Smudge says we must avoid “doing a Leeds”.
Posted on November 2nd, 2009 | 121 Comments |
“It’s vital we get back up at the first attempt. You look at what’s happened to my old club Leeds United to see the damage that is done if you stay down for a few seasons. Hopefully they are on their way back.
“Sheffield United are similar, a huge club outside the Premier League. Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich, Nottingham Forest are all the same.
“It’s massively important to get back up as soon as possible. If we don’t get promoted you always have the risk of players seeing a future elsewhere. If we don’t get promoted this season we will have failed.”
In an honest self-appraisal Smith admitted that he’s not the player he used to be.
“I am an honest person, I know that I’m not as good as I was, simple as that.
“I know I’ll never be able to get back to as good as I was in terms of that two to five per cent that takes you to the very top – international level, Champions League level.
“I could still play there but my injury will restrict me from competing at the very highest level.
“As soon as I did my injury I knew that. I spoke to [Sir] Alex Ferguson about it and we both knew that it would be so difficult to play at that standard, week in week out.”
Smith is enjoying his time at Newcastle though.
“When you’ve been through something when you realise you might never play ever again, every game is a bonus.
“Playing at Anfield on that day could have been my last. So I enjoy every day.
“I have enjoyed this season as much as any in my career. It’s been a breath of fresh air; I love the challenge in the division. At the end of the season we want to lift that Championship trophy, that would be a massive achievement.
“If we do that I will be a happy man. The camaraderie is great. Last year there was a big divide between players, fans and football club. This season you can see togetherness.”
Although he admitted that things didn’t get off to a good start and it took a ‘crunch meeting’ of the players to sort things out.
“The hardest thing at the start of the season was knowing which players wanted to stay. We came back in the summer and no-one knew what was going on in terms of could players be sold. Certain players were making it clear they wanted to leave but the club said no-one was going to be sold. That was the most difficult time.
“We went to Leyton Orient and it was a disaster. But everything came to a head. It was clear that five or six of the players wanted to leave, which was fair enough. We had a meeting when we came back from the game – just us players.
“We said whoever wants to leave, they can leave, and we’ll help them to go. Whoever wants to stay then commit yourself to stay. That’s where we are now. That was a massive turning point. In a way getting that bad result was the best thing that could have happened. It was what needed to happen.
“It was one of the strangest things ever. We were managing ourselves. Chris knew that we were having that meeting and he stood back and let us sort things out.
“There was never a chance that I would be one of the ones asking to go. I needed to play regular football. That’s what I’ve missed for the last three seasons. You just want to play. I was 29 on Wednesday so I can’t afford to miss any more games. I never feel any twinge of regret. I wanted to stay.”
And he also thinks fans are within their rights to have a pop at Ashley.
“There is the old cliche that they pay their money so they can say what they want. And I believe that.
“It is up to them if they chant this or that about the board. They support us so you can’t say they’re fickle. A crowd of 44,000 against Doncaster was incredible, the highest attendance in the country. That tells you how passionate they are.”
He’s had a cracking season so far in my opinion.
smith has gone up in my estimations with that interview.
It just shows what a shambles ashley had created and it was only down to pure luck that the players saved his bacon.