Matt Smith

[scawsby steve]

Just to remind some people who regard him as a lower league "big lump", he's played for Leeds, Fulham, and QPR, and has always scored for fun against us, for Bristol City, Leeds, and Salford.

Just to add, the lad's a university graduate.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Don’t care if he’s a Nobel prize winner we should defend against him a lot better.

[Chris Black come back]

Don’t care if he’s a Nobel prize winner we should defend against him a lot better.

This is correct. He is 34 and been around a long time. He is no surprise package yet we played entirely to his strengths. Poor defensive performance against him tonight.

[Paul Simpson]

Excellent Striker! Made fun of our defence tonight!
We’ve got a lot of work to do if we think we’re going back up

[monkeytennis]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

[CJK]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

Getting tighter to stop the crosses coming in would have been a start. Shame our wide players couldn't match the quality of final balls into the box.

[scawsby steve]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

Dead right. We made the same mistake with Charlie Wyke at Sunderland 3 years ago.

[jmt23]

We never do well against big lads up front, who was the Sunderland lad, didn’t he get a hatrick in something like 20 mins a few seasons ago.

You can’t stop every cross, but you can make it damn awkward for a single player to get anything on it, Tom was at fault for the first two goals in my view, he totally lost him, and that is vastly different from being bullied by a big lad.

Good headers though, both of them.

[drfchound]

From Salfords point of view the first two goals were terrific.
Obviously from our point of view they were poor.
When I saw Matt Smith in the line up I just knew he would score, he always does against us.
He is good at what he does.

[scawsby steve]

We never do well against big lads up front, who was the Sunderland lad, didn’t he get a hatrick in something like 20 mins a few seasons ago.

You can’t stop every cross, but you can make it damn awkward for a single player to get anything on it, Tom was at fault for the first two goals in my view, he totally lost him, and that is vastly different from being bullied by a big lad.

Good headers though, both of them.

I refer you to my post above; and it wasn't just a hat trick. He scored 4, each one a carbon copy.

[Ryaldinhio]

He is on 12 or 13 goals already. Could make 20 before Xmas.

Yet people are questioning him or what he would bring???????

 

[Rovers91]

You need to stop the crosses coming in to stop him, he will beat anyone in league to an header when it comes into the box.
It's a shame Wood wasn't fit because I think out of all the centre backs we have he would have been the one that can handle him.

[RobTheRover]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

Getting tighter to stop the crosses coming in would have been a start. Shame our wide players couldn't match the quality of final balls into the box.

This is it. Nixon allowed far too much space for the crosser. It was abvious what he wanted to do. Move it to the left and whip it in. Should always be making them go towards the line rather than let them have an angle.

[Chris the Rover]

Too big, too strong, too good!

[Metalmicky]

TBF the crosses in to him were excellent and both headers were excellent.... top performance from a player that Salford are lucky to have at this level.

[ForsolongaRover]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

Getting tighter to stop the crosses coming in would have been a start. Shame our wide players couldn't match the quality of final balls into the box.

This is it. Nixon allowed far too much space for the crosser. It was abvious what he wanted to do. Move it to the left and whip it in. Should always be making them go towards the line rather than let them have an angle.

Doesn’t the goalkeeper have a role here beyond spectating?

[Colemans Left Hook]

with my so called "selective" photographic memory I remember this version of "Matt Smith" doing summat in the Facup when Dickov was manager -  They got a replay against someone or something then Dickov resigned as Manager but was there cheering Oldham on as something good for Oldham happened.

So that's the "skeleton argument" let's see what really happened

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/matt-smith-owes-career-path-to-his-dad-the-doctor-1588630

"Yet, if the man who shares his name with the star of Dr Who brings heartache to Everton tonight, it will be all be down to one particular “good doctor” from Edinburgh.

Dr Ian Smith was the proud father who watched 11 nights ago at Boundary Park, as his son Matt came off the bench to head Oldham’s dramatic 94th-minute equaliser in the original fifth round tie and certainly eclipsed his own scoring feats for Hearts 35 years ago.

Matt’s two goals against Liverpool in the previous round created a 3-2 success which raised the profile of himself and the struggling League One club, even if it could not save the job of Paul Dickov, the former Scotland striker, who was sacked before facing Everton.

it was Dickov who spotted the potential of the 23-year-old striker, who spent four years at Manchester University pursuing a degree, on the orders of his Scottish father.

Ian Smith juggled a medical career with football during the 1970s, moving down south where he was in the Birmingham City squad when the club reached the 1975 FA Cup semi-final, before a brief spell in his native Edinburgh at Tynecastle, convinced Ian that his real future lay with health matters, not Hearts.

“We wanted Matt to have a go at football but we told him to get a degree behind him first,” said Ian, who also played for Queen‘s Park and Queen of the South. “I then told him ‘follow your dreams, son’ and we were indebted to Paul Dickov for 
giving him a chance when he finished his studies.”

Dickov was on the ITV commentary team in the first match and the former Scotland striker was spotted jumping about after Matt’s late leveller. “I spent ages working with Matt, telling him to start his runs deeper because no-one can get close to him if the delivery is right,” he said.

Dickov gave Matt a two-year deal when he signed in 2011 from non-league Solihull Moors, back in Matt’s home town of Birmingham, where Ian settled to focus on being a doctor.

His father, who was also a striker, had been a prolific scorer for Birmingam City’s reserve side in 1975 and made two first-team appearances that season in the league, but his work at the local Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre got in the way of football.

etc etc ...........  you will have to click on the link to read the rest 

[The Beast]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

Getting tighter to stop the crosses coming in would have been a start. Shame our wide players couldn't match the quality of final balls into the box.

This is it. Nixon allowed far too much space for the crosser. It was abvious what he wanted to do. Move it to the left and whip it in. Should always be making them go towards the line rather than let them have an angle.

Doesn’t the goalkeeper have a role here beyond spectating?

I thought on the first goal the ball was in the air for an eternity, surely Jones had time to come from his starting position, I’m sure Cairns would’ve got it despite being vertically challenged! Didn’t cover himself in glory for the third either. Having said that Smith was too big, strong and clever, Salford must be paying him a small fortune, makes you laugh how a club that brings an away following on a skateboard can afford players of this ilk.

[Upton Rover]

Man mark the great soft lump, we never did this and paid the price

[The Beast]

Man mark the great soft lump, we never did this and paid the price

Doesn’t make any difference, if the attacker is 4 or 5 inches bigger and considerably stronger than the defender he’ll win the header 9 times out of ten, all he has to do is rest his forearm above the defender’s shoulders. You’ve got to stop the cross or your keeper’s got to come out, alternatively your centre halves have got to be ninjas in the dark arts, unfortunately ours aren’t.

[selby]

Woods and Faulkner are, and have never played together at all. and last nights game was not the first Smith has owned our central defenders and used them as his Bunny's.

[5minstogo]

Woods and Faulkner are, and have never played together at all. and last nights game was not the first Smith has owned our central defenders and used them as his Bunny's.

And neither were available

[The Beast]

Woods and Faulkner are, and have never played together at all. and last nights game was not the first Smith has owned our central defenders and used them as his Bunny's.

Do you honestly think Faulkner could compete in the air with Smith? Don’t take this as a dig, honest question.

[drfchound]

Man mark the great soft lump, we never did this and paid the price

Smith isn’t a great soft lump though is he.
He is very good at what he does and has scored goals all his career, many of them at Championship level.

[Barmby Rover]

The main problem we have currently, there were no options for GM to change things, our bench was full of youngsters, most of which were attackers/midfielders. They are hardly equipped to nullify Smith. The injury list caught up with Rovers last night, be grateful that those fit and playing have done so well for us for the last 6-7 games. Hopefully when it gets really busy towards Xmas we can welcome another half a squad back and look a bit more like it. Thankfully we have a lot of , so called, easier games until then.

[Filo]

Just don’t understand why we didn’t have a better plan to mitigate against him tonight.

Getting tighter to stop the crosses coming in would have been a start. Shame our wide players couldn't match the quality of final balls into the box.

This is it. Nixon allowed far too much space for the crosser. It was abvious what he wanted to do. Move it to the left and whip it in. Should always be making them go towards the line rather than let them have an angle.

Doesn’t the goalkeeper have a role here beyond spectating?

That cross for the first goal was Jones to win, but yet again his feet were nailed to the line

[DMnumber4]

Worryingly Smith beats Olowu for the first and Anderson for the second. The fact that he had the wood (no pun intended) over both is a concern.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Worryingly Smith beats Olowu for the first and Anderson for the second. The fact that he had the wood (no pun intended) over both is a concern.

Smith will beat the vast majority of defenders in a straight jumping contest.

At best, if you can get close to him and manoeuvre him away from where he wants to be, you have a chance but it's difficult, as it was defending against Akinfenwa.

Tom didn't even get into position to get near him for the second, when he had ample time to.

[selby]

  The Beast, I honestly don't know, but I have seen him challenge big lumps when he was sixteen in men's football and hold his own, and I really think Smith would have had a harder time  of it with Wood and Faulkner whichever played if they were fit.
  Hopefully wood will be back fit soon, Bobby will be out for a while.

[Colin C No.3]

One man doesn’t make a team.

You have to be slicker & quicker to cut out the supply given that once the ball is hanging in the air in your own penalty area only one man is going to get on the end of it.

Unless of course you have a keeper of equal height & stature to players like Smith who command their areas & we don’t.