Smerts is a decent enough player but there must be questions about his attitude - what has gone wrong in his beloved Russia? If we weren't good enough last season, why are we this?
from what i could understand, he was offered very good money to repatriate. I don't think he would of moved to any other club in the world than a Russian club, as i know he turned down other English clubs to come to us purely because his kids were settled in a Russian school in London.
Perhaps the promised money has struggled to materialise ? Perhaps he is out of favour ?
Never really rated Smertin in the first place. Dont think he is what we need in our midfield now anyway. He was always just a classier Holland. Got stuck in a touch more and always played square. Couldnt shoot to save his life after one of his little runs.
We need a muncher who can pass it.
Thought Smerts was a reasonable player with a great attitude to grafting but always seemed to just go round and round in circles. Agree with Polo about his shooting ability - banjo and all that. We really need someone who has some talent/skill/creativity to put that decisive ball through to the main man Benty, like Murphy (spit) did and Claus Jenson would do all day long.
Then the midfielders to do the donkey work plus some decent defenders wouldn't go a miss.
For Murphy we have Andy Reid and Smertin is better than all of our other central midfielders - so put him in with one other + Romm/Thomas and we have a mix of graft and guile. The 5 man midfield at the beginning of last season with Murphy and Smertin was one of the best in the last 7 years and compares to the Parker/Jensen times. As for shooting well we have strikers for that who just need some service!
i really wouold not call him a mercenary (unlike JFH).
he actually looked liked he cared when he played for us, always clapped the fans and was a decent.
We have to remember he was Chelsea's player and they got money for him (and stopped paying his wages), plus Smerts had the opportunity to return home. It hasnt worked out, he realises that and wants to return. If he returns to us then i would be very happy. He might not keep us up but he would definately add something to the midfield for the remainder of the season.
Met him quite a few times, very nice, shy bloke and not your average footballer type.
Could of earned a lot more than to come to us, but kids were settled. Eventually got offered a nice nest egg in his home country. I certainly wouldn't of played it any different.
Would be made up to have him back. Not an eye catching player but hassles, and more importantly, retains possession, something our back 4 desperately need our midfield to do..
I think he'd b quality along with reid in the middle, he's 30 so only need give him 3 yr contract, would b cheap as, i imagine cost less than or about a million
we desperatly need a strong no nonsense passing midfielder, not another creative tart in the middle, we've got more than enough creative midfielders, needs must and we need a player like smertin
also love c eastwood and stokes comin in, total spend won;t b more than 4/5 mill for the three
now we've already got 400,000 for anderson, jimmy off for a million (with any luck), marcus off for bout a mill aswell make our total spend only bout 2/2.5 mill for a much stronger/balancned team who are gonna score goals (even without baby bent!!)
[cite]Posted By: scruffle[/cite]now we've already got 400,000 for anderson, jimmy off for a million (with any luck), marcus off for bout a mill aswell make our total spend only bout 2/2.5 mill for a much stronger/balancned team who are gonna score goals (even without baby bent!!)
Jimmy and Big Bent won't go anywhere till we've got cover - not with Dazzler out injured.
[cite]Posted By: razil[/cite]Shouldn't that be ZZ, Smerty and Reidy..
Certainly ZZ if he proves himself better than Kish.
We thought Faye and Pouso would be better than Kish though and they appear not to be so I will reserve judgement on ZZ until I've seen him play at Prem level.
Comments
Hartson - definitely no thanks, too old, too fat, too slow and definitely would want just his final cash injection.
Would be a good addition.
Stone?
Yeah what?
Perhaps the promised money has struggled to materialise ? Perhaps he is out of favour ?
: )
We need a muncher who can pass it.
Then the midfielders to do the donkey work plus some decent defenders wouldn't go a miss.
Would Smertin the mercenary be up for a relegation scrap though?
he actually looked liked he cared when he played for us, always clapped the fans and was a decent.
We have to remember he was Chelsea's player and they got money for him (and stopped paying his wages), plus Smerts had the opportunity to return home. It hasnt worked out, he realises that and wants to return. If he returns to us then i would be very happy. He might not keep us up but he would definately add something to the midfield for the remainder of the season.
Could of earned a lot more than to come to us, but kids were settled. Eventually got offered a nice nest egg in his home country. I certainly wouldn't of played it any different.
Would be made up to have him back. Not an eye catching player but hassles, and more importantly, retains possession, something our back 4 desperately need our midfield to do..
we desperatly need a strong no nonsense passing midfielder, not another creative tart in the middle, we've got more than enough creative midfielders, needs must and we need a player like smertin
also love c eastwood and stokes comin in, total spend won;t b more than 4/5 mill for the three
now we've already got 400,000 for anderson, jimmy off for a million (with any luck), marcus off for bout a mill aswell make our total spend only bout 2/2.5 mill for a much stronger/balancned team who are gonna score goals (even without baby bent!!)
Jimmy and Big Bent won't go anywhere till we've got cover - not with Dazzler out injured.
Certainly ZZ if he proves himself better than Kish.
We thought Faye and Pouso would be better than Kish though and they appear not to be so I will reserve judgement on ZZ until I've seen him play at Prem level.