Michael Smith signs a two year deal

[Weybridge]

http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/arti ... 51653.aspx


Decent news.

[Lost in Transportation]

Yay footie stuff!

Welcome back Michael.

From Ollie Birch: These are the average points won by McNulty, Lavery and Smith from the matches they started:

McNulty 1.42 points per match
Lavery 1.50 points per match
Smith 1.84 points per match

[Earl Grey]

Ooh good. I've always loved carthorses.

[pomp 'n circumstance]

Ooh good. I've always loved carthorses.

If you are comparing our new signing to the noble beast above, then you are showing a marked disrespect for the carthorse - shame on you EG!

[Selsey Bill]

Ooh good. I've always loved carthorses.

My first sight of Michael Smith was away at Mansfield on a bitterly cold day back in March. The whole Pompey team were pretty abject in a game which we just about deserved to scrape a 1-1 draw, but Smith was awful. I would have been happy to never see him again in a Pompey shirt. However, and it is a big however, he got better and better the more playing time he got, and his absence by the time the play offs came around was telling. I think he will do very well for us next season, and I wouldn't be surprised if he scored about 15 goals. He also holds the ball up very well and defenders don't like playing against him.

[Pompey Penguin]

Good solid signing. I agree with SB that Smith got a lot better as he played for us; I think he was short of match practice when he joined and it certainly looked like that for his first few games. We played some of our best football of the season with Roberts playing off Smith.

I would hope that there will be another maybe better signing of this type of player. It is unreasonable to expect one player to fill the lone striker role for a full season especially when we are playing twice a week. Also it would give us the option of playing two strikers who can occupy centre-backs in some games; a real 4-4-2 or 4-1-3-2 which opens up opportunities for attacking midfielders.

[Locky_McLockface]

Paul Cook has suggested that there will be a further striker in through the door before too long - and I hear rumours that it might be McNulty, but they are only rumours.

Cook has also confirmed that another player has been signed, but not yet confirmed. The smart money is on this being Milan Lalkovic, a LW formerly of Walsall, but there are some people suggesting that it's Jay O'Shea, with Lalkovic still to be completed.

[Selsey Bill]

One thing's for sure, its all moving along nicely in the right direction.

[Lost in Transportation]

One thing's for sure, its all moving along nicely in the right direction.

I also have a sense of quiet optimism. Banged on last season about judging Cook after three transfer windows. Its coming together nicely.

[richisbradders]

If smith had been there in the playoffs I think we would have gone up. We really missed him in the last few games.

[Claygate]

Paul Cook has suggested that there will be a further striker in through the door before too long - and I hear rumours that it might be McNulty, but they are only rumours.

Cook has also confirmed that another player has been signed, but not yet confirmed. The smart money is on this being Milan Lalkovic, a LW formerly of Walsall, but there are some people suggesting that it's Jay O'Shea, with Lalkovic still to be completed.

Yesterday's Snooze were reporting the Jay O'Shea was dead in the water...

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/footb ... -1-7448615

POMPEY have not tabled a new bid for Jay O’Shea.

And The News understands no move to Fratton Park is now expected for the Chesterfield man this summer.

That’s with Walsall’s Milan Lalkovic set to arrive at the club next week.

Talk of another Blues offer for O’Shea has surfaced over the past 24 hours.

That is wide of the mark, however, with their pursuit of the 27-year-old now at an end.

Chesterfield confirmed there had been two bids tabled for O’Shea last month, who has a year left on his existing agreement at the Proact Stadium.

Spireites chief executive Chris Turner explained both moves had been knocked back.

Turner intimated, however, the player’s head had been turned by the prospect of a better deal at Pompey.

But Paul Cook’s attention has now moved to Lalkovic with the player refusing a new contract at the Bescot Stadium.

The 23-year-old has been identified as the priority target to add further attacking creativity to Cook’s ranks.

Cook felt Lalkovic would be playing at a higher level next season, but the battle to land his signature has now effectively been won.

Lalkovic is currently away on holiday in Dubai, but the former Chelsea trainee will complete the formalities of his arrival on his return next week.

That will further bolster a Pompey squad which has already seen five new faces join the club.

Matt Clarke, Danny Rose, Carl Baker, Drew Talbot and Michael Smith are the signings. Adam Webster and Brian Murphy have departed, with Ben Davies failing to agree a new contract.

[pompeygunner]

Smithy started off slowly but got better the longer he was here. Some very decent hold up play & definitely upsets defenders. The one thing he needs to do is improve his shooting. But he's decent in the air & will be good for us IMO.