Alan Smith

[Newcastle Fan]

Jesus wept Keegan is dumber than i thought..

[junkhead]

it feels like i'm going mad.. everybody keeps saying how Smith works his socks off, how important he is to the team.. while it's clear to me and most people on here, that not only he doesn't contribute anything, but he's a liability in attack, midfield and defense and his mistakes have directly cost us points on few occasions..

it pisses me off how media would never pick up on him, because he's a proper lad and at the same time Cacapa is being slagged off as the next Titus Bramble, because of one game, while this blond fag has played ONE decent game all season.

so what's the criteria?

in the away game vs Stoke, for example, i counted the successful passes Smith made - four short passes for the whole game, one successful tackle and everything else was gifting the ball to the opponent and needless faults.. what kind of a contribution is that.. i'm sure if i pick a random CM from the 2nd division he'd perform better than Smith.

so what the fuck is it? am i blind.. are we all deluded?

 

[Guest alex]

Smith was terrible against Villa like. He didn't have the excuse of being played out of position either.

[biggs]

it feels like i'm going mad.. everybody keeps saying how Smith works his socks off, how important he is to the team.. while it's clear to me and most people on here, that not only he doesn't contribute anything, but he's a liability in attack, midfield and defense and his mistakes have directly cost us points on few occasions..

it pisses me off how media would never pick up on him, because he's a proper lad and at the same time Cacapa is being slagged off as the next Titus Bramble, because of one game, while this blond fag has played ONE decent game all season.

so what's the criteria?

in the away game vs Stoke, for example, i counted the successful passes Smith made - four short passes for the whole game, one successful tackle and everything else was gifting the ball to the opponent and needless faults.. what kind of a contribution is that.. i'm sure if i pick a random CM from the 2nd division he'd perform better than Smith.

so what the f*** is it? am i blind.. are we all deluded?

 

If you look at Dirk Kuyt at Liverpool he doesnt score a bucketfull of goals but he causes so much bother to the oppositions defenders and links up play brilliantly imho,he would be a good example of a player who can do the Smith job but so much better.

[Guest neesy111]

seems to me keegan is picking players on reputation rather than form, and that is VERY WORRYING

 

Smith,

Duff,

Carr,

Butt,

Given

 

these are all totally out of form or past it but they still get selected

[Guest alex]

seems to me keegan is picking players on reputation rather than form, and that is VERY WORRYING

 

Smith,

Duff,

Carr,

Butt,

Given

 

these are all totally out of form or past it but they still get selected

Didn't agree with the side on Saturday but it's very early days in terms of having a chance to look at players. Some have only just got back from the ACN too. And it's not like the players who missed out (in general) have been in great form. Beye and Faye perhaps but KK wouldn't have seen much of them.

[Guest neesy111]

seems to me keegan is picking players on reputation rather than form, and that is VERY WORRYING

 

Smith,

Duff,

Carr,

Butt,

Given

 

these are all totally out of form or past it but they still get selected

Didn't agree with the side on Saturday but it's very early days in terms of having a chance to look at players. Some have only just got back from the ACN too. And it's not like the players who missed out (in general) have been in great form. Beye and Faye perhaps but KK wouldn't have seen much of them.

 

if a manger is pickng a striker he ain't scored for 3 years and has not even once looked like scoring this season ahead of a striker like viduka then i'm worried

 

keegan is not immune from criticism and if he does continue to play carr, butt and smith with much better alternatives then the fans will get on his back

 

[Guest alex]

I agree. I can just see why he picked the team he did. But, like you say, if he doesn't learn from Saturday then he should be criticised.

[sempuki]

seems to me keegan is picking players on reputation rather than form, and that is VERY WORRYING

 

Smith,

Duff,

Carr,

Butt,

Given

 

these are all totally out of form or past it but they still get selected

Didn't agree with the side on Saturday but it's very early days in terms of having a chance to look at players. Some have only just got back from the ACN too. And it's not like the players who missed out (in general) have been in great form. Beye and Faye perhaps but KK wouldn't have seen much of them.

 

if a manger is pickng a striker he ain't scored for 3 years and has not even once looked like scoring this season ahead of a striker like viduka then i'm worried

 

keegan is not immune from criticism and if he does continue to play carr, butt and smith with much better alternatives then the fans will get on his back

 

 

He won't like that! I remember when Sooper Dooper Mike Hooper got "the bird" and he had a right strop on.

[TRon]

He won't have any choice but to drop them if they keep waving the white flag.

[Yorkie]

Oh dear:

 

 

Smith given Keegan blessing

 

Feb 11 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

 

KEVIN Keegan has insisted every club needs a player like Alan Smith despite the fact the striker has still not scored for Newcastle United following his £6m move from Manchester United in the summer.

 

Smith played much of his football under former manager Sam Allardyce in midfield, but he has been used as a striker by Keegan. The 27-year-old has not scored a Premier League goal since November 2005, although his manager is adamant he brings more to the team than he is given credit for.

 

He said Alan Smiths working his socks off. Its a hard job playing up front when a teams not getting a lot of good possession.

 

Its great place to play if youre like (John) Carew on Saturday and youre getting the ball at the right pace and its got the right weight and in the right areas.

 

But our front two have had to fight and battle for scraps and I think the two of them have done well considering.

 

Alan hasnt scored goals and if you judge him by that youd say he hasnt done very well. But if you look at his work-rate, his enthusiasm, I thought first half, he was just about the best player on the park.

 

He got us a lot of possession which was probably 50:50 or 60:40 their favour. I like him, I like his character. Every club needs an Alan Smith around bubbly, lively, bright and who cares.

 

Keegan was also quick to praise his captain Michael Owen after the forward had responded to being dropped by new England manager Fabio Capello against Switzerland last week with a goal.

 

He said: I said to Michael Owen: Theyve written their stories this week you write yours. To a point he did and its a pity it wasnt enough to win a football match.

 

Michaels a great character, a very strong character. People try to shoot holes in him and the more they do that the more hell try to prove them wrong. I think thats always been the mark of great players. Michael knows, I know, you know. Big names make big stories, great headlines.

 

I told people before this match, before the last match, Michael was very fit and if we provided him with chances he would score.

 

Weve only provided him with two half chances for the two goals hes got, but he has shown courage and an appetite for work.

 

 

Aye, and what else? Fuck all else, that's what.

 

Hugely depressing comments. Smith is absolutely woeful.

[Theregulars]

The only good points to him are his workrate - which every player should give anyway - and this apparent ability to harass defenders. I haven't noticed defenders seeming particularly harassed by him. He's not even a particularly nice guy, I don't know where this comes from - he's an angry, fouling, moaning bastard. I've said so many times since the day we signed him that he's utter shit and will never be good enough. I could excuse him if he even got near to scoring a goal but whenever there's an attack he's usually nowhere to be seen or kicking somebody. Can't pass, shoot, tackle, dribble - all he can do is bring the ball down sometimes and pass it backwards. Every other forward we have is better than him, every other midfielder we have is better than him, ergo there is no need for him to be in the team. It frustrates me

SO SO SO MUCH to see him named in the starting 11 week in, week out for nothing relating to his performances. Had really hoped KK would realise he is bollocks but apparently not. Maybe he's a real whizz in training or something. Next game go with Oba and Owen, Emre and perhaps Geremi in midfield, and see if we can actually pass the ball around. The one shining light of relegation would be that Smith would go.

[Happy Face]

I just got an email off Alan Smith.

 

Other footballers I work with are Steven Taylor, Stephen Carr and Steve Harper.

[Ally]

Thats bollocks from Keegan, i'd work hard ffs.

[Northern Monkey]

Alan Smith - it was bound to be a disaster when he came.

 

I hope the apologists who claimed he was a useful player when he came - even making shit up about Man Utd fans thinking he was good, and SAF not wanting him to leave - have actually been to a game and seen this cunt "play".

 

Half a decent game against Arsenal, and one won penalty? Fuck off, "Smudger".

[Northern Monkey]

Thats bollocks from Keegan, i'd work hard ffs.

 

Almost all media stuff from managers etc is bollocks, though. Only stupid fans actually believe it.

[STM]

I was down at Villa and i could see plain as day that even though we had a good first half we needed Viduka, Faye and Emre on the pitch.

 

Alan Smith does work hard but apart from a decent ability to keep a hold of the ball, he's talentless. I can't wait fro Martins to return but i have a horrible feeling the KK will stick with Smith.

[Theregulars]

Honestly if I spent as much time working as I did slating Alan Smith I could seriously go on to great things.

[KaKa]

Oh dear:

 

 

Smith given Keegan blessing

 

Feb 11 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

 

KEVIN Keegan has insisted every club needs a player like Alan Smith despite the fact the striker has still not scored for Newcastle United following his £6m move from Manchester United in the summer.

 

Smith played much of his football under former manager Sam Allardyce in midfield, but he has been used as a striker by Keegan. The 27-year-old has not scored a Premier League goal since November 2005, although his manager is adamant he brings more to the team than he is given credit for.

 

He said “Alan Smith’s working his socks off. It’s a hard job playing up front when a team’s not getting a lot of good possession.

 

“It’s great place to play if you’re like (John) Carew on Saturday and you’re getting the ball at the right pace and it’s got the right weight and in the right areas.

 

“But our front two have had to fight and battle for scraps and I think the two of them have done well considering.

 

“Alan hasn’t scored goals and if you judge him by that you’d say he hasn’t done very well. But if you look at his work-rate, his enthusiasm, I thought first half, he was just about the best player on the park.

 

“He got us a lot of possession which was probably 50:50 or 60:40 their favour. I like him, I like his character. Every club needs an Alan Smith around – bubbly, lively, bright and who cares.”

 

Keegan was also quick to praise his captain Michael Owen after the forward had responded to being dropped by new England manager Fabio Capello against Switzerland last week with a goal.

 

He said: “I said to Michael Owen: ‘They’ve written their stories this week you write yours’. To a point he did and it’s a pity it wasn’t enough to win a football match.

 

“Michael’s a great character, a very strong character. People try to shoot holes in him and the more they do that the more he’ll try to prove them wrong. I think that’s always been the mark of great players. Michael knows, I know, you know. Big names make big stories, great headlines.

 

“I told people before this match, before the last match, Michael was very fit and if we provided him with chances he would score.

 

“We’ve only provided him with two half chances for the two goals he’s got, but he has shown courage and an appetite for work.’’

 

 

Alrighty then ... this isn't too great now is it!

 

Here is a positive outlook though.

 

If Keegan is happy with the strikers, but not happy about our posession or the chances we are creating, then this can only mean he isn't happy with the midfield.

 

If this article means he changes the midfield around then I will be happy.

 

Zoggy - left wing.

Emre and Faye - Centre midfield.

Milner - right wing.

 

If he does this and keeps alan Smith upfornt I will be able to stomach it. Surely this would be better than keeping the midfield as it is now and replacing Smith with Viduka, which won't make a bit of difference. Alas, changing the midfield as well as replacing Smith appears to be beyond our manager, therefore the former would be preferred out of the two options.

[Guest criminalz]

i feel like seriously slapping smith if i ever bum into him...

 

he is a complete idiot...

 

oh yes..the other idiot is butt

[Ally]

I always said i'd give Smith a chance upfront after he was played in midfield, but he's just as shit up top. Awful player.

[Decky]

i feel like seriously slapping smith if i ever bum into him...

 

[ElDiablo]

I still feel genuinely gutted that we paid 6m for him about 6 months later, what a disgusting signing.

[Guest alex]

i feel like seriously slapping smith if i ever bum into him...

 

Indeed.

[JH]

What do people expect? "Alan Smith is s***. I will never play him again"

 

Aye, I can see that going down well in the dressing room like. It's a sure fire way to keep on side with the players.