Liverpool FC Forum

[115-1073096938]

Its pissin me off all these froobs dissing Smicer and Murphy.

Both are good players and the best creative players we have at present. Smicer has played well nearly everytiime he's pulled on the shirt this season. Against Fulham the other day he looked like he was gonna make somethin happen in the first half. He was the only player (Gerrard included) who looked like they had an ounce of creative spark and movement.

He faded as the game went on but thats understandable considering its his first game in how long?

He was signed for £4.5m aswell. Not £10m.

At times he's largely ineffective and hasn't lived upto his reputation but he's by no means a bad player. The season we finished second he had a very good season for us, he is a valuable member of the squad and at the minute he'd be in my first 11.

[Leonmc0708]

The biggest worry for me Stu is that the crowd who attend the games are starting to turn on Harry Kewell.

After the game on Saturday, in the car coming home our Kid commented that Harry was becoming the new Smicer for the crowd. In the early days, and ever since Smicer and indeed Murphy have been targeted by the crowd and received the boos, sighs and shouts of s##t house as soon as the first stray pass or missed tackle has gone in. I have noticed this happening to Kewell also.

These lads are the ones who need the backing of the crowd when this happens, not a barrating.

I pray Harry doesnt follow suit, Smicer and Murphy however have had their chance and proved largely ineffective and not good enough.

PATIENCE & SUPPORT

[greenred]

Its pissin me off all these froobs dissing Smicer and Murphy.

Im probably showing my age,but whats a froob?

[115-1073096938]

froob is a polite word i use for know-nothing t#s#er who hasn't got a f##king clue.

Kewell is getting the same sort of stick you're right.

He's gotta improve or he'll become the next Smicer. Kewell has the ability to become an anfield great though, so lets wait and see.

[DrLiverpool]

Kewell has the ability and nwxt season Im sure he will prove it.
Smicer is not a bad player,I was a big fan of him (just like I was a big fan of Heskey) but patience runs out. I admit he did very well his first game back but he missed an opener.
Murphy I think is one of the oplayers who arent bringing anything to the team nor are goiod enough to play on a weekly basis.
If we were to sell Murphy we could get at least 3m and there would be good few teams wanting him.

[banana]

Smicer is a player with obvious qualities. He can pass, move and go past defenders. His career at liverpool has unfortunately been disrupted by injuries. He is miles ahead of Murphy and Diao when it comes to quality. He is also a part of one of europe's best national teams. I rate him as our best creative midfielder when fit.

[daddyo]

Smicer is a player with obvious qualities. He can pass, move and go past defenders. His career at liverpool has unfortunately been disrupted by injuries. He is miles ahead of Murphy and Diao when it comes to quality. He is also a part of one of europe's best national teams. I rate him as our best creative midfielder when fit.

Smicer is our most skilfull player. He is technically superb. just a shame he's so physically lightweight.
He could set this league alight if he was stronger.

[JBG]

You Smicer supporters are obviously watching a different player to what I have seen in the last 5 years: either that or Liverpool have sunk so low that your expectations of what a good player is is in the gutter.

Smicer has some good technical ability but thats about it as far as I can see. He has little or no pace, little strength, and for a player of his technical ability his vision and reading of the game is below par.

The worst thing about Smicer is there is absolutely no end product whatsoever to his modest abilities.

Stu says Smicer showed some flashes of creativity against Fulham, which is true to a point. However, it must be remembered that the Fulham game was absolute trash with little or no spark on view and in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.......

His run in the first half sums up Smicer completely. He made some good interchanges with other players and progressed up the field to the Fulham box nicely, but when he received the ball back from Cheyrou all he could muster was a pathetic and weak side footed effort which Van Der Saar threw his cap at.

I have watched Smicer with interest for the past 5 years and I have seen him play well at times, most notably when he has come on as a sub where we were losing games (Basle away last season, Charlton away this season) and showed some good touches and scored consolation goals. However, I don't think I have seen a game in Smicer's 5 years where he has started from the beginning to end and has had a monumental impact on the game. I cannot think of one game that Smicer won for us.

People say he's a good squad player but I entirely disagree. A squad player is a guy who will come in and play around 25-35% games a season where other players are rested or are injured and he contributes something substantial to the team's season. In the past we had great squad players like David Fairclough, Barry Venison, Gary Gillespie and Ronnie Rosenthal (don't laugh, before Souness arrived he was a valuable member of our squad). These guys came in and rarely let the side down. I am sick of watching Smicer in space with time on the ball and ALWAYS taking the wrong option.

Stu and others: you guys are nearly as bad as my mate who declared in 1999 that Smicer was the new Peter Beardsley.

Murphy is a better player than Smicer and in 2002/03 he was probably our best player of a poor season. However, his form has dipped since then, but even at his best he's a modest enough player that pales in comparison with other guys in our competitors' squads.

As for Froobs, I think anyone that can justify Houllier's position and some of his players at the moment are exactly that.

[Scottbot]

I kinda like Smicer as a squad player. He is technically excellent + makes some good runs off the ball. I wish he had a bit more strength about him as he does lack the pace to get away from defenders. Smicer does get a rough ride from the crowd but i think that may be down to his questionable work ethic at times - Smicer does not always track back or put in tackles when they are needed. However, it was good to see him put in the leg work + a few tackles against Fulham on Saturday - Couldn't fault him for effort even if things did not come off for him + what is doing with his hair!?

It was dis-heartening to hear the massive cheer that went up when Kewell was subbed on Saturday. He will come good IMO but looks very low on confidence. Houllier has not got the best out of him this season - Kewell and Riise should be able to work well down that left side but that is surely something for the training ground.

As for Murphy, he has lost his way this season but we all  know he is a quality player but his head has dropped so far that i am happier to see him out of the team at present.

[ICE-MAN]

i think we should seriously sell murphy, he will want out soon anyway cos he wont be a bit part player. i like smicer however and would keep him as a very good squad player he will stay as a squad player cos he knows he will never be a first team regular. i read recently in an interview with some liverpool player not sure who think it was le tallec, but he said that smicer was the most technically gifted player liverpool have in their squad. and i do believe he has done well in our last two matches when he played just his fitness is bad due to his injuries.
we would get bout 3m for murphy no problem he could go to someone like boro or man city easily, he hasnt done anything for us at all this season or towards the end of last, he takes a good free kick thats all! he is not good enough for centre midfield and not creative or forward driving enough for right side of midfield!
i agree shaun wright phillips is a decent player, but he will fade as the years go on due to his size!
i think when fit, le tallec should be given a decent run wide right, was very creative when he got a run there in mid season eg. against newcastle in fa cup!

[JBG]

The most "tecnically gifted player" at the club is a meaningless attribute.

There are guys in their 30s who live down the road from me who are probably as technically gifted as many Premiership footballers but they were either too small or too lazy to make the grade: technical ability is not even half of what is necessary.

Diego Forlan is probably more technically gifted than Michael Owen but who is the better player?

[Rimetto]

The biggest worry for me Stu is that the crowd who attend the games are starting to turn on Harry Kewell.

After the game on Saturday, in the car coming home our Kid commented that Harry was becoming the new Smicer for the crowd. In the early days, and ever since Smicer and indeed Murphy have been targeted by the crowd and received the boos, sighs and shouts of s##t house as soon as the first stray pass or missed tackle has gone in. I have noticed this happening to Kewell also.

These lads are the ones who need the backing of the crowd when this happens, not a barrating.

I pray Harry doesnt follow suit, Smicer and Murphy however have had their chance and proved largely ineffective and not good enough.

PATIENCE & SUPPORT

I hope that this doesn't happen. I think it's the main reason why Murphy and Smicer are so low on confidence because they know that they are constantly battle against the crowd as well as the opposition when they go onto the pitch.

They are put under so much pressure that it effects their game. It would be a great shame if happens to Kewell because he is world class and i feel could be a great anfield legend if given the chance to settle.

[115-1073096938]

Owen is superb technically.

Smicer is a good dribbler, can cross a decent ball, has superb movement and his Vision is good also, his work rate isn't bad at all, he lacks bottle and aggression but he covers ground in games and always tracks back.

I'd keep hold of him and to be honest at the moment like i said, he'd be in my first 11. He's played well this season nearly everytime he's played.

There are worse players in the squad who should be out the door before him. As you said yourself he's came onto the pitch and changed games so imo from that respect at least he's worth having.

You're 1-0 down at home to a team... who would you rather have on the Bench? Smicer or John Welsh? As much as i like local players coming through and take great pride in seeing players i've played with pulling on the shirt i'd have to go with Smicer.

[115-1073096938]

I hope that this doesn't happen. I think it's the main reason why Murphy and Smicer are so low on confidence because they know that they are constantly battle against the crowd as well as the opposition when they go onto the pitch.

They are put under so much pressure that it effects their game. It would be a great shame if happens to Kewell because he is world class and i feel could be a great anfield legend if given the chance to settle.

Hence the reason most of our players look better away from home.

[Big Niall]

f##k reputation or how well he does for Czech republic, he has had 5 years and had the odd good game, no where near good enough get him out NOW.

Besides Heskey, he's the worst player who's been at Anfield long term (i.e. before world cup).