Tommy Smith - Gazumped by Pompey - Thread

[W&E Royal]

He'll want to sign a striker as well as Smith imo. Unless he sees McAnuff has his wide man, who's another player we've been linked with.

I'm sure there's a Watford fan who can tell us if Smith's better up on his own or wide in a five?

I met a defender of our great club yesterday and he said that Tommy (if signed) would be used just behind the front man, like an attacking midfielder. Where this leaves Matejovsky and Davies i don't know?

[Broxroyal]

Rodgers has been talking about getting someone in to link the midfield and attack, i.e. play just behind the main striker. This may well be Smith. Where this leaves Marek I don't know. I don't think it knocks Scott Davies back; he can play a few midfield positions and has time on his side. Marek, however........

[Agent Balti]

A fee of roughly half what we sold Hunt for & pretty much all is agreed. Sheould be confimed in next 36 hours.

Along with Dervitte. Smashing.

[brendywendy]

why would we loan in another CB?

[Agent Balti]

why would we loan in another CB?

Wrong end of stick, Brendy. Flash broke the news that we were signing Dervitte which such earth-shattering certainty....then it never happened. About as reliable as Harry Carry.

[Ian Royal]

Rodgers has been talking about getting someone in to link the midfield and attack, i.e. play just behind the main striker. This may well be Smith. Where this leaves Marek I don't know. I don't think it knocks Scott Davies back; he can play a few midfield positions and has time on his side. Marek, however........

LOL @ Marek playing just behind the striker. You need to be athletic to do that. Marek is a player who sits in (maybe a slightly advanced) midfield position and makes the killer passes from there. He is most certainly not a player who gets in the box on the end of things, or lays off the ball to bring midfield forward and get it back going forward.

This'll hurt Davies most if it's true. But he's got time on his side and it couldn't hurt for him to learn from Smith.

[Royalee]

Why would it harm Davies' chances? He'll be down the middle and Smith'll be wide.

[W&E Royal]

Why would it harm Davies' chances? He'll be down the middle and Smith'll be wide.

Did you not see what i wrote???

be used just behind the front man, like an attacking midfielder.

[Wycombe Royal]

Why would it harm Davies' chances? He'll be down the middle and Smith'll be wide.

Exactly it's more likely to harm HRK and Henry's chances.

[Royalee]

Why would it harm Davies' chances? He'll be down the middle and Smith'll be wide.

Exactly it's more likely to harm HRK and Henry's chances.

Or Kebe's, fingers crossed.

[W&E Royal]

be used just behind the front man, like an attacking midfielder

[wolsey]

Why would it harm Davies' chances? He'll be down the middle and Smith'll be wide.

Exactly it's more likely to harm HRK and Henry's chances.

Or Kebe's, fingers crossed.

Does he play on the left then? Or can HRK or Henry or Hunt (sorry -he's gone)

I'm confused - Is he that good that he will be accommodated at all costs?

How will he help us score the goals that we will need to be anywhere near the play-offs?

['lista]

be used just behind the front man, like an attacking midfielder

Maybe everyone has you on 'ignore'.

[Royalee]

Does he play on the left then? Or can HRK or Henry or Hunt (sorry -he's gone)

I'm confused - Is he that good that he will be accommodated at all costs?

How will he help us score the goals that we will need to be anywhere near the play-offs?

He's been playing on the left since Rodgers went to Watford pretty much and yes he will help us to score goals, both in terms of goals himself and what he'll create for others.

[W&E Royal]

be used just behind the front man, like an attacking midfielder

Maybe everyone has you on 'ignore'.

Maybe, that would be funny!!

Perhaps i'm the only one getting annoyed with Royalee and everyone else loves him!!

[Hoop Blah]

Rodgers has talked about needing a link man, and Smith seems to be his top target.

Whether he see's him as that link man is another thing, I'm not sure that any of the players would know for a fact what Rodgers had in store for him even if he/W&E are telling the truth.

The link man Rodgers keeps mentioning doen't have to be in that advanced midfield position (the one a lot of people want to see Matejovsky given a decent chance in*). It could be the central forward being able to play with his back to goal and bringing the other attacking players into the game a bit more, or even one of the wide forwards doing much the same.

*Ian Royal, Matejovsky can play that position, you don't have to be athletic at all to excel in that position. Who have been the best players 'in the hole' over the last 10-15 years? Cantona, Sheringham, Zola, Berkamp, Scholes and even Giggs as he's got older. None of them are great runners and Matejovsky is ideally suited to that role because he has the vision to pick a pass and the touch and awareness to make himself space and get his head up when under pressure. They're much more important qualities in that position than, for example, Gerrards ability to make bursting runs beyond the ball.

For what it's worth, I can't really see us playing that link man 'in the hole' like that anyway. Early indications are that Rodgers favours a 4-3-3 more akin to the Chelsea way of playing than the way Liverpool or United went about playing with two more defensive midfields and 'a number 10' playing off the forward.

Whatever happens, the signing of Smith will improve the starting XI and give us more of a threat whether he's played centrally or on the right. I'd still hope we sign a talior made centre forward as well though, as I'm not convinced that Long, Church or Hunt will really suit that role.

Interesting times though!

[W&E Royal]

I'm not lying, why would I?

I asked this unnamed defender if we had signed a striker, he said we need one bad. He then said it looks like we'll get Tommy Smith to which i replied that he's not really the type of striker we need as he can't play up top on his own and surely he'll play on the right. The defender in question said that he WOULDN'T play on the right, he's play behind the front man IN SCOTT DAVIES' position. The link between midfield and attack.

This defender is a very nice man and also a very good defender.

[Hoop Blah]

Does he play on the left then? Or can HRK or Henry or Hunt (sorry -he's gone)

I'm confused - Is he that good that he will be accommodated at all costs?

How will he help us score the goals that we will need to be anywhere near the play-offs?

He's been playing on the left since Rodgers went to Watford pretty much and yes he will help us to score goals, both in terms of goals himself and what he'll create for others.

He certainly played on the right quite a bit, especially around the time we played them and the month or so after that.

When did he play on the left?

[Royalwaster]

I'm not lying, why would I?

I asked this unnamed defender if we had signed a striker, he said we need one bad. He then said it looks like we'll get Tommy Smith to which i replied that he's not really the type of striker we need as he can't play up top on his own and surely he'll play on the right. The defender in question said that he WOULDN'T play on the right, he's play behind the front man IN SCOTT DAVIES' position. The link between midfield and attack.

This defender is a very nice man and also a very good defender.

Did he also discloses how much longer we are going to have to speculate about when we're going to sign the man?

[W&E Royal]

No, i should imagine we'll sign him in time for the Swansea game.