Smith: Stop Lifting Your Skirt And Show Some Loyalty …
So, it’s a done deal. The Mirror tells us that Alan Smith is off to Newcastle with United getting £3.5 million in return.
“Despite his reluctance to leave United following a £7million move from Leeds in 2004, Smith has been assured of regular football at Newcastle under Allardyce, something Fergie could not give him at Old Trafford,” the newspaper claimed.
The tale doesn’t quite square with the Sun’s claim at the beginning of the week that Smith wanted face to face talks with Sir Alex before deciding his future.
There’s something wrong with the fee United are due to receive too, if the deal goes ahead. If the raw and unproven Darren Bent moves to Spurs for £16 million, why on earth would United accept such a pitiful amount for an England international and from a club known to have money to burn?
More importantly, what is Smith or his agent doing lifting the skirt like a Saturday night good time girl for every club in the Premiership because he’s not certain to get a game at United next season?
United dedicated the 2006 Carling Cup triumph to the player who was then in plaster after a horrible injury suffered at Anfield and paid his wages during an extended rehabilitation. Smith came back and struggled. He played well against Roma and then struggled some more. Now he wants improved terms or he wants a transfer. It’s the same wheeze that Ben Foster’s agent is trying to pull off whilst the keeper is out for the next year with a cruciate ligament injury. Only in la la football land can players suffer injury and demand a pay rise all in the same week.
Football careers are short and its best stars have every right to get their full worth from the clubs in terms of salary, image rights and assorted extras.
But equally, football is littered with cases of players whose careers were cut short by injury. Remember Neil Webb? He was a midfield gem in the late 1980’s and was last seen working as a postman after getting injured playing for England.
United thus have every reason to be guarded about Smith’s future and the player has every incentive to prove that he can reach the top again. Next season should be defining not this summer.
Smith is already a millionaire and doesn’t need to force United into a corner for financial reasons. After all, as has been observed elsewhere, how may gold toilets can one man have?
So c’mon Smudger, show some loyalty and fight for your place!
