Thierry Small - signed a 4 year deal with Preston (p36)

Exiled_Addick

I'm sure he'll be booed. I wouldn't personally, but it's inevitable and not entirely unjustified - we rescued him from the scrap heap, a little bit, and gave him a chance to rebuild his career so I can see why some might feel he owed us a bit of loyalty but, at the same time, the club let the door open by giving him a shortish contract and loyalty in football is pretty thin (outside of the fans) and it's hard to judge him for taking what he felt was a better opportunity.

We've seen one or two player crumble a bit when booed (I always remember Carlton Cole seeming to really struggle with the year he didn't return on loan because Chelsea reneged on the agreement), but most player either seem unaffected or even up their game. Thierry is a confident lad and I don't think it'll bother him - best case would be is it makes him try a bit too hard to make an impact and turns into the heads down ball-hogger he would occasionally play like for us.

bolloxbolder

Will be on the bench and may not get on.

I won't be booing. Vital for us last season. Like a lot of long term fans I was calling for him to start, a long time before Jones finally picked him.

SporadicAddick

As the song goes:-

“there’s only one greedy bastard”.

liked him, annoyed me at their place, happy for him to get slagged off.

Crispywood

Was at fault for their goal in a 1-0 loss at Blackburn proceeded to not even make the squad for the next 2 games wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t make the squad this weekend after the hilarious OG especially with the reception everyone knows he will get if he is involved 

mendonca

It’s 2026 and some fans still haven’t quite figured out which of their current or former players to cheer or boo, especially when it comes to how those reactions might affect a player’s motivation or confidence level!

Blucher

fenaddick said:

Blucher said:

Callumcafc said:

What kind of reception will he get from the Covered End tomorrow?

A worse one than he deserves, I expect. It just seems to be the way of the modern game. For me, he did a very good job for us and never gave less than 100%. If he hadn't performed well, the club would (quite rightly) have shown him the door, so it cuts both ways.

He did give our away fans the biggun at Deepdale though so can't complain too much if he does get booed

I was at that game and, to be fair, he was responding to stick he received throughout the game. It's all so banal - and, more importantly, often counter-productive.

North Lower Neil

Never get the hate for a player moving on at the end of a contract - we happily release players in the opposite situation.

He did well when he was here, helped get us up, and then left at the end of his contract.  Why boo him?

Not saying I'd give him a big cheer or anything, either.

Seems to be the default for a lot of ex-players nowadays though.

Crispywood

North Lower Neil said:

Never get the hate for a player moving on at the end of a contract - we happily release players in the opposite situation.

He did well when he was here, helped get us up, and then left at the end of his contract.  Why boo him?

Not saying I'd give him a big cheer or anything, either.

Seems to be the default for a lot of ex-players nowadays though.

Think it’s a bit different for Small one because we rescued his career from absolute turmoil and the fact when he did move on he’s moved to a team which was a sideways move. I think circumstances on the move have a bigger impact than a player moving in general 

North Lower Neil

Crispywood said:

North Lower Neil said:

Never get the hate for a player moving on at the end of a contract - we happily release players in the opposite situation.

He did well when he was here, helped get us up, and then left at the end of his contract.  Why boo him?

Not saying I'd give him a big cheer or anything, either.

Seems to be the default for a lot of ex-players nowadays though.

Think it’s a bit different for Small one because we rescued his career from absolute turmoil and the fact when he did move on he’s moved to a team which was a sideways move. I think circumstances on the move have a bigger impact than a player moving in general 

We signed a 19 year old from a Championship club's u21 team (ignoring the released/signinga day later technicality), he wasn't someone who hasnt had a club for 2 years or anything.  If we rated him that much we could have offered a longer contract.

But regardless, we offered him a job for 18 months, he did it well for 18 months, he left for another job, and not at Millwall or anything.  Can't see a lot wrong with that personally.

killerandflash

At Southampton,  James Bree was ridiculously booed,  so on that basis it's pretty certain that Small will get some abuse.

His move to Preston hasn't been a great success, possibly a mistake for both parties. 

cfgs

I think some of the annoyance is because in the home playoff he was immense for about an hour, he looked a Premier League player and that showed what he could be.  Then he left for Preston and did the normal press, that talked up them and made out he was unhappy with how he was used here.

ElfsborgAddick

killerandflash said:

At Southampton,  James Bree was ridiculously booed,  so on that basis it's pretty certain that Small will get some abuse.

His move to Preston hasn't been a great success, possibly a mistake for both parties. 

His bank manager will think otherwise.

fenaddick

cfgs said:

I think some of the annoyance is because in the home playoff he was immense for about an hour, he looked a Premier League player and that showed what he could be.  Then he left for Preston and did the normal press, that talked up them and made out he was unhappy with how he was used here.

To be fair he was mega hacked off when he was subbed. He came off right in front of me and couldn’t believe it. He did then lap up the reception from the Covered End but he clearly wasn’t always a happy bunny 

aliwibble

cfgs said:

I think some of the annoyance is because in the home playoff he was immense for about an hour, he looked a Premier League player and that showed what he could be.  Then he left for Preston and did the normal press, that talked up them and made out he was unhappy with how he was used here.

Also that after the Final he gave some fans the impression that there might still be a chance that he'd stay, but then said the move had been in the works since January.

Weegie Addick

Two sides to every story. Not sure we made much effort to keep him. And we’ve still not really adequately (or at least permanently) replaced. Shades of George Dobson imo. 

Stu_of_Kunming

Crispywood said:

North Lower Neil said:

Never get the hate for a player moving on at the end of a contract - we happily release players in the opposite situation.

He did well when he was here, helped get us up, and then left at the end of his contract.  Why boo him?

Not saying I'd give him a big cheer or anything, either.

Seems to be the default for a lot of ex-players nowadays though.

Think it’s a bit different for Small one because we rescued his career from absolute turmoil and the fact when he did move on he’s moved to a team which was a sideways move. I think circumstances on the move have a bigger impact than a player moving in general 

Had the move not worked out, we’d have dumped him in a heartbeat.

i also don’t think moving to an established Championship club was a sideways move when we were one of the favourites to go down this season. 

DOUCHER

We've missed his threat from the other side of the pitch to TC this year - boo him? i wasn't at preston away so don't know what happened but sounds like he was responding to some barracking so no- i'd take him back no question - neither of our current wingbacks can go past their man or scare oppositions - chambers is a defender and that's that whilst clarke - i like his attitude and effort and he has nouse and can put a ball in but he can't carry the ball or take his man on and for that reason i'm not totally convinced he is the long term solution.  - he's also prone to being targeted and taken on himself by a pacy winger. 

gmantaxi

Bet few on here was gutted not to happy clap small 

oohaahmortimer

Bloke done well and gave his all for us , unbelievably to our fucktard support he left for better wages and a cheaper cost of living up north. Make hay while the sun shines , staying loyal to Charlton on less money with bigger living costs won’t pay his bills in the future .

Crispywood

oohaahmortimer said:

Bloke done well and gave his all for us , unbelievably to our fucktard support he left for better wages and a cheaper cost of living up north. Make hay while the sun shines , staying loyal to Charlton on less money with bigger living costs won’t pay his bills in the future .

Forgive me if I’m wrong but shouldn’t cost of living crisis apply to those who struggle to survive on 20-30k wages a year not someone who makes that in 2 weeks? 

Alwaysneil

He can buy a street in preston on his wages

oohaahmortimer

Crispywood said:

oohaahmortimer said:

Bloke done well and gave his all for us , unbelievably to our fucktard support he left for better wages and a cheaper cost of living up north. Make hay while the sun shines , staying loyal to Charlton on less money with bigger living costs won’t pay his bills in the future .

Forgive me if I’m wrong but shouldn’t cost of living crisis apply to those who struggle to survive on 20-30k wages a year not someone who makes that in 2 weeks? 

His bigger earning potential , has a limited timeframe … the cost of living to other people is irrelevant to his own personal needs and his limited time frame to earn big bucks and make life easier for his family in the future .
what other people live through is not what he should be making his life  making decisions on 

paulsturgess

unbelievable giving him sh*t today. Geezer worked his balls off and was fundamental part of getting us promoted right to the death

also wasn't solely about greed, he would also have been choosing to stick about with Jones who a) is an acquired taste for many to say the least and b) didn't really rate small that highly

did Bauer get the same stick?

Crispywood

paulsturgess said:

unbelievable giving him sh*t today. Geezer worked his balls off and was fundamental part of getting us promoted right to the death

also wasn't solely about greed, he would also have been choosing to stick about with Jones who a) is an acquired taste for many to say the least and b) didn't really rate small that highly

did Bauer get the same stick?

Bauer gave us 4 years he was 27 years old just had a kid, when we got promoted in 18/19 our average wage for the champ the following year was 4k. 

Small gave us 18 months he was still only 20 at the time before us he wasnt wanted by anybody and it’s not like we’re offering out peanuts these days. 

It’s his life Small can do what he wants but that doesn’t mean he can’t get booed. Probably got less abuse than TC 

killerandflash

James Bree got booed at St Mary's, and he was a loan player that was kept by his parent club.

YTS1978

I was at Southampton and dont remember Bree getting booed at all!!!

killerandflash

YTS1978 said:

I was at Southampton and dont remember Bree getting booed at all!!!

He definitely was. I remembering commentating about it at the time, as it was so ridiculous.

Diebythesword

He found the “one greedy bastard” chant funny, his face quickly dropped when the chant of “own goal again ole ole” came out. 

oohaahmortimer

Bree’s boooooing was sooo ridiculous at Soton , he played through injury for us , NJ even said this about him not being able to take set pieces because of a groin injury … 

Weegie Addick

Met some PNE fans in the pub last night. They said he was great till Christmas but has gone a bit off the rails since. Rumour is that he now lives in Manchester and is enjoying the high life a bit. He’s still only 21 and has had quite a chequered career so far. 

PS And yes, the Preston fans were in their bowler hats