Jump to content

Smith told to adopt a more cautious style


Scottish Mag
 Share

Recommended Posts

ALAN SMITH has been urged to add patience to his defensive game rather than carry on in the over-exuberant manner which has earned him his first ban in Newcastle United colours.

 

Since Smith arrived in a £6m move from Manchester United in August, he has been booked in five out of the 11 matches he's played for his new club.

 

Allardyce does not want to change Smith too much, but he does believe an element of his tenacity on the field can be taken away in an attempt to avoid suspensions.

 

Smith's fifth yellow card in the 3-2 win over Everton on October 7 means he misses the visit of Tottenham on Monday night.

 

"It is part of his game," said Allardyce. "You can't take the devilment out of him or you lose some of the player but there is something about staying on your feet, rather than lunging, because today it doesn't matter whether it is a good tackle or a bad tackle. It is in the rules that you can tackle that way but it is in the minds of almost every referee that you can't. It doesn't come from them - the referees - it comes from their bosses. It comes from people higher up telling them to stamp it out."

 

With Mark Viduka and Shola Ameobi almost certainly ruled out with calf problems, Smith has missed his chance to start up front against Spurs.

 

And Allardyce wants to see him return to action at Reading on October 27 - the eve of his 27th birthday - having learned from his ban.

 

"The physical side of the game has become a real problem, but if Alan can just curb it a bit it would help," said Allardyce.

 

"The next time a suspension comes around it will be two games. Three suspensions this year equals four to six games and that is why we need him to show a little bit more self-control."

 

With Smith suspended and both Viduka and Ameobi nursing injuries, Allardyce could have to pair Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins together on Monday night.

 

While Newcastle are well blessed with strikers, there is still a possibility that Eidur Gudjohnsen could arrive on Tyneside in the January transfer window.

 

The Icelandic international has had his opportunities limited at Barcelona this season and the Spanish club's technical secretary, Txiki Beguristain, has admitted the player could leave.

 

Allardyce was part of a Newcastle delegation which spent time in Barcelona in the summer negotiating a deal for Brazilian defender Edmilson, a transfer which could come to fruition.

 

Any Allardyce move for Gudjohnsen, also courted by West Ham, is likely to hinge on whether attacking midfielder Emre is still at the club.

 

The Turkish international is understood to be angling for a move in January and Newcastle could sell if the offer is right. That would pave the way for Gudjohsen, who can also play in midfield, to move to Newcastle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eid love to see Gudjohnsen here, like.

 

aye. we should have signed him instead of smith. he's better up front and unlike smith he can actually play in midfield.

We tried to sign him and he wasn't interested though. Supposedly, anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.