Matt Tubbs, who had enjoyed a two year stint
with the Red Devils, was the name which kept surfacing. He was the man they
signed.
Dave Pottinger |
Pottinger has said: “I was
absolutely delighted to help give the fans what they wanted – although I must stress this is a football decision made by John Gregory and his management
team.”
29-year-old Tubbs featured
seventy-eight times for Crawley initially, scoring fifty-eight goals. This is made
particularly impressive by the fact that most of these appearances were as a
substitute - he had been dubbed ‘Super-sub
Tubbs’ by a newspaper. While Tubbs’ finishing ability in the box could be
useful, it remains to be seen whether he will have the work rate to lead the
line up front for ninety minutes.
It is understandable that some
will appreciate the connection Pottinger is trying to make with the fans, who
are the backbone of any club in the lower leagues. Supporters put their time
and money into following their club and deserve to feel valued - we do not see
enough of that in modern football.
Yet it is a step too far to let
them get involved with footballing matters. A chairman asking fans for
inspiration on who they should sign implies a lack of knowledge, trust and
professionalism within the club. If a chairman believes that supporters will
have a better idea of who Crawley should be signing than the manager, then it
does not necessarily breed confidence. Fans might fondly remember certain
players who were good for the team in the past, and have since left, but that
is the only thing they will contribute. They will not be able to look at the
wider picture.
John Gregory |
Indeed, in Tubbs’ case, he has
only scored a total of eight goals since he left for Bournemouth exactly two
years ago. Crawley fans are unlikely to consider that. They will remember the
man who scored forty goals in one season which got them promotion to League
Two. To sign him, partly to curry favour from the fans, seems a little bit
craven from Pottinger. Surely a qualified manager, who has a career in football
spanning over forty-years, with a wealth of experience, contacts and tactical
knowledge, will have a better idea of what is best for the club than a group of
fans?
John Gregory is the manager of
Crawley Town Football Club, and should have been trusted entirely with regard
to transfer targets.
It's only a month's loan; if it doesnt work out he can be sent straight back. Quite a nice idea tbf.
ReplyDelete