Boro eye Smith - report | Manchester Evening News

Boro eye Smith - report

July 25, 2007

HEADING FOR THE EXIT DOOR? Have your say

ALAN Smith could be on his way to Middlesbrough after boss Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed Riverside boss Gareth Southgate was interested in the forward.

Ferguson has previously hinted that, after a big-spending summer for the Reds, Smith may move on in search of first-team football.

Now Southgate has requested permission to speak to the former Leeds man, report Sky Sports.

How much do you think Smith is worth? Have your say.

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Red Lou, Malta (25/07/2007 at 11:31)

A win-win situation for all concerned. Anything above 4 million will be a good deal.

Birdy, Ireland (25/07/2007 at 11:47)

He's got to be worth 6m if Michael Chopra is worth 5m

Andy Bergen, Bergen, Norway (25/07/2007 at 12:10)

More than Kieran Richardsson...........

Red Family Man - South Stand Tier 1 (25/07/2007 at 12:14)

As part of the same report, he also said that Rossi and Pique will return to the squad and not go back out on loan - good news!

salfordite (25/07/2007 at 12:18)

Richardson and now Smith! The summer just gets better and better!

Frank Old Trafford (25/07/2007 at 12:26)

He's worth a hell of a lot more than anyone would be willing to pay. He's a current England international which would value him above Bent or Carrick. We should be asking 15 mill for him at least but I imagine we'll be lucky to get 8 mill.

At least Rossi and Pique are staying which is good news!

Hilton (25/07/2007 at 12:31)

Permission granted!

Yours truly

Alex Ferguson

edinburgh red, edinburgh (25/07/2007 at 12:48)

Sell for about 8-9 million, but if he goes we really need at least 2 more strikers brought in as rooney would be our only fit experienced striker.

Steve, Glossop (25/07/2007 at 13:18)

Whatever we can get will do for me. How long is his contract I'm smelling a Bosman rat.

Frosty, Hulme, Manchester (25/07/2007 at 13:33)

If Rossi is not being sold why isn't he on the tour? Before anyone mentions the U21 championships, didn't Nani play in the same competition? I for one would be happy if we sold Smith and had Tevez, Rooney, Saha and Rossi as our strikers for next season - if needed the likes of Giggs, Ronaldo and Anderson could play in a withdrawn striker role. Just hope we aren't over-egging the pudding with so many new players.

Robbo, North Stand (25/07/2007 at 13:39)

Eight, six, four, free transfer, whatever, just as long as he (finally!) goes. One of the worst Utd players in recent memory, what on earth was Fergie thinking when he signed?

daniel (25/07/2007 at 13:49)

Why on earth Smith gets so much stick is beyond me. The guy scored loads of goals at the start of his first season,he's been played out of postion but still done well at times. Aswell as overcoming a horrendous injury. Stop being so critical about him. There's to many people on this website with stupid obsessions about players they hate. Such as Smith and Fletcher. Its easy to say their rubbish, the worst united player of recent years, without thinking more rationally. I'll be sad to see Smith gooo.

Sean, NYXMC (25/07/2007 at 14:01)

Excellent news: the addition of Hargreaves, Naniu, Anderson and maybe Tevez, and the loss of Smith and Richardson, plus the retention of Rossi and Pique - Perfect! Smith will probably score on his debut though, he's just about due his bi-monthly goal...

Frank Old Trafford (25/07/2007 at 14:21)

The departure of Smith will be another step to correcting the catalogue of errors we've had to endure for the last 5 years.

As one of the many who argued passionately against him being bought I'll be glad to see the back of him. A waste of money that has brought nothing to the club. From the few fluky goals he scored at the start of his spell with us which just silenced the alarm bells that should have been ringing. To the pathetic attempt to be the new Darren Fletcher which just delayed what was really needed, real quality midfielders.

It'll be hard to prize him away from the nice little earner he's on at United cos he'll never make as much money as he's made out of us! I just hope he doesn't cling on for a Bosman!

Mick, Dublin (25/07/2007 at 14:32)

I'm pleased that Smith seems to be on his way, especially when you combine this news with the assurances from Fergie about Rossi's future (bit slow to pick up on that story, MEN!) but I think some of the slightly snidey comments below are unfair.

His courage and commitment have become a bit of a cliche but this doesn't make them any less important. I don't think he's been the same since his injury and when a player puts his body on the line for United I think he deserves all of our respect. I hope he goes on to be a big hit at Boro.

Alias Smith, over the moon (25/07/2007 at 14:34)

Amazing how long some people's prejudices against certain players can last and in fact become more intensely blinkered with the passage of time...

I would only sell Smith once Tevez is confirmed as signed.

Demo, Glossop (25/07/2007 at 15:21)

all the best smithy i thought you could bring another dimension to our game but maybe not! still i think he needs time to get sharp from his recovery - something we cant afford to wait around for with a lack of other strikers available

Steve, Glossop (25/07/2007 at 15:41)

So let's get this right no one should be critical even of a player witnessed expressing his hatred of United. You have to be damn good after that to be forgiven & basically he wasn't. Unlucky plucky oh whatever he's earned a crate load for not much outcome. Running around snarling without scoring isn't cool.

Red Devil since 1967, SWEDEN (25/07/2007 at 15:46)

I´ll be really sad to see Smith go while (even more sadly) i have to realize that SAHA & HEINZE stay and see them weak after weak to do just nothing. Keep him, sell them both.

Robbo, North Stand (25/07/2007 at 15:59)

I'm sorry, Smith was, is, and always will be completely RUBBISH. He's like a human pinball machine, (you pass him the ball and it bounces about here, there and everywhere). The classic Smith move is 1) miscontrol ball 2) barge needlessly into opponent 3) concede free kick/swear at referee. He doesn't score, worse than that, he never even looks like scoring, so what exactly does he bring to the team?

A Mancunian, Manchester (25/07/2007 at 16:07)

I don't think Smith deserves this much abuse from United supporters considering he was an ex-Leeds player and yet a real fighter for us. People forget the goals he scored at the start of his United career. What a truly ungrateful lot you are! It's a shame that some of you even get match tickets! Not once did he complain about being forced to play in midfield. Nor did he feel sorry for himself after he got injured at Anfield

Unfortunately it looks like his time is up but let's be grateful that he at least did his best. Stand him alongside that mercenary Heinze and I would have Smudger any day of the week.

Mick, Dublin (25/07/2007 at 16:08)

As has been pointed out before, Steve, Rooney said some pretty uncomplimentary things about United in his Everton days. Do you still bear a grudge about that?

Duncan, London (25/07/2007 at 16:20)

Hey Al you changing your moniker to Alias Tevez when that happens;) When SAF bought Smith I maintained at the start that he might be eyeing a replacement for Keane given that he was never a goal scoring centre forward rather a bustling second striker who seemed to produce decent link up play for Leeds when they played in Europe, and Keane when originally bought was an attacking midfielder. However, he never seemed to have the intelligence, arrogance or skill that Keane had just the bustling physical presence and whole-hearted approach which would never be enough on its own. I never had much time for him simply for the fact that we had much better alternatives regardless of the position he was played in. And he is paid way too much money, as with most premiership footballers, for me to waste my sympathy on him.

Birdy, Ireland (25/07/2007 at 16:39)

Well Mick, Steve did say that you have to eb pretty damn good to be forgiven for mouthing off about Utd, and in fairness Rooney would fall into that category

A Mancunian, Manchester (25/07/2007 at 16:50)

Robbo, goals I remember Smith scoring include the cracker against Arsenal in the Charity Shield, the one he scored against Norwich and the one where he tackled the defender and scored against Fulham (the one where Papa Bouba Diop scored in the last minuted and it finished 2-2)..oh yeah, and he scored against Arsenal in the match that ended their unbeaten run. You clearly haven't got a clue have you? Muppet.

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