ADAM MATTHEWS

Watching Matthews start and play well for Wales is making my blood boil! How did Jones come to the conclusion to release him? What a truly idiotic decision which has cost us a great youngster and potentially millions of pounds!

Totally agree!!!

Watching Matthews start and play well for Wales is making my blood boil! How did Jones come to the conclusion to release him? What a truly idiotic decision which has cost us a great youngster and potentially millions of pounds!

Spot on Jimbo

Dave Jones had no faith in youngsters

Matthews is a brill player. Dave Jones should have given him a chance, at least replace Naylor for him. Looks like Mr Jone in Cardiff City is like Mr Jones in Animal Farm!

Watching Matthews start and play well for Wales is making my blood boil! How did Jones come to the conclusion to release him? What a truly idiotic decision which has cost us a great youngster and potentially millions of pounds!

As much as i respect Jones for the job he done, i cant help but rethink my view when I see matthews playing for wales, he almost ruined Adams career

It was this subject that turned me from a Jones supporter to the Jones out brigade. Better man management skills in an Indian sweat shop.

The Jack lad that normally plays is a much better LB, but I can easily see Matthews taking Gunters position. Never liked Gunter and I think Matthews can do a better job.

Watching Matthews start and play well for Wales is making my blood boil! How did Jones come to the conclusion to release him? What a truly idiotic decision which has cost us a great youngster and potentially millions of pounds!

Jimbo, We said at the time Jones was totally wrong, if he never liked you he would want to break you.

What also maddens me is this Is one subject we are all united on, whether you liked Jones or didn't, but no one at the club did anything to prevent it from happening! Surely when Celtic were happy to snap him up someone must have thought, we've dropped a bollock here! Matthews may not turn into the best player ever but I think he could have been decent for us and we let him go without any sort of fight

I found the whole Matthews thing baffling. I was never really on the anti Jones bandwagon but surely when a young player has a bad game or makes a mistake you attempt to nurture and coach him to come out a better player and stronger individual. Jones just went out and crucified him in the media which would probably have wrecked his confidence. God knows what went on behind the scenes but it seemed like if you got on the wrong side of Jones you never got the chance to redeem yourself but if you were a favourite you could virtually do anything you liked on and off the pitch and you would be guaranteed a spot in the team.

"Here you go Celtic, you can have him, he's SHITE!"

nice one Jonesy, you know your young players

The Matthews scenario was the last straw for me with Jones.

Jones continued to play Matthews in the right full back positiion. Matthews struggled in this position and and just could not improve on his weaknesses. One of his problems was covering the ball that went behind him in the 6 yard area. He use to just freeze and allow the striker he was marking to get behind him and end up scoring usually instead of keeping himself between the striker and ball.

He started off fantastically with a £6 million tag following soon after. Once his weaknesses were found out we started to let in goals down his side. Anderson of Forest was the first to expose that and every other team put a similar player against him when they came to play us. Suddenly Matthews was in the wilderness to only make a few appearances whee he just kept getting exposed with the own goal against Ipswich last season being the last straw with Jones.

We all know Matthews was a young talent but I personally felt he was being played out of position. He had an attacking mind and I always felt he should be a midfielder perhaps on the wing. I was amazed Jones continued to play him at right back, perhaps Jones just felt Matthews speed was needed in that position. No good having the tool if you can't use it properly for the job.

It was an issue that the club was struggling to resolve. A bit like a worker at work who could not perform. So what does a manager do. Move the worker to another position and see how it works out? A few things a manager can do but there does come a time enough is enough and the worker has to go. When it comes to that time there is a way of doing it regardless if you like the individual or not. One way you don't go about it is by going public and that is were Jones failed big time. No he did not say he was getting rid of Matthews but he may as well done.

I wonder if Jones would have like it if the Malaysians came out publicly saying if he does not get promotion he is on his way. Perhaps that is why they allowed his contract to carry on rolling. They showed faith in him by allowing this which is the right way to go about it. When the going got touchy did the Malaysians go public and say if Jones does not win the next 2 games he is on his way. No they did not although we all knew it was that close. Shame Jones could not apply the same professional attributes to his players to what the Malaysians showed to him.

DJ didn't release him he signed a pre contract with the hoops and moved their 6 months later for free. There's a difference. It was Riddlers fault he wasn't signed to a proper contract when he came on the scene.

DJ didn't release him he signed a pre contract with the hoops and moved their 6 months later for free. There's a difference. It was Riddlers fault he wasn't signed to a proper contract when he came on the scene.

Risdale had left the club long before Matthews signed for Celtic. Not everything is his fault. In this instance the fault lies squarely with Jones who treated Matthews appallingly! In the summer I was at the vale and Matthews was there getting his stuff before leaving for Celtic. I had the opportunity to speak to him and he was gutted to be leaving.

DJ didn't release him he signed a pre contract with the hoops and moved their 6 months later for free. There's a difference. It was Riddlers fault he wasn't signed to a proper contract when he came on the scene.

Risdale had left the club long before Matthews signed for Celtic. Not everything is his fault. In this instance the fault lies squarely with Jones who treated Matthews appallingly! In the summer I was at the vale and Matthews was there getting his stuff before leaving for Celtic. I had the opportunity to speak to him and he was gutted to be leaving.

Ridsdale was in charge when Matthews got into the team and should have sorted his contract out when he became a first team player. Matthews showed great promise and that alerted big clubs to him with Ridsdale's urging. This affected Adam greatly and his form deteriorated masssively which is why he was dropped. His sale was the injection of cash that Ridsdale talked about that didn't materialise and hence the golden ticket scam that followed. You are right DJ didn't handle the situation well and could have been a bit more understanding to a young inexperienced player but the contract stuff was firmly Ridsdale's fault and once Adam Matthews realised we were trying to get shot of him why wouldn't he refuse to sign and wait to become a free transfer when his wages and bonus would be greater than if Celtic paid a fee.

DJ didn't release him he signed a pre contract with the hoops and moved their 6 months later for free. There's a difference. It was Riddlers fault he wasn't signed to a proper contract when he came on the scene.

Risdale had left the club long before Matthews signed for Celtic. Not everything is his fault. In this instance the fault lies squarely with Jones who treated Matthews appallingly! In the summer I was at the vale and Matthews was there getting his stuff before leaving for Celtic. I had the opportunity to speak to him and he was gutted to be leaving.

Ridsdale was in charge when Matthews got into the team and should have sorted his contract out when he became a first team player. Matthews showed great promise and that alerted big clubs to him with Ridsdale's urging. This affected Adam greatly and his form deteriorated masssively which is why he was dropped. His sale was the injection of cash that Ridsdale talked about that didn't materialise and hence the golden ticket scam that followed. You are right DJ didn't handle the situation well and could have been a bit more understanding to a young inexperienced player but the contract stuff was firmly Ridsdale's fault and once Adam Matthews realised we were trying to get shot of him why wouldn't he refuse to sign and wait to become a free transfer when his wages and bonus would be greater than if Celtic paid a fee.

Risdale had very very little to do with this! Not everything is his fault at this club! He was long shot by the time Matthews left! By that time Jones could have easily given him a new contract but instead he bombed him out and slagged him off to the media without making ANY realistic attempt to stop him leaving! Jones constantly belittled Matthews on the training ground and hardly spoke to him in the end!

There were agents working in the background getting players to run their contracts down.
It started with Ledley then moved on to J and Matthews.
To be fair VT & TG wised up to this[with Malky's help] and down the same thing to the likes of Watford and Coventry.
Running down contracts is now part of modern football.

Watching Matthews start and play well for Wales is making my blood boil! How did Jones come to the conclusion to release him? What a truly idiotic decision which has cost us a great youngster and potentially millions of pounds!

I said exactly the same watching game yesterday. Shocking decision by club.