When did anyone last benefit from a ManU reject?

Nice one. Not sure Major League is EPL like. But for selling shirts he is GOD!

 

Long time ago, but David McCreery was fantastic for us.

 

while i agree guthrie was our best central midfielder in the second half of our season in the championship, we played him on the right wing early on, partially because we had noone else to play there, yes, but mostly because we wanted him in the team for his passing, whilst still keeping smith in for his influence, and nolan in for his goals in a 4-4-2. even when we played 5 in midfield away we preferred a right midfielder who could pass.

and smith was an influence, he put everything he had on the line every game he played. id' say he only made a real difference in about 6 games or so, but when you have a nervy squad of players who:

have just had a nightmare of a season,
are waiting for a call to tell them they're moving clubs,
are called things like "colo the clown" from members of the crowd whenever they touch the ball
have seen most of the "talent" leave the squad,
have been hammered by orient,
are in an unfamiliar league
are in a team regarded as a "scalp" and therefore up against players more determined than usual.

you need players like him to get you a good start. the club was an absolute mess on and off the pitch and who is to say how the season would have gone if we didn't get off to a good start.

 

You make an eloquent case but NOT for Smith.

- agree with the mare season but Ashley got rid of quite a chunk of players for cash. Not always best paid ones
- no one has EVER come in for him!
- no one doubts his agrressive style of play but his bookings were many as he simply cannot tackle within current rules
- class shines no matter what league.

IMO he has stayed put because he cannot get his wages elsewhere. Jeez , Nolan did and he's a carthorse ( but scores goals!!). It's not Smith's fault he is so highly paid but don't go making a case fr him saving Newcastle from being a Leeds. Even Shola and Carroll did ten times as much.

 

as a footballer i agree, he is technically very poor in that sense and always has been for us.

but we needed that character imo, the above and beyond for the team, on and off the pitch, to lead the way and enable the ship to be steadied and our team morale to evolve. As i said - without that who knows what would have happened? no good start leads to no morale leads to fans getting on the teams back leads to worse morale leads to worse football leads to horrible season leads to no promotion etc etc

i'm not saying smith single handedly caused our promotion, far from it, but there are a number of factors which have to come together to give us the championship success and smith's early role is key imo

 

Newcastle have benefited with Simpson