Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

My nomination for player of the year is Johnathan Smith - Surprised? I nominate Johnathan for the incredible patience he has shown despite being frozen out of the team for nearly of all of this and the majority of last season (apart from being thrown on for the last five minutes of some games to try and rescue a lost cause). The decision by John Coleman not to play Johnathan is one of the worst i can remember in nearly 30 years of watching football and one which in my opinion has ultimately cost Stanley a place in the playoffs also the nepotism shown by John Coleman towards certain individuals in his team selection i think ended up being counter productive. Over the last two seasons in the games he has played Johnathan has been terrific at both ends of the pitch and put his heart and soul into playing for Stanley but it seems his only reward was a place on the bench for the next game Alas it seems his face does'nt fit. Now i read on Monday that he is going to be released WHAT A SURPRISE. At least there will be no shortage of offers from other clubs and he will go somewhere he will be more appreciated. So if Hereford away proves to be his last league game it means he has signed off in style with a typically battling performance! GOOD LUCK JOHNATHAN


PS John Coleman's bleating about referees is starting to wear a bit thin.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

good point, dont worry your the only 1 whos is fuming about Colemans decision!

im definately gonna get my point across next season

mite even have smith on the back of my stanley shirt!

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Johnathan Smith is a good Unibond defender but not good enough for the Conference. He has been a loyal servant to the Club and always given 100%, but he is not good enough. There is no room for sentiment in the game when we are trying to win the league. Johnathan Smith will get another club, but I will be very surprised if it is another Conference club. Everybody has their limitations and I think that the Unibond/Conference North is Johnathans limitation. We need experienced defenders who can read the game not somebody who can just head the ball or side foot it to nobody.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

I think its the right time for smithy to move on, he's approaching his peak and deserves a regular first team place.
I disagree with people angry at Coleys decision not to play him, as Rocky and Flynny have formed a brilliant centre half partnership and it wouldnt have been fair to play Smithy when Rocky was learning so much from Flynn.
Nevertheless Smithy is (or was) a legend at the IES and will be remembered as the best centre half and arguably our best player in our Unibond days, all the best to him.

(just pleeeaaase dont go to Barrow!!!)

(or Morecambe)

(or Southport)

(or Burton)

:)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

I am a tremendous Smithy fan but the manager pretty much had to play Williams with Mike Flynn so there was someone with pace at the back to compliment Flynn who, in every other respect, is excellent. I sincerely hope there will be at least one central defensive signing for next season as the fact is Williams is not good enough. There are at least two or three times per game when he is caught out of position on the wrong side of his opponent and chances and goals have resulted from it. The defensive goals against record is Stanley's Achilles' heel and eliminating Williams from the equation will go some way to rectifying the problem.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Dont agree with you there.....

In my opinion Robbie Williams has been absolutely superb

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

my view is that Smithy has simply not been given a big enough chance to prove himself at conference level,,,

he is in 1 game, then out the next!

and i aint robbies biggest fan either!

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Smiffy16, I thought you went on the pitch with a fork at half time. I now realise that it must be a white stick in disguise.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Spot on there, Smiffy. Rocky is a superb defender.

Stanleybabe

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Rocky has been absolutely top class this season. He and flynny deserve a lot of credit for this.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

dont agree with rocky fan club. point is folks you must look at the goals stanley have conceeded. It's pretty bad and surely Rocky must take some responsibility being almost ever-present in that back four that has leaked them. He is a good defender, but prone to error. He may, and I said may, be the weak link in that defence.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Williams often plays well for long periods but then there are the positional lapses I described before and they have cost the team big time. I fully expect him to retain his position next season so expect another heavy figure in the goals against column and his fans scratching their heads again and wondering why..?

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

I think Robbie Williams has improved a hell of a lot and this season has been a learning curve for him. i think he has got better with flynn playing alongside him. Yes he got some stick early on but got better. We need a quality centre half with experience to replace Jon Smith. I like Jim Bentley at Morecambe, but cant see Morecambe parting with him. I would then play Bentley and Flynn and have Robbie as an excellent reserve..

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Jim Bentley is sheer class and better than anything we have at the moment. I very much doubt that he'll be leaving Morecambe, but if they're serious about this Rory thing, maybe a deal could be done?

If I had the chance to trade Bentley for Prendergast, I wouldn't hesitate for a second. ;)

I really hope JC concentrates his efforts on signing some quality defenders for next season, as a solid defence is what successful teams are built on. It isn't a mystery why we missed out on the play-offs this season, as the goals conceded column speaks for itself (58 I think). Look at Chelsea... 13 goals against. Different levels of course, but the facts speak for themselves.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Tin Monkey I agree with you, you never know what might happen with Bentley...There is no doubt in my mind that I would swap Rory for Jim Bentley, but like we have both said I cannot see Morecambe parting company with him.

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Yes, we conceded too many goals but a lot of those were in the 'Crichton period' - I think we dropped around 10 points when he was in goal and John Coleman has to take some of the flack for that for selecting him ahead of Danny Alcock when he was clearly not good enough

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

At last, somebody agrees with me. I have been saying for the last couple of years "If we had a defence we would be dangerous", and every time I posted on that subject I was shot down, told to stop moaning, told that there was nothing wrong with the defence and more or less told to shut up. Now, at last, people are starting to realise that our defence is just not good enough. If we sort it out I am confident that we will run away with the league next season.

AccyMad mentions the "Crichton period" where we lost games. The blame cannot be put totally on Chrichton, take Farnborough and Forest Green away, we lost both those games but how many simple chances did the strikers miss - do we blame Mully or Evil when this happens - no - but when the keeper makes a mistake it is remembered. Take all the easy chances that the strikers have missed this season and we would easily have been in the play-offs

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

I didn't mean that all the blame was Paul Crichton's but it was certainly a big factor, with the defence having to get used to another keeper being part of that.

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Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Well said Harwood Red - I was trying to be diplomatic but your post is much better!

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Don't see many hands up in the air, Harwood Red!

Stanleybabe :)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Sorry Woody he signed for us last night :)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

I wonder if smith who is an Accy lad.... will follow the ultras and P on the pitch for accy.......... :)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Doesn't look like it! Quote from an interview with Jonathan Smith on the Barrow soccerline................

INTERVIEWER: You must be looking forward to becoming a favourite with the fans at Barrow.

SMITH: Yeah, I always got on well with the fans at Accrington and they are quite a big club but I feel I'm coming to an even bigger club here.


At least some from Accrington talk sense ;)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Doesn't look like it! Quote from an interview with Jonathan Smith on the Barrow soccerline................

INTERVIEWER: You must be looking forward to becoming a favourite with the fans at Barrow.

SMITH: Yeah, I always got on well with the fans at Accrington and they are quite a big club but I feel I'm coming to an even bigger club here.


At least some from Accrington talk sense ;)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

haha hence why your called the mighty barrow :)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

Hehehe.... they all talk like that in Darwen. ;)

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

SMITH: Yeah, I always got on well with the fans at Accrington and they are quite a big club but I feel I'm coming to an even bigger club here.


At least some from Accrington talk sense ;)

Ha Ha Unibond , Bigger Club My Ass , We Should Have A Friendly With You Lot

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

we are doing

Re: Smithy Odd Man Out?
 

We`ll There Is No Point Slatting Williams Now , As Football Has Ended For Another Season , Cant Wait To See Who We Sign Though