Matt Smith.

[snarks]

I think Smith is the scapegoaty for the clubs purported "hoof ball" style in this particular instance.

It's a problem Peter Crouch has had, when your "main" striker is tall and good in the air, the defence have a tendancy to play long balls up to him for him to win. It becomes a fixation. I find it difficult to correlatre this with Smith alone, the style was very direct with Hugo up front, and he won virtually nothing in the air.

[westcliff white]

no one, well not me, is making him a scape goat, my point is we have played better in the last 2 games, where Dembeles pace has helped us with his running wide and in behind, so it is a different use of the longer ball and that has helped us

[FPT]

I do think long balls are an issue, the players we have a much, much better than that. And I think it's a tad unfair to suggest that Matt Smith doesn't have more ability than that in the air, however, his mobility is so detrimental to the way we may and attack. I don't think Matt Smith can hold the ball up either - that's the difference between he and Bobby Zamora, when the ball when up - Zamora made it stick and held it until supporting players came up, Smith does not, it gets flicked on to nobody. Even Moussa Dembele, he's a battering ram, anything he doesn't win, his pace and power can help him to retrieve, as well as being a threat in behind.

With a Hooper up top, I'd hope that encourages us to keep it on the floor - players like Jamie O'Hara, Tom Cairney, Ben Pringle and Ross McCormack will want the ball at their feet. Even our defenders are technically comfortable, our full backs, Tim Ream and Richard Stearman are all comfortable with the ball at their feet.

If Sam Allardyce was here, and we could be properly coached to a long ball game - then great. But Matt Smith is more of a detriment to us as a starting striker than a positive.

[nose]

Get fit soon, we need you.

we got 6 goals without him in two games.... not saying he is good or bad just noting 6 goals in the two games without him.

[VicHalomsLovechild]

Get fit soon, we need you.

we got 6 goals without him in two games.... not saying he is good or bad just noting 6 goals in the two games without him.

Against the bottom team and a Sheffield United team which had something like 10 changes. As Epsom has pointed out there's more to his game than just being a tall target.

[westcliff white]

Get fit soon, we need you.

we got 6 goals without him in two games.... not saying he is good or bad just noting 6 goals in the two games without him.

Against the bottom team and a Sheffield United team which had something like 10 changes. As Epsom has pointed out there's more to his game than just being a tall target.

Nothing says we would not have scored 2 a game with Dembele starting the season and nothing a says we would not have scored 3 a game with Smith in the last 2 games, however for me the movement up front is a lot better of late

[MJG]

I don't think anyone on here and that includes me,  doubts he has more to his game. BUT when he plays and either by plan or not we end up going long. Its the simple easy option for simple players. It's not Smiths fault at all,  it's just the way it is.

[Jonaldiniho 88]

I don't think anyone on here and that includes me,  doubts he has more to his game. BUT when he plays and either by plan or not we end up going long. Its the simple easy option for simple players. It's not Smiths fault at all,  it's just the way it is.

We haven't been playing the ball to dembele's feet much either from the games I've gone to. While I agree it's a simple option for simple players it hasn't got to be the way it is. What are the coaches doing all week if on the pitch we lump it long to an isolated smith then blame him?

[GrahamG]

We lump the ball forward to Dembele in exactly the way that we did to Matt Smith. We spent the entire Huddersfield game biffing the ball forward until finally it broke for us in the area and Cauley scored. In fact the differences over the past couple of games are that other players are getting forward to support which is, surprise surprise, creating more chances and we have one or two better defenders which inevitably makes us a bit more fluid. Personally, I prefer Smith over Dembele but let's see if anybody comes in to make the options better.

[Ordar]

We have a habit of overplaying around the half way line, which puts everyone under pressure, so they end up just knocking it long to get rid of it. We need to be more incisive in our build up play. It's ok to go long now and again, but our best players are midfielders, plus Ross, so it's not playing to our strengths.

Smith gets a lot of unfair criticism in my opinion.

[nose]

Get fit soon, we need you.

we got 6 goals without him in two games.... not saying he is good or bad just noting 6 goals in the two games without him.

Against the bottom team and a Sheffield United team which had something like 10 changes. As Epsom has pointed out there's more to his game than just being a tall target.

Nothing says we would not have scored 2 a game with Dembele starting the season and nothing a says we would not have scored 3 a game with Smith in the last 2 games, however for me the movement up front is a lot better of late

i respoded to get fit quick we need you, and never mind who the opposition is we scored six goals in two games... i am accused often of being negative i thought that was a a rather positive view point... I actually like smith and think he brings plenty to the party... he is much better than I expected.... however we do tend to overplay the long ball when he is thre .. that is the team not him... i think he is an asset but actually having a pool of players is what it is all about especially if they have to compete for places... that is part of whjat made saha/hales/boa so good... they were fighting with each other for selectioon, there were no automatic forst choices...i will be pleased to see smith available

[mikestrand]

Judging players in or out the the side seems a bit premature at the moment, we've just beat two poor sides will Dembele and Woodrow play better than Smith against decent teams, best  keeping  our options open  for now the more plan b's and c's the better after weve found plan A of course.

[HV71]

Sadly one of the reasons we play it long is that we are totally incapable of getting the ball to the by line and pulling it back ( either in the air or on the deck ) . This problem is exsasperated by the fact that we invariably play with either wide player cutting inside onto their natural foot thus narrowing our play even further. Smith and Dembele would both benefit from ball pulled back causing the defenders to turn and making it easier for them to run onto.

Overall though you can't help but get the impression that lots of people on here blame Smith for long ball tactics when I'm afraid you have to point to the manager and not the players when voicing such criticism.

[NogoodBoyo]

I'm exacerbated by all this criticism but I do think that HV71 speaks a lot of sense and sensibility.
Nogood "fare's fair, isit" Boyo

[fulhamben]

Sadly one of the reasons we play it long is that we are totally incapable of getting the ball to the by line and pulling it back ( either in the air or on the deck ) . This problem is exsasperated by the fact that we invariably play with either wide player cutting inside onto their natural foot thus narrowing our play even further. Smith and Dembele would both benefit from ball pulled back causing the defenders to turn and making it easier for them to run onto.

Overall though you can't help but get the impression that lots of people on here blame Smith for long ball tactics when I'm afraid you have to point to the manager and not the players when voicing such criticism.

I don't blame smith for anything, I just think we have better options.

[Nick Bateman]

Smith is a "Goliath" but it is Kit Symons' laziness to apply long ball tactics when he plays.  Smith scored numerous goals and assisted a few others never getting 90 minutes ONCE!  Dembele is frankly, a joke, so Fulham are the worser without the big man who the Northern defences FEAR.

As I remarked before, we needed genuine width like Kacanicklic and not Ben Pringle out-of-position offering little service.  Sadly Smith's cynical critics will deluide themselves while our brave striker lies recovering having given his all for the club.