The Matt Targett Thread

[The Fear]

Things are so binary these days. Players have off days, they aren't always on form, they carry injuries we don't always know about, but not that many are bottlers. Some don't give a damn, or loose their hunger, (some are only in it as a job) but bottlers is a pretty strong 'accusation' really. Bit too dramatic for me.

 

[Silhillvilla]

Is he not a bottle job also for not staying and fighting Digne for his place ??something about his mentality suggests he doesn't like a fight. By definition that's a bit of a bottler

 

[Fulford]

He seemed to play better when crowds were banned during lockdown. Maybe he has confidence issues.

 

[mike_field]

Is he not a bottle job also for not staying and fighting Digne for his place ??something about his mentality suggests he doesn't like a fight. By definition that's a bit of a bottler

And if he was told to find another club and Villa were happy to instantly include a buy clause that actually causes us a loss on our outlay - doesn't it suggest he's not a bottle job and Gerrard simply said fuck off and fuck off quickly?

And as for no fans, he had no issues at other clubs - couldn't it just be like the vast majority of players in the history of football - he was better settled in the second year and performed better?

 

[Fulford]

And if he was told to find another club and Villa were happy to instantly include a buy clause that actually causes us a loss on our outlay - doesn't it suggest he's not a bottle job and Gerrard simply said fuck off and fuck off quickly?

And as for no fans, he had no issues at other clubs - couldn't it just be like the vast majority of players in the history of football - he was better settled in the second year and performed better?

It could be mate, but he does come across to me as a nervous type of person. I may be wrong but I just get that impression.

 

[mike_field]

Genuinely mate, his mentality was never questioned until he got here. I was delighted with the signing as I subbed on our Southampton site and he was one of the youngsters I had my eye on after Shaw, and JWP in particular. We should've used him better in terms of his set piece accuracy and that was a DS failing in my humble.

But he's quiet, he's not a billy big bollocks and he can't even shout 'I'm an international'. Gerrard is used to mouths, Targett wasn't in the way Digne is and whilst I think Digne is the better player slightly, the speed of his arrival and Targett's departure - he was told to leave.

He's not nervous with some of the tackles we saw, but like you, I can't prove that either lol It just seems far more likely, especially when you factor in Targett clearly had a bond with Smith as somebody above referenced (I can't remember who - apologies) on pure face value my scenario is far more likely given Gerrard himself then talked about Chrisene as a potential replacement (ignoring Young) and despite appearing on the bench a few times (even though we signed him as a centre half and sometime midfielder from memory) never played.

The educated guess is Gerrard wanted rid of Targett.

 

[CDX_EIRE]

Genuinely mate, his mentality was never questioned until he got here. I was delighted with the signing as I subbed on our Southampton site and he was one of the youngsters I had my eye on after Shaw, and JWP in particular. We should've used him better in terms of his set piece accuracy and that was a DS failing in my humble.

But he's quiet, he's not a billy big bollocks and he can't even shout 'I'm an international'. Gerrard is used to mouths, Targett wasn't in the way Digne is and whilst I think Digne is the better player slightly, the speed of his arrival and Targett's departure - he was told to leave.

He's not nervous with some of the tackles we saw, but like you, I can't prove that either lol It just seems far more likely, especially when you factor in Targett clearly had a bond with Smith as somebody above referenced (I can't remember who - apologies) on pure face value my scenario is far more likely given Gerrard himself then talked about Chrisene as a potential replacement (ignoring Young) and despite appearing on the bench a few times (even though we signed him as a centre half and sometime midfielder from memory) never played.

The educated guess is Gerrard wanted rid of Targett.

I definitely think something went on behind the scenes, the way he talked and how quickly everything flipped on his socials gave me that impression too. He said enough times "everyone knows what I want (to make the transfer permanent)". It may not have been anything bad, it could simply have been a "nothing personal Matt I just don't think you fit what I want to do".

In many respects that would negate my opinion which is that he rolled over and let Digne take his place. Tbf to Targett sometimes a manager will dump you no matter what you do like Houllier did to Warnock or Moyes to Zaha.

The Geordies are delighted, I think its pretty clear one manager is flexible and the other isn't. I doubt most other managers replace Targett and at the time the majority of us didn't see it as a priority. These Liverpool products can't seem to manage without having players with certain characteristics and traits. I'll certainly be watching closely what Howe does and what he does with Targett. What I've seen online is that they're using Targett a lot like how we used him with Jack.

 

[VillaTomB38]

He seemed to play better when crowds were banned during lockdown. Maybe he has confidence issues.

Yes, player of the season when we weren’t there. First game back with a full crowd away to Watford subbed off at half time as he got terrorised. He was woeful that day.

 

[Leftsideoftheholte]

He seemed to play better when crowds were banned during lockdown. Maybe he has confidence issues.

Are you surprised players might have confidence issues when "supporters" on match days and on forums/social media are so quick to criticise?

 

[Villan57]

The educated guess is Gerrard wanted rid of Targett.

I don't think so he saw the chance to improve the left-back and took it, a few games later and we'd have missed out on Digne because Frank came in at Everton. SG would have expected Targett to be a backup and Targett wanted out.
Simple as that , he'd still be here now and he'd have played some games when Digne was injured and who now may have even kept his place but he decided to take the filthy Saudi money

 

[Platypus]

Yes, player of the season when we weren’t there. First game back with a full crowd away to Watford subbed off at half time as he got terrorised. He was woeful that day.

He was completely unfit that day. It was a terrible decision by Smith to play him.

 

[Melon Donkey]

He was completely unfit that day. It was a terrible decision by Smith to play him.

Yup. I was there and Targett was totally not fit

 

[sirdennis]

Yup. I was there and Targett was totally not fit

He was unfit , but you being there was totally the reason we lost.

 

[Pangloss]

In retrospect he was a pretty good signing for where we were at and did a more than adequate job. We're now moving on and that means there's no place for him. The same fate likely eventually applies to many of the players we signed under Smith.

 

[garygaryshaw]

He seemed to play better when crowds were banned during lockdown. Maybe he has confidence issues.

I've never agreed with that theory. I don't think any top flight player would make it as far as they have if they cant play in front of crowds. A lot of his good form was down to playing behind Grealish that season, he was taking two or three players with him and creating acres of room for targett. he wasnt a terrible player, but we have certainly upgraded with Digne

 

[Melon Donkey]

He was unfit , but you being there was totally the reason we lost.

I'll tee them up .

 

[Nerrad Villa]

truth be told we got lucky getting that much he went missing in games some of his marking was woeful is crossing hit and miss and pulled out of any 50 50 tackles go and get Aaron Hickey now b4 bloody Newcastle nick him

 

[overlookedvillan]

truth be told we got lucky getting that much he went missing in games some of his marking was woeful is crossing hit and miss and pulled out of any 50 50 tackles go and get Aaron Hickey now b4 bloody Newcastle nick him

Not sure were the pulling out of 50/50s thing has come from. The is the opposite of what I saw in the last few years.

He is a limited player though so a decent fee considering. Not too fussed about the lack of profit given his service. We have better now and can move on.

 

[CDX_EIRE]

I've never agreed with that theory. I don't think any top flight player would make it as far as they have if they cant play in front of crowds. A lot of his good form was down to playing behind Grealish that season, he was taking two or three players with him and creating acres of room for targett. he wasnt a terrible player, but we have certainly upgraded with Digne

Spot on, the first season everyone was shite and Deano was learning the league. The second season we dramatically improved we had a half-decent CF so we weren't playing with 10 men like the year before and defensively everyone played out of their skins. Jack had a true breakout season and we sold him for a massive fee.

Targett is fine, he is bog average in a bog average team and fairly decent when you give him the conditions to succeed. Newcastle seem to have a similar setup, a dangerous player on the left who doesnt defend so Targett can do good work defensively and add to play when he has space. He is firmly below European standards, top half is the best he'll manage.

 

[Silhillvilla]

Yes, player of the season when we weren’t there. First game back with a full crowd away to Watford subbed off at half time as he got terrorised. He was woeful that day.

God yeah don't remind me of that day. Just shaken off delta my first day out in 2 weeks and I'm served up that shite.