Tam Rogic

1. Steve Bruce said that they went in for Rogic earlier in the summer but missed out to another club and that he was suprised to learn that move didn't happen but didn't like to ask Tom about the reason.

That to me doesn't suggest Tom being picky. It suggests that one of the parties pulled out of the deal and for some reason Tom's agent didn't then go back to the other interested parties and let them know his player was still available.

Yes I am speculating on available information, just as you are by assuming Tom was just being picky. He left Celtic, pulled out of the Oz squad and the club he had lined up also fell through for reasons we don't know all around the same time.

2. Again by assuming he needed a break from the rigors of high level football is you speculating as you accuse me of. The reasons for him needing a break, the personal reasons and lack of motivation he sited all may have nothing to do with football but outside factors. There are things in life other than football. We don't know. Arnold did not have to publicaly pile pressure on Tom or encourage speculate about his personal life in the press. No one needed to know about him not answering phone calls or welfare checks being made by the Players Union. That was unprofessional, cruel and petty on Arnolds part. If I was Tom I would never trust him again and how do you play for a coach you don't trust?

3. All the more reason why staying and being coached by him consistently is important. Not going to the World Cup is most likely from a football perspective, what is best for Tom. Whether it's what is best for the Socceroos remains to be seen.

 

Amen..

 

Ok, out of everything you’ve written, this is the crux of it all. Tom made choices, if he has regrets, then his choices were the reason he missed out. If he has no regrets, then he made the right choices.

 

Think it was a bad move for him all round. The Championship is a tough league, and as talented as Rogic is, his skillset doesn’t lend itself to that style or league at all.

 

Shouldve stayed. He got to a new level here.

 

It doesn’t lend itself to our league either tbh but it worked for him. The thing he done wrong was not making a decision early, a good pre-season defines a good Rogic season.

 

Done wrong for his professional life maybe (too early to say really) but as Ange said his decision to leave was about his personal life and his family, if it's improvesd that part of his life then it was the right decision for him. Not everything in life is about work.

 

I would have bought the personal life decision if he'd moved back to Australia, but not really given that he moved to England. If another deal fell through that sort of makes sense though. WBA seemed to be an odd choice at the time and can't help but think it's a decision he'll live to regret.

 

Think the truth lies somewhere in the middle tbh. I don't doubt there were personal reasons involved and even if there were offers put to him earlier that he wasn't ready to commit to, and by the time he felt he was in a place to sign on somewhere the options were limited, because those clubs had moved on.

So even though he was a free agent, clubs had started the seaosn and the window was just freshly closed so the only clubs that would've been looking at bringing in a free so soon after the window closed were clubs that were struggling right out of the gate and looking for a Hail Mary, which summed Steve Bruce & WBA perfectly. But I agree, think making that choice is one TR will look back on and regret.

 

Maybe the personal life aspect Ange was talking about was simply getting his young family out of the Glasgow fish bowl and into a quieter less pressured life in the country side. 10 years in that fish bowl is a lot, many players with closer personal ties to Glasgow and Celtic never lasted under the pressure as long as Tom did.

I would agree with your last point if Bruce was still in charge. But Corberan looks to be a very decent coach and a bit Ange like in his tactics and training (might be a shout for Celtic once Ange moves on actually) He will do what Ange did last season and push Tom, not accepting less than his best. Even if he doesn't become a regular starter there, that training environment will be good for him and keep him fit ready for his next move.

 

I expected him to go closer to Oz too but I guess thats probably the "personal" bit about the decision though. We don't really know his circumstances, or what he actually based the decision on, just some rumours that appear to people guessing really.

 

The problem with how the move works out is where WBA are currently and the nature of their deal. He signed a 1+1 deal, presumbly the +1 being contingent upon their promotion. They're now in a relegation battle so it looks set he'll leave at the end of the season. On top of that, he's barely had any game time since he got there. Think on his first start he was subbed off before 60 minutes, so his fitness is not there and he's not getting the game time to build it. Hope it works out for him but far from a dream start to his post-Celtic career.

 

I don't think anyone would argue it's gone brilliantly so far but he is in a better situation than he was when he signed.

No footballer would have been fit to start Toms first game in those circumstances, he had only 3 weeks training after no preseason and was started as a deep defensive midfielder, it's a miracle he lasted 50+ minutes. That tells you all you need to know about how clueless Steve Bruce is. One of the West Brom players was asked about changes at the club since Bruce left and he replied "we are being coached" if the players who had preseasons under Bruce were unfit can you imagine the ones like Tom who didn't?

Corberan is as different from Steve Bruce as you can get and he will get Tam fit, minutes will come and tbh I don't think they will be in a relegation battle for long, Corberan is good and tactically very sound (I hope Celtic are keeping an eye on him because Ange won't be here forever and he should be on our list of future candidates) just unfortunate they took so long to fire Bruce, if Corberan had arrived a couple of weeks earlier the promotion zone would have been achieveable. As it is I think they will easily finish well above relegation but outside of play offs.

 

Tom Rogic has just scored an absolute beauty for West Brom away to Sunderland. First goal for the club.

 

Great finish by Big Tam.

 

And he's just played another big role in the second goal. West Brom 2-1 up - Rogic the difference.

 

Beggars belief that he is playing for a rubbish championship side..Deserved way better ...

 

Come home Tam, we love you.