The Newcastle United Blog

News, Views and Comment On Newcastle United Football Club By Ed Harrison, A Proud Geordie And Lifelong Fan

The Newcastle United Blog header image 2








← Give Andy Carroll a Start Saturday Given Expecting to Get Points on Saturday →

Looks Like Smith A Likely Starter on Saturday

February 20th, 2008 by Ed Harrison · 65 Comments

Kevin Keegan talked today about Alan Smith, who Kevin sees as a center forward and not a midfield player that Sam had Alan playing when he was here.

alan-smithnewcastle_551032.jpg

Alan Smith -seen only as a striker by Keegan

In fact Sam had Smith playing all over the team, as long as he started every game for Big Sam. :(

Keegan told the Chronicle:

“Alan Smith plays the way he has played all of his life.” “He is tough and he has always got in where it hurts.”

“Those sort of players do pick up yellow cards these days – more than they used to.” “It does not help, but we have to get on with it.”

Smith, however, has been relieved of his midfield duties under Keegan, who only sees him as a center-forward.

Kevin added:

“For some people, it’s special when they play against their former clubs, and it means a bit more.” “But it would be nice for anybody to get a goal.”

“There is only Michael who has scored since I’ve come in.” “But if it’s Michael again then great, as long as we can get somebody on the end of something.”

“I don’t care, and I’m sure the fans don’t care who it is.”

Smith gives 100% on the field and he always has done and always will, and he will be a good player to have when things get tough going on the field. But purely from a form viewpoint, we just don’t think Smith deserves his place right now. We’d really like to see young Andy Carroll start with Owen, but if not then surely Mark Viduka should be given a run out before Alan.

However, these words by Kevin suggest he will start Smith and Owen, and we just don’t think that’s the best strike pair we can put out at the moment.

That’s our view - what do you think?

Comments very welcome.

Tags: Alan Smith · Michael Owen · Newcastle News










65 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Tom_Toon // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:00

    one word

    bugger

  • 2 cooldj // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:03

    12 words

    alright tom toon, if you change your post i will change mine…

  • 3 sparetheman // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:05

    40 league games without a single goal. ‘Nuff said.

  • 4 cooldj // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:06

    ps crap.

  • 5 AlexW // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:07

    smith is a qaulity player, y does every1 got on his back? i dnt fink es a starter but es definatley a great team player to av on the bench, im glad es startin coz at the mo e is the best fing t partner owen until oba is fit

  • 6 steve // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:08

    we’re going down if Keegan can’t see the fact that Smith is just plain rubbish - if Smith is a definite starter we are foooked

  • 7 Tom_Toon // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:08

    AlexW - The intellectual, wouldnt even count that as an opinion.

  • 8 ronaldeano // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:10

    AlexW, Smith is shit mate, end of story, shit shit shit

  • 9 AlexW // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:11

    y tom_toon who else wud u av start? viduka? slow and lazy, carrol? cudnt even hack it in the championship so against the best team in england, no chance, ameobi? wt is ther t say and oba isnt fit, so our best option is smith, end of

  • 10 ronaldeano // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:13

    AlexW, he is shit, pure fookin shit, how many goals has he scored? NONE, thats how many, he is shit END OF

  • 11 steve // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:14

    @AlexW - please spell correctly and use english grammer only

  • 12 milner fan // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:14

    NO WAY! hes no striker!!! i think he is an ok mf, because he can break up play. id rather have shola as a striker. why does every manager seem like he has to fit smith in sum were?? if hes not gd enough then drop him!

  • 13 broon ale // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:15

    smith hasnt scored in the league since 2004! how bad is that! when you look at the likes of laursen at Aston villa. he has 7 this season. Smith is dog shit united up front

  • 14 AlexW // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:15

    he isnt shit at all, nor is e the best, but he is our best option for saturday with oba out end of, steve go f**k urself

  • 15 ronaldeano // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:16

    Viduka is lazy, yes, he scores goals, goals win games. Viduka and not smith because Smith DOES NOT SCORE GOALS

  • 16 Tom_Toon // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:18

    Id have Owen, Martins, Viduka, Carroll, Ameobi, Baheng, Danquah in front of Smith.

  • 17 ronaldeano // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:19

    It is a pure waste of time playing Smith because he wll get booked maybe sent off, he wont score a goal and he will shout his mouth off at the ref and evrybodys head will go down because of it. He is shit.

  • 18 cooldj // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:23

    one goal and maybe smith will break free of the shackles around his shoulders…. ……….nah probably not

  • 19 CRAIGG // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:31

    I dont dislike him but we do have much better options

  • 20 steve k // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:38

    Gotta be the Duke.

  • 21 true // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:40

    A strikers job is to put the ball in the net
    enough said Smith does not cut the mustard.

  • 22 true // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:40

    However like Ameobi he probably would do well down in the championship, so he might yet be a good player for us :-)

  • 23 Graeme // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:45

    Andy Carroll or Dickhead Smith??? Its a no brainer, Carroll gets my vote every time.

  • 24 Mighty Mouse // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:52

    “nuff said… end of…”

    some real clever stuff on here today

  • 25 Rich // Feb 20, 2008 at 16:58

    I dont think Smith is awful, but id play Viduka in front of him every time! he will get us goals and make himself useful, come to think of it Smith is shite

  • 26 Ian // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:10

    I would love to see him start scoring goals, but he doesnt, I like him in midfield Sam did some really stupid stuff but, mainly due to midfielders being no good, Alan Smith did a better job than the ‘real’ midfielders.
    How long would Shay stay in goal if he worked hard on the pitch but didnt save goals??

    A striker has to score, he serves no other purpose. Put him in central midfield next to Gerami.

  • 27 iain // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:27

    keegan must like the look of that big hole sam was digging himself.

    “I would love to see him start scoring goals, but he doesnt”

    call me old fashioned but i like to see strikers having shots too. never mind goals i bet smiths shots on target this season is laughable for a 6m rated cf.

  • 28 dave // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:27

    this site talks more crap than ever

  • 29 Gordon // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:28

    Would love to see Carroll get a chance, but we mustn’t forget just how poor he was playing for Preston this season at Championship Level….

    PS - Ed, PLEASE stop saying ‘WE’ all the time. This is a one man blog, not a newspaper, you’re not the bloody Queen!

  • 30 Mighty Mouse // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:30

    Ian I think my jaw just hit the floor!

    I thought the last of your kind died off a long time ago?

    Geremi and Smith in CM against Manu hey?

    Will someone wake me up when this season is over?

  • 31 hanzemre // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:32

    Ah Smith to start? Oh i know now maybe KK is applying 4-3-3 formation with Smith behind Owen &Viduka/Carroll. hmm…just maybe…maybe not.

  • 32 steve // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:32

    @AlexW - I’m having trouble complying with your request, I think it’s an almost impossible task.

    Please give instructions on the methods you use in order to f@@k yourself on a daily basis.

    Much appreciated

  • 33 Gordon // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:45

    Ian - no offence, but you’re completely mad!

  • 34 Gordon // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:49

    AlexW - you’re not a Black African American - stop all this pathetic ebonics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebonics) it annoys me too.

    Go read this to see how daft you look and check out the scans:
    http://www.beckysweb.co.uk/beckysblog/2006/03/conversational-ebonics.asp

  • 35 SPOT THE ZEBRA // Feb 20, 2008 at 17:59

    If it were up to me then Andy Carroll would be starting on Saturday.

  • 36 JP from The Rock of Gibraltar // Feb 20, 2008 at 18:15

    Give Carroll a chance!!!! He’s scored 4 goals in 4 reserve team matches!! He will play better than Smith for sure. Who do you think will want to impress more;

    Smith - who will play against his old club (again) and hasn’t scored a league goal for us yet and played loads of matches.

    OR

    Carroll- who is dying to play any match, anytime just to be involved with the first team.

    Viduka should start alongside Owen with Carroll on the bench. If Viduka doesn’t do too well in the first half swap him for Carroll. Leave Smith to warm up the bench as back-up, thats all he can be-a squad player!

  • 37 Nufc Yaka // Feb 20, 2008 at 18:53

    God fobid not Smith, he is rubbish! Caroll deserves a start.

    No Manc rejects against please!

    Harper
    Beye
    Taylor
    Faye
    NZogbia
    Milner
    Barton
    Emre
    Duff
    Owen
    Caroll

    res
    Forster
    Enrique
    Kadar
    Viduka
    Butt

  • 38 mikeygd // Feb 20, 2008 at 18:57

    its got to be a 5 man midfield to avoid embaressment with no Smith in that midfield and no Geremi

  • 39 sas1 // Feb 20, 2008 at 19:06

    Steve, the correct spelling is “grammar”

    Shame it looks like Smith is gonna start

  • 40 sas1 // Feb 20, 2008 at 19:08

    From Keegan today:
    “I think last week gave us a chance to look at all of the players’ fitness.

    “We did about three days’ work and then gave them three days off.

    “So we will see if we will get any benefit of that between now and the end of the season.”

    3 days off? WTF? Surely that’s the last thing to do in this situation?

  • 41 Punk Skunk // Feb 20, 2008 at 19:21

    Oh ma god!..PLEASE don’t play Smith. Alan, put your hand up & ask to be demoted, do the honourable thing bro’!..

  • 42 Simon // Feb 20, 2008 at 19:26

    Smith has not produced.

  • 43 nightfall // Feb 20, 2008 at 20:22

    smith must NOT play in midfield…he just runs AFTER the ball…, but kev will probably play him up front, ‘cos we know keegan’s a dreamer and he belives smith will score…

    i’d play owen-carroll!

  • 44 Simen // Feb 20, 2008 at 22:16

    Maby Smith could do as a central defender? If he could avoid giving away too many penalties ;-) Just thinking out loud…

  • 45 Leo* // Feb 20, 2008 at 22:38

    damn

  • 46 marcus owen // Feb 20, 2008 at 23:41

    Nicky Butt also can get two goals. As an attacking player, Smith not even be able to get one.

  • 47 CJ // Feb 20, 2008 at 23:47

    We will have more chance of beating Man U with a can of Smith’s in there penalty area than Alan.

  • 48 Len // Feb 21, 2008 at 1:41

    So we have figured out Smudger is not a midfield player, thats a start. Who says KK doesnt know anything about tactics? Seems to me starting Big Andy in a match we are likely to get hammered at home isnt fair on him for his first competitive match. Give him the last 30. Start him away at Birmingham.

  • 49 toslem // Feb 21, 2008 at 2:43

    smith unbalanced the midfield, so where else could he play without putting us under pressure?
    kk thinks up front with michael, i think kk is just being diplomatic, till he can bring some one else to sjp

  • 50 SA_TOON // Feb 21, 2008 at 5:46

    Send him and all the Man Utd, rejects packing!!!!
    Really getting tired of Smith, not to mention Butt

  • 51 AdamCF // Feb 21, 2008 at 8:25

    Please KK.. Start Viduka and Owen, then bring on Carroll. But no, no, no to Smith starting. He hasn’t scored for ages and I can’t believe that you want to him to start.

  • 52 Sandy McNair // Feb 21, 2008 at 8:28

    Smith up front; hmm, 0-0 is the best result we can hope for

  • 53 AdamCF // Feb 21, 2008 at 8:31

    I’ve figured out where Smith plays best. The position is called left-right out.

  • 54 Obafan // Feb 21, 2008 at 8:42

    I don’t understanw why Smith gets so many chances. Compared with Oba, Emre, even Ameobi; when they have a bad game; they get substituted every time and then the game after they have to sit on the bench. But SMith can play as bad as he wants, he always plays.

    THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! I doubt about the honesty at NUFC at the moment. Or is KK doing a stunt like he did with Emre (saying he is the one to open up the defence and then put him on the bench). I really can’t follow things at NUFC anymore.

  • 55 Greek-toon // Feb 21, 2008 at 9:12

    I watched Man U on telly last night. They will Fcuking murder us. Against these teams the best form of defence is attack. But where can we see our goals coming from with what we have?

  • 56 Dunc // Feb 21, 2008 at 10:57

    FFS Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!

    toslem, you asked this question.

    “smith unbalanced the midfield, so where else could he play without putting us under pressure?”

    Your answer is… Leeds.

    YEP…

    That’s right… In League Fcukin one for all I care.

    Give him away along with Nicky Butt. At least if we ask nothing for them, someone might take em.

    If Smith starts my missus won’t be happy either.

    Why?

    Cause I’ll be a moaning tw@t all weekend!!!!!

  • 57 scott 9 // Feb 21, 2008 at 13:27

    alex w smith is far from a qaulity player he may give a 110% but thats just not enough at this level

  • 58 Michael // Feb 21, 2008 at 15:47

    Keegan seems to think he is good, if you all think Keegan is a good manager then keegans opinion must be good. After all what makes a good manager is identifying good players. So if Keegan = good manager, the smith = good player (centre forward.) If you disagree then clearly either you or keegan do not know what you are talking about. Which is it?????

  • 59 Dunc // Feb 21, 2008 at 17:36

    Michael,

    Sorry but according to the majority responding to this thread, Keegan doen’t know what he is talking about.

    Sad to say but if a player gives 110% but plays with the ball at the same level as Smith is consistently doing, then it is just not good enough.

    When Leeds where going down he gave it all and looked like a leader, A one man team. However, since joining Man UveSh1ted and Newcastle he does not look half the player.

    Everyone else sees what’s going on, the same applies to Nicky Butt and other members of the 1st team. The manager obviously sees something else.

    What Kev sees I do not know??

  • 60 jane // Feb 22, 2008 at 8:34

    Smithy up front. One goal and he’s on his way.
    Look at his passes. Brilliant. His goals will come. Go Smithy…

  • 61 jane // Feb 22, 2008 at 8:46

    DUNC
    Of course you are a better manager than Kev.
    Says it all, loser.
    …and you’re obviously not alone…….

  • 62 jane // Feb 22, 2008 at 8:49

    Agree with you Michael.
    So if Keegan = good manager, the smith = good player (centre forward.) If you disagree then clearly either you or keegan do not know what you are talking about. Which is it?????

  • 63 Greek-toon // Feb 22, 2008 at 10:52

    Oh no, its that Mrs Smith again!

  • 64 Mig // Feb 22, 2008 at 12:26

    Smith himself are not sure of his best position. he should just change profession and be a lines-man instead.

  • 65 Dunc // Feb 22, 2008 at 12:43

    Jane,

    I support my club.
    I want what is best for my club.

    I don’t believe KK was the right choice in the 1st place and believe we could have done a whole load better in the manager stakes. But now he’s in, we can’t just behead another manager. We have to give him time and have faith that it will improve.

    Yes… we are playing better looking football than under Sam. But are you trying to tell me that Smith has improved or the results have been better because we brought KK in?

    If you rate Smith on current form.

    YOU ARE NOT WATCHING THE GAMES!!!!!
    DAMN IT, YOUR NOT EVEN LOOKING AT THE RESULTS!!!!!!

    I bet you think Nicky Butt is the tops too, don’t you?

    Just because I have voiced my concerns does not mean I am a loser. It means I have an opinion. My opinion is just as valid as yours and I am well within my rights to voice it.It doesn’t make me or any one else a loser for being able to understand what we are seeing on the pitch.

    Put into simple terms, just for you … those blokes, kicking a ball on that field, in that stadium called St James’ Park. (Patronising enough for you?? I thought I’d better add it so as to respond to your patronisation)

    As I said before, I do not know what KK sees in him or some of the other members of the 1st team that can’t pass, can’t find a pass, can’t keep or take charge of the ball, can’t keep thier shape, make bad decisions in attack and defence and go to pot after conceding 1 goal, which leads to 3 more.

    Perhaps the players that Smith is playing in front of are rated by Keegan as not as good as Smith. Which is a major concern too me. Because it only shows we have poor quality in the squad when it comes to replacing such players.

    As I said I want my club to do well, to be the best.

    What is wrong with voicing concerns?










Leave a Comment