It's clear to me that if we're going to use Cellino's wingerless 433/451 system, then Smith is going to struggle for game time. He just doesn't seem mobile enough for this system. I think the best he can hope for is suspersub status, especially if we bring in another striker. Hope I'm wrong. If I'm right, then we're never going to hold on to Smith. He's hungry, and he wants game time. If we can't give him game time, he'll be off. Now it just so happens that we're a bit short of CBs. I wonder if we should think of playing him at CB. He wins everything in the air; he's clever; he's fearless; he can put himself about; and although not so fast on his pins, he's no slouch either. Perhaps he'd be rubbish, but I think it's a gamble worth thinking about. He'd still be available as a supersub - only instead of being on the bench, he'd just move upfield & a sub CB could be brought on. Just thought I'd mention it. After all, John Charles managed to handle both positions. What do you think?
Mighty praise indeed mentioning the phenomenal John Charles in the same bracket IF Smith ever managed to pull it off ... just feel that as a CB he wouldn't be alert enough, and will switch off too often ... then again
John Charles is the only Leeds example I could think of. Can think of a few examples over the years in Scotland, but the names probably wouldn't mean anything to anyone. But they were successful at both ends.
Not a bad idea WJ, personally I wouldn't mention him in the same breath as J.C, but I know what you mean. Different position, but G.Kelly started off as a striker, but Wilko change him to R.B...would Smith be willing to change position?
With us playing the ball on the floor rather than hoofing it up, wherever they come from Smith should be on the receiving end of plenty of crosses. Bianch?? at RB and Byram at RM would help. So let's not write Smith off just yet a while.
Deffo not writing him off. On the contrary, I love the player. I just think he may be eased out in favour of more agile players with this 433 system we're playing, & I don't want him to go!
Just a thought, how about we keep Smith as an impact sub and Cellino actually spends some of the McCormack money on two top class CB's and an out and out goal scorer, leaving enough money to buy out the contracts of Morison and Hunt?
Would be great to get the striker & CBs, but you'd still have the problem of keeping Smith. He would want to leave us to get game time. That's the problem with him being supersub. Deffo agree with you re. Hunt, but after watching Morison yesterday, I'm not so sure about getting rid of him. Yet. He was clearly unfit before. Looks very lean & mobile now. I for one am giving him another chance. Going by the ovation he got when leaving the pitch yesterday, I think a few thousand others are too.
Admittedly I didn't see him play yesterday but I'd say Morison at his very very best is not good enough, never was good enough, and never will be good enough for Leeds United. If he was good enough, someone would have made an offer for him. I think he's merely being put in the shop window, and while he's there he's taking up the space of a more talented player. Time for some McCormack money to be spent
Hate to tell you Forza, but I think Morison will prove a lot of us wrong. He looked very mobile & really put in a shift. Playing the ball on the floor rather than hoofing it up field will help. So let's not write him off just yet, even if he did look cr^p last season
We need goal scorers, players can put in shifts and track back and tackle all they want but if we want to be challenging we need a team that can bag at least 70 goals. I am not expecting that this season but looking through our team as it stands where will we get 70 goals from? Personally I don't believe we have a 20 goal striker with us, even if we did then 50 goals between the rest of the team?? It isn't going to happen. Smith isn't good enough to lead the front line on his own, I agree an impact sub is the best he can hope for, as for shirt on defenders, I would prefer to see Taylor on the left and Warnock used as a central defender if we are short, that is assuming we don't go and spend some money. Cellino promised us a replacement for Ross, I hope he hurries up and finds him along with the other 5 players he said we were going to get.
