Newcastle win race to sign Alan Smith - Mirror gossip

[manorpark]

Threelegs, your avatar is spazzing me out !

 

Hehe, i`m f****** with your mind 

 

Yeah, it sort of "hurts my eyes" too!!  I keep on trying to focus it, and of course, I can't . . Excellent.!

[Guest elbee909]

Maybe if we get Smith we can go on to bring Tony Yeboah in as well.

[Baggio]

Anyone remember if Smith and Viduka linked up well at Leeds?!

[Guest Ridzuan]

A decent price for a decent player.I think he should be a good addition to the squad though Im hoping that he will not have much injury next season if he joins us.

[Lemmy]

I would have to reserve judgement on Smith. For me he doesn't score enough goals as a striker. There is no questioning his commitment and overall contribution. Did he have a really good partnership with Viduka at Leeds?

[Decky]

Milner, Viduka and now Smith? we are the new Leeds!!!

[Threelegs]

Milner, Viduka and now Smith? we are the new Leeds!!!

 

Get ready for relegation then

[geordie jamie]

Its all about building a squad something we didnt have under Roeder.

[Guest DavB93]

Good bit of business if true...keep them coming sam.

[Cajun]

Good price but I doubt Allardyce is after a striker.

[MidfieldGeneral]

If Smith was to leave his place warming Manures bench he's hardly going to come here to do the same thing

 

Surely he'd go somewhere he was more or less guaranteed a starting place and not come here when we've got another 4 first team strikers.

[Tisd09]

For that price I would be happy with the deal though we would be overloaded with strikers. In an ideal situation we would keep Oba and Owen, add Viduka and Smith to that and we have a very strong strikeforce. Maybe we can offer Shola to West Ham they'll pay about 8 million for him!!!

[Decky]

I think he is definately being bought for the midfield, or maybe Sam wants 2 types of strikers and a back up for each? like this:

 

Owen, his back up is Martins

Viduka, his back up is Smith

 

 

[Guest goal!]

Please god no, he is the prime example of what is wrong with this country's attitude to football. Bar the odd special goal in how ever many years, he is just an injury prone trier that's good at harrasing defenders for the ball and can hold the ball up reasonably well in possesion. Not good enough for us imo or even what we need. Would MUCH prefer to see Shola or even Luque playing for us over him!!!

[Guest DazzaNufc1892]

well i know for sure that smith is leaving, and is in talks with somebody. Fletchers staying, and the brown deal was called off the second big sam came in apparently, even though negotiations had started when roeder was there, no idea yet if theyre going to restart, apparently it all depends on whether heinze goes. Another rumour on the man u front, theres big talk still of huntelaar being a target.

 

Oh and if you want a city rumour, luke youngs a target

[Dave]

Not sure why we need him unless Viduka is leaving...

[Tsunami]

Decent squad player. However, Sam must have guarenteed 1st team football & a striking position (otherwise why join us from Manure?).

 

Does Sam know something we don't - Owen or Martins which one is on his way? Owen wants to go & Martins is "home" in Italy & his buy out clause has just been revealed - coincidence?

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

Reasons Alan Smith would be a fantastic signing:

 

1 - At 3.5 mil he represents fantastic value when figures like 7mil for Nugent, 5mil for Kamara, 17 mil for Bent are being banded about

 

2 - Smith is equally at home in midfield or up front. Can you imagine how tenacious a midfield of Barton and Smith would be

 

3 - He will have a massive point to prove, especially to Fergie.

 

4 - He is English and knows the league inside out. We will have one of the most english squads in the premiership

 

5 - He has a winning, never say die attitude which will help us at Wigan, Fulham and Reading etc, which is and has been an achilles heel for us.

 

[Cajun]

I really can't see us signing him as a midfielder, Ferguson tried it and obviously didn't see it working.

[thomas]

Still no defender.

Still not even July.  I know that's the kind of sentence that comes back and bites people in the ass but really, I'm still shocked there's anyone in at all pre-august. 

[Ronaldo]

if true, I guess we have a substancial amount of money and Allardyce is planning to go for a big, big defender for a large amount

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=463656&in_page_id=1779

 

Its slightly rehashed from the mirrors story but is definately gathering pace

[Guest Guinness]

Not sure why we need him unless Viduka is leaving...

 

The way we've been doing things he'll probably exercise his get out clause.

 

As for Smith, yeah he's a good player, but I can't really understand this move unless either Owen or Martins are leaving. Surely defenders should be priority now?

[NG32]

Not good enough for us imo or even what we need. Would MUCH prefer to see Shola or even Luque playing for us over him!!!

 

That is exactly the kind of attitude that has stopped us buying players like Ashton & Andy Johnson in the past "not good enough for us, we need to buy Adriano, he is class on Pro Evo" blah blah.

 

When SA first arrived everybody was saying lets build a sensible squad etc etc, now Mr Ashley has taken over the freaks are saying we should buy only the best.  Which is exactly the road we have been trying to go down the last few years and faild. 

 

Jesus wept, let SA do his work and lets see what happens.

[Cronky]

He doesn't look quick enough to play up front at the top level any more. Maybe he's still on the recovery trail, but I suspect that his injury has taken away some of his pace, and he wasn't exactly quick before.

 

I think he can be converted to a midfield player though. Man U are on a different level and have better options, so they're not going to spend the time.