Alan Smith (my MotM) will prove to be more important than Geremi

[Baggio]

I've just watched the first half on Sky and Martins, Viduka, Geremi, Milner and N'Zogbia have all been involved alot more than Smith who hasn't done anything of note so far.

 

I'm expecting a stunning second half from him if he's MOTM.

 

and thats the difference between watching it on the TV and being there, because Smith was excellent today, particularly defensively

 

Except the lad who started this thread based his opinion of Smith being MotM from watching it through an Internet stream, which would have been the same footage I'm watching.

 

Yes but your assertion was that Smith would have to excellent in the second half because he was poor in the first, doing nothing of note.  In fact he did loads in an excellent first and was also pretty good in the second as well.

 

No, I was questioning what he saw in Smith to make him MotM from watching the same footage I did which appeared to show him doing very little of note compared to others on the pitch.

[Guest]

By excellent, you mean grafted, surely.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

By excellent, you mean grafted, surely.

 

Grafted excellently

[Guest]

That should be a given from every player though.

[Cajun]

He was average.  No more.  Didn't put a foot wrong all game though tbf to the lad.

 

Seem to remember your comment coming across a bit different in the match thread 

[Alberto2005]

That should be a given from every player though.

That's why he's in the midfield, he isn't in their to create or for his excellent passing range so if he grafts every game and breaks up play by interceptions or tackles then he's doing what he was bought for.

[Wullie]

Thought all four of the new signings were very impressive today.

 

Rozehnal was occasionally shaky tbh.

 

?

 

i thought he was one of our best players.

 

So do I, he was still a bit shaky though once or twice. Don't hold it against him in the slightest though, 1st game etc etc. For "shaky" read: "inexperienced". He's liable to make a few mistakes because of this.

 

Only real qualm I had with Rozehnal was when Davies got past him on our left hand touchline in the second half and left us short of numbers when Roz really should have cleaned him out. He'll learn, he was pretty impeccable other than that.

[Guest]

That should be a given from every player though.

That's why he's in the midfield, he isn't in there to create or for his excellent passing range so if he grafts every game and breaks up play by interceptions or tackles then he's doing what he was bought for.

 

Clarence Acuna did that, and it didn't take £6m to do it.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

That should be a given from every player though.

That's why he's in the midfield, he isn't in there to create or for his excellent passing range so if he grafts every game and breaks up play by interceptions or tackles then he's doing what he was bought for.

 

Clarence Acuna did that, and it didn't take £6m to do it.

 

Yes and Gattuso does it for Milan and he'd cost more than that so whats your point?  Why not just praise Smith for having a good game?

[Guest]

Because I don't think he did owt special. He was okay.

[Cajun]

That should be a given from every player though.

That's why he's in the midfield, he isn't in there to create or for his excellent passing range so if he grafts every game and breaks up play by interceptions or tackles then he's doing what he was bought for.

 

Clarence Acuna did that, and it didn't take £6m to do it.

 

Yes and Gattuso does it for Milan and he'd cost more than that so whats your point?  Why not just praise Smith for having a good game?

 

Smith did have a good game but what he is being praised for isnt much more than the type of performance Scott "Cockney wanker" Parker would put out for us.

 

Basically, early days.

[Dragon55544]

Thought all four of the new signings were very impressive today.

 

Rozehnal was occasionally shaky tbh.

 

?

 

i thought he was one of our best players.

 

So do I, he was still a bit shaky though once or twice. Don't hold it against him in the slightest though, 1st game etc etc. For "shaky" read: "inexperienced". He's liable to make a few mistakes because of this.

 

Only real qualm I had with Rozehnal was when Davies got past him on our left hand touchline in the second half and left us short of numbers when Roz really should have cleaned him out. He'll learn, he was pretty impeccable other than that.

 

Yea i agree with that, £2.5m seems to be a very good piece of business.

[Guest]

And Gattuso can actually tackle.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Because I don't think he did owt special. He was okay.

 

Fair enough, thats your opinion.  But it just seems that all the people saying he was "average, no better" on here are the people who didnt want him anywhere near here when he signed.

 

[Guest]

Because for £6m, you expect more than just graft. Dickson Etuhu for Sunderland did what Smith did for us today for a fraction of the price.

[Cajun]

Because for £6m, you expect more than just graft. Dickson Etuhu for Sunderland did what Smith did for us today for a fraction of the price.

 

Very true. I think I will grow to like Smith very much but still stand by my original judgement for now.

[tmonkey]

Because for £6m, you expect more than just graft. Dickson Etuhu for Sunderland did what Smith did for us today for a fraction of the price.

 

£6mill is worth it to avoid having a player with first name Dickson.

[Wullie]

We don't have to think very far back to remember a player who had a fantastic grafting debut, indeed first season, before being found out as limited.

 

Smith did ok, but let's not judge on one game either way.

[Cajun]

We don't have to think very far back to remember a player who had a fantastic grafting debut, indeed first season, before being found out as limited.

 

Smith did ok, but let's not judge on one game either way.

 

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Because for £6m, you expect more than just graft. Dickson Etuhu for Sunderland did what Smith did for us today for a fraction of the price.

 

He was a key player in a win for us at a  ground where for the previous 5 years we have lost.  Maybe he should have scored 3 and we should have won 6-1.

 

And comparing Etuhu from Sunderland with Smith is just silly.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

We don't have to think very far back to remember a player who had a fantastic grafting debut, indeed first season, before being found out as limited.

 

Smith did ok, but let's not judge on one game either way.

 

 

True, but lets praise him for doing well and have a go when he doesn't

[Cajun]

We don't have to think very far back to remember a player who had a fantastic grafting debut, indeed first season, before being found out as limited.

 

Smith did ok, but let's not judge on one game either way.

 

 

True, but lets praise him for doing well and have a go when he doesn't

 

I dont think anyone has had a go about todays performance have they? I certainly haven't, was very impressed now I have seen it.

[Guest]

I was comparing the performances today of Etuhu & Smith, as players, Smith p*sses on Etuhu, but today, very similar performances, both did well. But a lot of people are going way overboard in their praise for him so far.

[tmonkey]

We don't have to think very far back to remember a player who had a fantastic grafting debut, indeed first season, before being found out as limited.

 

Smith did ok, but let's not judge on one game either way.

 

 

Noticed a potentially telling difference today though - Smith and Parker are similar players, but Smith moves the ball on pretty much instantly, and as a result his linkup play is moderately decent. Parker on the other hand dwells on the ball. That was the biggest source of frustration regarding Parker imo, and hence I dont see fans turning on Smith like they did Parker. Smith's graft will remain an asset to us because he wont drag an entire team down with a poor style of play, whereas with Parker his graft became a burden because it was accompanied by poor teamplay and a lack of confidence.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

We don't have to think very far back to remember a player who had a fantastic grafting debut, indeed first season, before being found out as limited.

 

Smith did ok, but let's not judge on one game either way.

 

 

True, but lets praise him for doing well and have a go when he doesn't

 

I dont think anyone has had a go about todays performance have they? I certainly haven't, was very impressed now I have seen it.

 

Sorry, I don't necessarily mean people are having a go about today, what I mean is praise him for doing well today in a good team performance, because no doubt there'll be times when he doesnt play well and will deserve criticism.