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Let's keep Matt Smith

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  • Let's keep Matt Smith

    We need to free up money before next season to comply with FFP rules. Some of our present players have to leave and some won't be resigned. I have a lot of understanding for those that want to see Smith being sold to Millwall or another club during the January transfer window.

    But the Pompey match showed us that Smith can play a crucial role when we need to look for plan B. Before he came on yesterday we could hardly bring the ball out of own half. For the first 20-25 minutes of the second half we did not create anything and never threatened their box. Once we brought on Smith everything changed. A couple hopeful long passes to Smith created all sorts of problems for the Pompey defense. Suddenly they had to fall deeper to defend and it created more space for us and we got on the front foot. Smiths presence created more space for Wells and it took just a few minutes before we equalized. With a bit of more belief we could have snatched the win. Defensively Smith helped to shore up things up when Pompey got a few free kicks and corners at the end.

    I like to see Oteh getting more opportunities, but I think it makes a lot of sense to have Smith on the bench, to have an alternative when nothing else works. He might not be very good with the ball at his feet, but he can nevertheless change a match just by his presence. He scored 11 goals last year under Holloway, which tells us that he is a very decent striker.

    I would keep him - I hope we have space in the squad for one route one striker!

  • #2
    Interesting read, for me I’d get rid of Matty. Huge thanks for his goals when we were really cr@p

    Regardless to if we sign Wells & Hamed we need to move forward with better strikers then Smith
    Under Les Ferdinand:
    Luke Freeman, top assists in the league: 4million
    Alex Smithies, great goalie for this club: 3,5million
    Charlie Austin, 19 Premier League goals: 4million
    Jack Robinson: Contract ran out, left for free
    And many more mistakes

    LES FERDINAND, IT'S TIME TO GO

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    • #3
      I'd definitely not let him go at the moment. Digs us out of the brown stuff way too often for it to be a good idea. Alright, the football might be awful when he's on the pitch, but it's quite often effective!

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      • #4
        Does a job as a sub nowadays and personally would look at Crouchy next season to come to us in the same role as he has always said he wants to play for us again at some point and I reckon he would play for us for a fair wage. Smith overall has been great and while he is limited he always gives his all and seems to be very popular with the other players.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by 1973 ranger View Post
          Does a job as a sub nowadays and personally would look at Crouchy next season to come to us in the same role as he has always said he wants to play for us again at some point and I reckon he would play for us for a fair wage. Smith overall has been great and while he is limited he always gives his all and seems to be very popular with the other players.
          Crouchy is more mobile than Smith too. Better with his feet also

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          • #6
            Yeah I agree we need him and wingers like BOS and Pav to feed him.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by qprjeff1882 View Post

              Crouchy is more mobile than Smith too. Better with his feet also
              Peter Crouch 'suffered' because he looks weird when he is / was actually a very good player. Look at his England goals for a start. His headed goal record will probably stand for longer than Shearer's overall Prem tally.

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              • #8
                Changed the game when he came on.

                Also, Chair looks a proper player.

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                • #9
                  Obviously we keep him. We need to adjust how we keep him.

                  Like I said elsewhere, throughout his career the minute he steps on the park the ball has gone airborne. It needs to go in behind, wide and deep and on the deck so that Pav can get in from there. Which is another reason for not playing PW out of position as recently suggested. ;)

                  Watching Smith play last season with those long diagonal balls in and no support for about half a mile took months off my life. Give him wide service and someone to maximise on the chaos and it becomes such a simple game.


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                  • #10
                    The conditions suited Smith on Saturday, A wet and windy day. Other times he adds nothing in attack and we have been lacking an out ball. There is no way we can afford to buyWells and Hemed next season when we lose £9.60m in parachute payments. Can see earners like Lynch and Pav going instead.

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                    • #11
                      Feel sorry for Smith as he's got a decent shot on him....not that we ever see it !

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by davieqpr View Post
                        The conditions suited Smith on Saturday, A wet and windy day. Other times he adds nothing in attack and we have been lacking an out ball. There is no way we can afford to buyWells and Hemed next season when we lose £9.60m in parachute payments.
                        Smith causes problems if the service and support is there, see #9 above. Diagonals from 60m with every team mate at least as far away (ie what happened last term) is not how you service him. Do it right and you've got a viable Plan B.

                        The loss in parachute payment doesn't prevent the board from negotiating deals. It totally depends on whether or not they want to be in the running for a play off spot (and the possibility of more paras in a couple of years time ;) )
                        Last edited by hal9thou; 28-01-2019, 11:30 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Liked Smith from day 1. Good option to have on the bench. Seems to cause panic with just his presence in the box. With good service, not just Lynch hoofing it up the pitch, I think he's quite useful. Hope he stays

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by uptheR's View Post
                            Liked Smith from day 1. Good option to have on the bench. Seems to cause panic with just his presence in the box. With good service, not just Lynch hoofing it up the pitch, I think he's quite useful. Hope he stays
                            That's the trouble though Up, Lynch hoofing it is the only service he gets because when he comes on we invariably take the winger off. Ian History did it and now SMC does it too.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Alanwycombe View Post
                              Ian History did it and now SMC does it too.
                              Astonishing, isn't it? You play Smith, you have to play the ball in from deep and wide final third ie winger territory. With at least one other hitman in close proximity to hoover up in the chaos.

                              What you don't do is isolate him and lump the fvcker up in the air from 60m away.

                              You can coach this problem away in training. The ball stays on the ground until the final third whenever Smith is up front. £500 fine each contravention. Supplier of Smith assist in games picks up the float. Job done.





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