came damaged and very bad book. felt like an ego boosting by the author Read more

Having read an increasing number of footballing "autobiographies" from a variety of angles, it was inevitable that I'd be drawn in by The Deal. The aspect of 'agents' in football has always represented a curiosity for me - what do they do, and how do they manage to earn the money reported in the media? This was fuelled further, having read 'I Am Zlatan' and having my eyes opened to the influence and agent (Mino Raiola) can have over a player's destiny, both in a negative and yet profoundly positive way (as many seem to offer players a career trajectory, left to their own devices, many probably wouldn't have). So, as soon as I found out the book existed, I click 'buy'. Thanks to Prime, it arrived the next day. So, the first thing to understand about 'The Deal' (and perhaps, Jon Smith) is that it isn't completely about football. Mostly, but not completely. This doesn't impact the book at all, but serves to add in a bit of extra interest and context. The book itself, in my opinion, rides a rollercoaster-type quality level the whole way through - good chapters, and good paragraphs, can be flanked immediately by poor. His story of his first wife was an unexpected emotional hit, and there are certainly chapters of the book that you feel you can't stop reading. So, what stops me from providing five stars? I'll quickly cover this in no particular order. First of all, I expected a bit more 'inside content'. It felt like maybe 10% or less was actually relevant to an insight to how football transfers work. Some of that 10% came across like it wasn't from the voice of experience, such was it devoid of detail. This didn't "ruin" it for me, but take it on board if it's your sole reason for buying. Secondly, I feel like the book dealt with a bit of narcissism on Jon's behalf; at times it felt like it lost touch with whether it was about "being an agent" or celebrating Jon Smith. It certainly felt like more than a few chapters steered right away from the subject matter in order to tell you just how important and brilliant he was - which didn't feel like a necessary step. It felt, in more than a few places, like he (or the ghost writer) was blowing the Jon Smith trumpet very loudly - at which point, I wondered whether it may have been more adept to have been named "A Great Guy, by Jon Smith". These forays are easily forgiven, but it really ruined the tone of the book - which was surprising, as Harry Redknapp's book handled such a trait in a more beneficial way. Perhaps this stems from the last point, but the rhetoric in the book was, at times, very unnecessary. I felt like he was using words in order to come across as intelligent, although it felt like it acheived the complete opposite. I always believe that the hallmark of a skilled storyteller is one that can capture the imagination without the use of uncommon or perceivably unnecessarily elaborate words. This is, after all, a football book - should it not appeal to a broad range or readers? Lastly, the book didn't feel like it was carefully planned in its content. I found in a few chapters that, for example, he would start referring to 'Phil' out of nowhere, and I'd skip back and speed read the chapter I was in, only to find that the character literally appeared without content. Then, later in a chapter, it would introduce him as his brother (there were a few first name occurances of this confusing phenomenon). I also found that references or stories would repeat themselves, and you think "I'm sure I've already read about that". Overall, a very interesting read that is well worth a go. Whilst not the best footballing book I have read, nor the most modest, Jon is certainly a very interesting character that comes across as a gifted businessman who has excelled despite many personal tragedies around him. Read more

Excellent read! Good for everyone to read, you can learn a lot! Read more

It's a great book. I got it as a gift for a friend who is a huge arsenal fan and they had some sections on it. He loved it. Read more

Great Read more