Matt Smith, the man who's been written off...

[Worksop_Blue]

Point is we're playing poor so anything to change that can offer hope of a change for the better. Doesn't matter if it's smith , Taylor or anyone else. The more things change the more they stay the same. We don't have enough Quality up front just a bunch of young strikers that aren't good enough thsts the bottom line.

[JonesyOAFC]

Same with his simple lay offs on the floor, he's so hesitant and slow because it's very rare that there's any movement around him so how is he supposed to play the ball succesfully when everyone appears content to lump it to him and stay still?!

Sorry, but this is nonsense. It seems to take him forever just to get the ball under control, never mind to then lay the ball off. By the time he's got round to distributing the ball, any support he may have had has been covered by the defence. That's not Smith's fault, he's just not up to 3rd tier football, he's way off the pace. This isn't me jumping to conclusions after 3 games like some appear to be assuming; and like many are with Slew; this is a guy I've seen play a good 20 times now, even if it has mostly been coming off the bench. People are acting like he's a new signing we've never seen before.

Edited August 25, 2012 by JonesyOAFC

[Fruitygoo]

What nez said....

[ritchie82]

Fair enough then two notable incidents. He should style himself on someone like Alan Lee throwing his arms round like a bloody helicopter.

 

Our manager was a prize :censored: with little talent, he needs to develop and copy Dickov. Smith is :censored: at football but if he can become more of a thug he might be useful.

[mikejh45]

Sorry, but this is nonsense. It seems to take him forever just to get the ball under control, never mind to then lay the ball off. By the time he's got round to distributing the ball, any support he may have had has been covered by the defence. That's not Smith's fault, he's just not up to 3rd tier football, he's way off the pace. This isn't me jumping to conclusions after 3 games like some appear to be assuming; and like many are with Slew; this is a guy I've seen play a good 20 times now, even if it has mostly been coming off the bench. People are acting like he's a new signing we've never seen before.

 

I'm sorry, but is this the young Jonesy who pulled me up last week for daring to suggest that Tarky needed to be taken out of the picture for a while? Funny how you are somewhat quiet on that subject.

 

Some of us on here have been watching Latics for many years and can see that a few minutes here and there does always give a true picture of a player's capabilities. The last match I saw Smith start was against Chesterfield last season and in my opinion acquitted himself well along with scoring a goal. To get an idea if Smith will make the grade, he needs good service...something that was absent from a large part of last season with the largely poor/non-existent crossing from Taylor and Morais. If Smith gets a run of 6/8 starts and decent service from Croft/Montano/Hughes and doesn't perform, then you can say with absolute certainty he won't make the grade but until then you have no basis for the argument you have presented thus far.

[JonesyOAFC]

I'm sorry, but is this the young Jonesy who pulled me up last week for daring to suggest that Tarky needed to be taken out of the picture for a while? Funny how you are somewhat quiet on that subject.

 

 

And that relates to my opinion on Matt Smith how exactly?

Edited August 26, 2012 by JonesyOAFC

[Forte_Baby]

Tried to defend Smith but sorry the lad is not up to league one football. People say he has not been given a chance surly if Dickov had faith in him he would of started him in more games? Fact is his first touch is poor, we never seem to target him from set pieces much and seems a real lightweight goes down to easy although he does get pulled alot by opponents. I love to eat my words see Smith go on and now and bang the goals in but just cannot see it happening.

[JonesyOAFC]

Tried to defend Smith but sorry the lad is not up to league one football. People say he has not been given a chance surly if Dickov had faith in him he would of started him in more games? Fact is his first touch is poor, we never seem to target him from set pieces much and seems a real lightweight goes down to easy although he does get pulled alot by opponents. I love to eat my words see Smith go on and now and bang the goals in but just cannot see it happening.

One of the most frustrating aspects of his game is he has obvious stature and presence, yet he doesn't use it at all. If he was to become a Kevin Davies-type player and use his presence and strength to cause a nuisance, then he might be useful against certain defences. But for a man of his size he's dominated by centre backs far too easily for me.

[mikejh45]

And that relates to my opinion on Matt Smith how exactly?

 

Cheers for the condescending tone though

 

Do I need to remind you about your comments last week regarding Tarky being this season's "whipping boy" following my condemnation of his performances?

 

To dish out criticism, Jonesy...you also have you take it on the chin.

 

I will make the Smith situation simpler for you:

 

He has started 3 games in isolation.......please point out if I'm wrong here?

 

The remaining appearances have been 10/20 minutes here and there. I would also remind you he replaced Kuqi....a somewhat more experienced CF and if he couldn't make the difference, why would you expect a novice inSmith to perform to a higher/better level?

[Forte_Baby]

One of the most frustrating aspects of his game is he has obvious stature and presence, yet he doesn't use it at all. If he was to become a Kevin Davies-type player and use his presence and strength to cause a nuisance, then he might be useful against certain defences. But for a man of his size he's dominated by centre backs far too easily for me.

 

I had high hopes when he arrived personally when he went out on loan to Macclesfield last season we should of done it earlier in the season when we had Kuqi, Simmo, Scapuzzi etc.

[mikejh45]

Here we have 2 players of similar age and physique.....Tarky is given time to play through his obvious deficiencies in the hope that he will develop strength and concentration by keeping him in the first team. Contrast the treatment of Smith on the other hand, who is dismissed without being given a run of 2 consecutive starts in the team.

[slystallone]

If Smith's the answer then frankly we're screwed.....

[Forte_Baby]

Here we have 2 players of similar age and physique.....Tarky is given time to play through his obvious deficiencies in the hope that he will develop strength and concentration by keeping him in the first team. Contrast the treatment of Smith on the other hand, who is dismissed without being given a run of 2 consecutive starts in the team.

 

I dont rate as i said but you made a good point he has only started 2 games still think he would of started more if Dickov rated him so lets throw him in against Portsmouth dont see what we got to lose and give the lad a chance to prove himself.

[mikejh45]

I dont rate as i said but you made a good point he has only started 2 games still think he would of started more if Dickov rated him so lets throw him in against Portsmouth dont see what we got to lose and give the lad a chance to prove himself.

 

Now that is precisely where I stand.

 

Also, what are our choices:

Slew - injured

Montano - Dickov sees him more as a winger

Taylor - looks to be more of a second forward but still untried and untested

Simpson - will never make a front man as long as his arsehole points downwards

Edited August 26, 2012 by mikejh45

[flytrap]

If Smith's the answer then frankly we're screwed.....

This

[mikejh45]

If Smith's the answer then frankly we're screwed.....

 

And this OPINION is based on..................???

 

Remind me how well we've done in the first 3 matches!!!

 

One goal scored and that was by a midfield player that a number of people want to drop.

[Tommy_Fent]

My main problem with Smith is that with him in the team we can only really play direct Football. Which is what you need when you're chasing a game like yesterday but it doesn't work trying that for 90 minutes. If we start with him against better sides in this league then the rest of the team will get tired from spending most of the game chasing the ball.

[mikejh45]

My main problem with Smith is that with him in the team we can only really play direct Football. Which is what you need when you're chasing a game like yesterday but it doesn't work trying that for 90 minutes. If we start with him against better sides in this league then the rest of the team will get tired from spending most of the game chasing the ball.

 

Tommy.......as it stands, we don't really look like we have goal between the more immediate choice of forwards.

 

Between Slew/Simpson/Taylor up front.......do you have confidencethat we are going to improve on 1-1 against Walsall in terms of goals for?

[Tommy_Fent]

Tommy.......as it stands, we don't really look like we have goal between the more immediate choice of forwards.

 

Between Slew/Simpson/Taylor up front.......do you have confidencethat we are going to improve on 1-1 against Walsall in terms of goals for?

 

By spending the entire game lumping the ball up to a big man up front is not going to improve our present fortunes, Having players moving into space and players on the ball picking them out with a pass might. A classic example being last season Lee knew would always be able to pick Morais or whoever is on the right out. Yesterday Croft was in loads of space down the right but instead of pick him out Byrne just launched it forwards to nobody, I'm not hawking back to this nostalgic idea that playing 4-4-2 and lumping it up to Smith with a quick guy to run onto his flick ons with a right footed winger on the right etc is going to solve our problems. It's outdated for a reason and it showed last season early on when we got overrun in midfield, the front two were marked out of the game and the wingers got shown onto their weaker foot. And before someone says "we can't play like Spain" the players who are coming through now were most probably brought up playing a lot of 5 a-side, so they're probably going to be more effective playing a pass-and-move game than they are playing route one. If I was Dickov I'd get them out on 5 a-side pitches trying to improve players first touch along with off the ball movement and more importantly teamwork

Edited August 26, 2012 by Tommy_Fent

[mikejh45]

By spending the entire game lumping the ball up to a big man up front is not going to improve our present fortunes, Having players moving into space and players on the ball picking them out with a pass might. A classic example being last season Lee knew would always be able to pick Morais or whoever is on the right out. Yesterday Croft was in loads of space down the right but instead of pick him out Byrne just launched it forwards to nobody, I'm not hawking back to this nostalgic idea that playing 4-4-2 and lumping it up to Smith with a quick guy to run onto his flick ons with a right footed winger on the right etc is going to solve our problems. It's outdated for a reason and it showed last season early on when we got overrun in midfield, the front two were marked out of the game and the wingers got shown onto

their weaker foot. And before someone says "we can't play like Spain" the players who are coming through now were most probably brought up playing a lot of 5 a-side, so they're probably going to be more effective playing a pass-and-move game than they are playing route one. If I was Dickov I'd get them out on 5 a-side pitches trying to improve players first touch along with off the ball movement and more importantly teamwork

 

I can see your point of view but my fear is that our playing staff are not up to your vision of how the game should be played.....no matter how much 5 a side practise they undertake.

[UpTheLatics]

Regardless of our opinions on Matt Smith, it is undeniable that when he (Smith - the striker) came on we, as a team, looked more threatening. Simpson was allowed to fall into the hole, the wingers had someone to aim for, and our passing improved a little bit too.

 

I'd rather have Smith as the main striker than Simpson. However, I'd also rather have Slew or Taylor leading the line.

 

I'm 50/50 with Smith. I can see both sides to this argument. He is sluggish, but he is also let down by his teammates' lack of movement. He won one ball on Saturday with his chest, which was brilliantly cushioned for Simpson, but then the move fell apart because Simpson did not have a player to pass to. He did, but it was Furman who was sat far too deep and ultimately it allowed Stevenage to organise themselves.

[welshgaz]

Jonesy is fast becoming 2012's jsslatic!!

[opinions4u]

If you're going to play Smith you need two things.

 

1. Crosses.

 

2. Runners from midfield.

 

 

[JonesyOAFC]

Jonesy is fast becoming 2012's jsslatic!!

I have no idea what that means. I find it bizarre that I'm being singled out for having the nerve to have a different opinion on Smith though, especially considering basically every player in the squad has been criticised at some point this week...

[jsslatic]

Our manager was a prize :censored: with little talent, he needs to develop and copy Dickov. Smith is :censored: at football but if he can become more of a thug he might be useful.

 

Dickov, little talent? You having a giraffe? He was hardly Thierry Henry but you don't forge a top level playing career on simply running around a lot.

 

Jonesy is fast becoming 2012's jsslatic!!

 

Care to explain?