Michael Smith

[Berkshire Blue]

Michael Smith was not in the team photo on the official site.

[OldSpice]

Michael Smith was not in the team photo on the official site.

Really? I've not even seen the team photo and couldn't find it on the official site....

[Pompey Penguin]

It was in The News last week.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/footb ... -1-8108575

[Berkshire Blue]

Michael Smith was not in the team photo on the official site.

Really? I've not even seen the team photo and couldn't find it on the official site....

It was posted on the news section of the site on 18th August and is definitely still there.

It is only technological incompetence on my part that stops me from posting a link!

[richisbradders]

Fun Thursday fact. Michael Smith has a better goals to games ratio than Conor Chaplin.

Make of that what you will.

[Pompey1985]

Fun Thursday fact. Michael Smith has a better goals to games ratio than Conor Chaplin.

Make of that what you will.

If he wasn't a local lad he wouldn't be so highly regarded... It's why he is still at the club.

[richisbradders]

Agree, I see he played for the reserves yesterday, so that's two managers that don't really fancy him to start in the first team regularly.

[Selsey Bill]

Fun Thursday fact. Michael Smith has a better goals to games ratio than Conor Chaplin.

Make of that what you will.

If he wasn't a local lad he wouldn't be so highly regarded... It's why he is still at the club.

I do detect that our Conor might have a bit of an attitude problem.

[Lost in Transportation]

I do detect that our Conor might have a bit of an attitude problem.

He worked his whatsnames off on Wednesday evening according to those that watched the game. That demonstrated a good attitude to being in the stiffs. He is a hard trainer and also has trained by himself externally to get physically stronger and more explosive.

I think there's a less Machiavellian reason here. For all his abilities and talents, Conor doesn't quite fit the systems that the first team plays which he himself finds frustrating. The big man / little man combination would be perfect for him. He isn't quite quick enough to stretch a defence like a Lavery. He isn't creative enough to play a 10 role. He isn't quite suited to playing wide. He certainly isn't big and strong enough to bully defenders. He not quite the goal-scoring threat to really worry defenders either. He has lots of good qualities but no weapon to really hurt the opposition to borrow a tennis analogy.

To be his size and to play the 9 role requires a weapon or cleverness that only comes with experience. For example Defoe only learnt to play the lone role in his 30s.

There are things in Conor's game that annoy me such as the diving. I would link that to the frustration though. Can Conor make that breakthrough? I don't know. If not, expect Kenny Jackett to be ruthless in moving him on.

[Berkshire Blue]

I have always thought that Conor's best position would be playing off a target man, like Nicke Kabamba for instance. the problem is that Brett Pitman is more or less fulfilling that role, so he may have to be patient and grab his chance when it comes. He is still very young, and I would hate him to be one of those strikers that we let go and who then blossoms elsewhere. Maybe a short loan spell to get some games would be beneficial?

[pompeygunner]

I do detect that our Conor might have a bit of an attitude problem.

He worked his whatsnames off on Wednesday evening according to those that watched the game. That demonstrated a good attitude to being in the stiffs. He is a hard trainer and also has trained by himself externally to get physically stronger and more explosive.

I think there's a less Machiavellian reason here. For all his abilities and talents, Conor doesn't quite fit the systems that the first team plays which he himself finds frustrating. The big man / little man combination would be perfect for him. He isn't quite quick enough to stretch a defence like a Lavery. He isn't creative enough to play a 10 role. He isn't quite suited to playing wide. He certainly isn't big and strong enough to bully defenders. He not quite the goal-scoring threat to really worry defenders either. He has lots of good qualities but no weapon to really hurt the opposition to borrow a tennis analogy.

To be his size and to play the 9 role requires a weapon or cleverness that only comes with experience. For example Defoe only learnt to play the lone role in his 30s.

There are things in Conor's game that annoy me such as the diving. I would link that to the frustration though. Can Conor make that breakthrough? I don't know. If not, expect Kenny Jackett to be ruthless in moving him on.

Have to disagree with regard to lack of goal threat, he is a goal threat. But unfortunately his size means that in these days where players a real athletes & mostly big with it Conor doesn't fit in. The managers perception of him just doesn't fit the perception of modern players. Which means lack of game time. If he was playing 20 yrs ago he would've slotted in well. Imo given a run of 10 games his goal return would be decent,but he seldom gets the chance in the 1st team.

[Pompey1985]

I do detect that our Conor might have a bit of an attitude problem.

He worked his whatsnames off on Wednesday evening according to those that watched the game. That demonstrated a good attitude to being in the stiffs. He is a hard trainer and also has trained by himself externally to get physically stronger and more explosive.

I think there's a less Machiavellian reason here. For all his abilities and talents, Conor doesn't quite fit the systems that the first team plays which he himself finds frustrating. The big man / little man combination would be perfect for him. He isn't quite quick enough to stretch a defence like a Lavery. He isn't creative enough to play a 10 role. He isn't quite suited to playing wide. He certainly isn't big and strong enough to bully defenders. He not quite the goal-scoring threat to really worry defenders either. He has lots of good qualities but no weapon to really hurt the opposition to borrow a tennis analogy.

To be his size and to play the 9 role requires a weapon or cleverness that only comes with experience. For example Defoe only learnt to play the lone role in his 30s.

There are things in Conor's game that annoy me such as the diving. I would link that to the frustration though. Can Conor make that breakthrough? I don't know. If not, expect Kenny Jackett to be ruthless in moving him on.

Have to disagree with regard to lack of goal threat, he is a goal threat. But unfortunately his size means that in these days where players a real athletes & mostly big with it Conor doesn't fit in. The managers perception of him just doesn't fit the perception of modern players. Which means lack of game time. If he was playing 20 yrs ago he would've slotted in well. Imo given a run of 10 games his goal return would be decent,but he seldom gets the chance in the 1st team.

Has he taken the chances he has had.. goals and games.

[CoshamWreck]

Has he taken the chances he has had.. goals and games.

Clearly not as well as Smith (see above). I reckon he will be lucky to be on the bench tomorrow at best!

[pompeygunner]

Has he taken the chances he has had.. goals and games.

Clearly not as well as Smith (see above). I reckon he will be lucky to be on the bench tomorrow at best!

Well I just wonder if you did a survey of lower league defenders & asked who would they rather face. Imho it would be Smith every time. No contest in fact.

[Lost in Transportation]

Have to disagree with regard to lack of goal threat

I didn't say lack of goal threat. I said he isn't enough of a goal threat to really worry defenders.