It was probably very sensible for the club to get what they can for them now, baring in mind that the next opportunity to sell would be the summer where their contracts would have been half a year shorter and the sorry Reds likely to be selling as a Third Division club.We also got a very good price. If Spurs were prepared to offer £3m for Dawson, then it seems Forest got their £5m asking price for Reid. This is particularly impressive as only a year ago Tottenham were rumoured to have bid £6m for the pair, although neither club ever confirmed this. We also know that Spurs have been making various offers for the Irish winger that did not meet the club’s valuation, but the board stuck to their guns and didn’t lower the price. They also played Southampton very well, creating a great deal of publicity for the Saints’ proposal which in turn put pressure on Spurs to up their own bid.
So, considering the club’s need to sell and the limited time in which to negotiate a deal, it seems Forest have pulled off something of a coup with this deal. They were even able to reject an initial offer to get a better arrangement a few hours later. Of course, the deal will probably be full of sub-clauses and we will no doubt get the £8m in instalments rather than an upfront sum, but that’s still significantly better than having to accept tribunal-set fees for two of our academy’s best products if they left on frees.
For once fans seem to be praising the club for selling its stars – not something that happens often at any club, let alone Forest, but it is clear for most to see that this is a good deal for us. Now it will be up to the board to use this money wisely. It will fill a number of gaps in our finances; most of it seems destined to become debt-repayments. However, they are still some people who retain a faint hope that Forest can steer clear of the deadly drop and they will want to see some of the proceeds handed to Gary Megson, particularly after the players-plus-cash deal with Southampton failed to provide us with two much-needed new faces.
As for the players themselves, my initial thought is one of sympathy. It must be very traumatic to be happily preparing for a match on a Friday then making decisions that could see you relocating to London the following Monday. Of course, Reidy’s had his heart set on Spurs for as long as memory serves so it won’t have taken him too long to make up his mind. However, the first we heard linking Dawson to the Lillywhites emerged on Saturday. Sadly we must prioritise the club’s needs above the players’ and it is the lot of the professional footballer to make decisions like this at very short notice.
Secondly, I wonder where the pair will fit into Tottenham’s team. They signed a host of defenders at the start of the season and their midfield is already pretty rich in talent, so quite where and how often our boys will feature remains to be seen. That said, it does continue Tottenham’s recent efforts to develop young players (even if we had to do most of the developing for them in this case) and they obviously see a lot of potential in Reid and Dawson.
So, best wishes to the lads for the future. Although Reid made no secret of his desire to leave for a long time, he’s remained very popular with the fans and it has been a joy to watch him play over the past two years. As for Dawson, injuries may have prevented him reaching his best in this campaign, but he remains a player with great prospects. I’ve been prepared for Reid’s exit for a year, but am sad to see Dawson go as I’m a great admirer of his natural defensive qualities and attitude. But in amongst all the sad realities of Nottingham Forest at the present time, we have to accept a good bit of business when it comes our way, even if it does mean saying goodbye to two more heroes and adding them to the long list of City Ground could-have-beens.