Smith v Eaves

[frogmiller]

I can't help thinking that the lad made the biggest footballing mistake of his life. I agree with a limit if spending to keep Rotherham United alive and well ran and that we went to the limit!

The reason for this thread is that I think that we would be better than we are now with him in the side!

Can Eaves copy Smith's success and fill those boots?

I'm not sure!

[Karl998yr]

Had we kept hold of Smith the danger would have been continuing to play the same way we did.

This new style is a breath of fresh air so a blessing in disguise we didnt break the bank.

I bet Smith is probably earning more than our entire front line put together now.

As for Eaves. Not seen enough of him but had he been fit from the off would there have been a temptation to carry on playing the way we did with Smith.

Raises interesting hypotheticals

[frogmiller]

Karl,

I think you're right in a lot of what you say. I was watching yesterday and just saw a couple occassions where I think Smith would have done better.

It's him that's losing out.

[ilikecarling]

You’ve got to look at the bigger picture though, we played to smiths strengths when he was here now we are playing to the teams strengths which I think is a lot better and bringing the best out of our midfield trio.

[Pattylallacks2]

You’ve got to look at the bigger picture though, we played to smiths strengths when he was here now we are playing to the teams strengths which I think is a lot better and bringing the best out of our midfield trio.

Spot on.

[Pattylallacks2]

Karl,

I think you're right in a lot of what you say. I was watching yesterday and just saw a couple occassions where I think Smith would have done better.

It's him that's losing out.

In what way is he losing out?

[frogmiller]

In what way is he losing out?

Financially no but on a footballing point of view definately..

[crookadile]

I have to agree with Karl and Carling we are playing better football now than when we played hoof it to Smith. I am really enjoying going to the matches and seeing it.

[frogmiller]

I have to agree with Karl and Carling we are playing better football now than when we played hoof it to Smith. I am really enjoying going to the matches and seeing it.

I don't agree with that. I just saw a couple of parts of the game yesterday where he would have improved us.

I wonder if Eaves could do the same.

[Brin]

I don't agree with that. I just saw a couple of parts of the game yesterday where he would have improved us.

I wonder if Eaves could do the same.

Frog, although it pains me to say it, we ARE playing a much better game of football without hoofing it up to Smith. The flow through the middle and better wing play is far better and a much better entertaining standard.

He’s gone, we’ve moved on.

[MillerBill]

I have to agree with Karl and Carling we are playing better football now than when we played hoof it to Smith. I am really enjoying going to the matches and seeing it.

I agree Croc we are playing proper entertaining football and successfully,we don't want to revert back to hoofball.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Washington runs the channels a lot more than Smith ever did

[fc_miller]

Just imagine all the stop start play from Smith giving away free kicks. That's all that happened last time in Championship, hoof ball to Smith, Smith fouling his man / smarter championship defenders getting the better of him, opposing team then having possesion, rest of millers running around trying to win ball back, then repeat.

[Brin]

Just imagine all the stop start play from Smith giving away free kicks. That's all that happened last time in Championship, hoof ball to Smith, Smith fouling his man / smarter championship defenders getting the better of him, opposing team then having possesion, rest of millers running around trying to win ball back, then repeat.

Correct and we thought what will we do without him? Just goes to show how we had to and have adapted our game, which the opposition are finding hard to take in and beat us.

[clarkey1974]

There”s more than one way to skin a cat,which is probably what we are seeing this season thus far..

[fc_miller]

At the moment the managers and pundits must still be using the playbook from 2 years ago and confused we're doing a lot less hoof ball to a target man

[craftymiller]

I think both Conner Washington and Tom Evese will prove to be better assets than Smithy in the long run.
Different type of players offering more versatillity and ultimately more effective in the championship.

[welovebooth]

Would Smith off scored as many goals as ogbene has so far.

My answer is no

[caytonmiller]

Doesn't matter which division your in. pace will scare the **** out of defenders. Brum played wing backs on Saturday but it was more like 5 across the back as Chio, bramhall and cuffy pushed them back which gives more controll in the middle.
With Smith or eaves in the team we would tend to play hoof ball which is fine for the last 15 min of chasing a game.

Who is better ? From memory Smith was not very effective in the championship and better quality defenders kept him quiet most games. Eaves it's too early to say. Has he played a hour of football since the injury that kept him out most of pre season? He looked very leggy Vs morcombe

[jakethemiller]

The question I would raise is how would we have been playing had Eaves been fit to start the season? Would we be using the same tactics as last season, Chieo out wide and rest feeding off big man up front? We have been forced to play the channels by Eaves injury.
That said we have played it well and the team looks to be enjoying it and brimming with confidence.
When we played through Smith we were labelled hoofball with very little football. I thought this was unfair as we played some nice stuff off the balls he won. What I thought that was OK but we never had a plan B. We do now and at the moment the plan B is playing it up to the big lad.
Only Warne knows if this is intentional or brought on by Eaves injury.
Either way I'm loving it.
Smiths gone, I loved him when he was with us, don't blame him for feathering his nest but don't wish him well at S6.

[Derbymiller]

Smith was a great player for us, however it made us lazy in that we had a target man and that was our plan A, B, C and D, it worked because he was at the peak of his career. now we play a lot more football, the wing backs are younger and faster, we are playing a lot like Forest played last year. I like the way we play now, it is exciting and brings out the best from our midfield. What we have done is invest in experience and quality at the back, our central defenders are a lot better. Eaves hasn't had a pre-season and hasn't played much, I suggest we give him some time, Smith was awful when he first came, he couldn't trap a bag of sand. My plea to PW is don't revert to big boot to a big target man as our Plan A

[MillerBill]

Smith was a great player for us, however it made us lazy in that we had a target man and that was our plan A, B, C and D, it worked because he was at the peak of his career. now we play a lot more football, the wing backs are younger and faster, we are playing a lot like Forest played last year. I like the way we play now, it is exciting and brings out the best from our midfield. What we have done is invest in experience and quality at the back, our central defenders are a lot better. Eaves hasn't had a pre-season and hasn't played much, I suggest we give him some time, Smith was awful when he first came, he couldn't trap a bag of sand. My plea to PW is don't revert to big boot to a big target man as our Plan A

Completely agree,we are playing with a formation producing attractive football that is a winning formula.This is the way we must continue.

[uttis]

Long way to go I know but was quite impressed with Eaves on Saturday when he came on held the ball up well and won a few flick ons like others have said on here though hopefully the big boot up to the target man will be plan B rather than plan A
We have a system that works for us whether it was planned or stumbled on its working the players like it and it’s great to watch. There’s no reason why Eaves can’t benefit from it either there’s plenty of crosses coming in through our fast wing backs there’s plenty of creativity from midfield and if he has either Wash or Cheio at side of him there’s chances there too

[frogmiller]

Frog, although it pains me to say it, we ARE playing a much better game of football without hoofing it up to Smith. The flow through the middle and better wing play is far better and a much better entertaining standard.

He’s gone, we’ve moved on.

It’s not a case of moving on or anything of the sort. I made an observation that I think that smith would have made a difference a couple of times in a match.
I have agreed with others on this thread and said on other threads and before he left that him going would change the way we played.

[Townerslovechild]

I loved Smith, a proper footballer who would have died for the team, however he moved for more money, which I'm OK with.
I've no idea if Eaves is any good, but he's got big boots to fill.

[millertop]

I’d love Smith to have stayed, he’d do well with these better players but that’s only If Warney did what he’s doing now with style of play.

I’ve a horrid feeling that once Eaves is back to full fitness we will revert back to same style what we did before

Fully hoping not

[millertop]

Fetch Smith back, Eaves has disappeared >;)

[welovebooth]

Bit unfair smudge played a few seasons at rufc were eaves has only played 1 game.

Chio on 4 league goals young and a international he is were the money is at

[NYSRich]

Kelly deserves to start for me ahead of both Washington and Eaves. Not necessarily on Saturday, but soon. He seems a natural goal scorer.

[millertop]

Bit unfair smudge played a few seasons at rufc were eaves has only played 1 game.

Chio on 4 league goals young and a international he is were the money is at

It was a joke :rolleyes:

[millertop]

Kelly deserves to start for me ahead of both Washington and Eaves. Not necessarily on Saturday, but soon. He seems a natural goal scorer.

I’m not sure he’s ready for full 90+ minutes games but I’d like to see him given a start now and again to see which is best for partnership

[welovebooth]

Kelly deserves to start for me ahead of both Washington and Eaves. Not necessarily on Saturday, but soon. He seems a natural goal scorer.

I totally agree I would like to see Kelly start.

Even if he not 90 mins fit there is subs.

He scored a couple goals.

Let's see what he can really do

[mygiddypant]

There were times last year when Smudge was playing passes into the box from wide positions. And his crosses were invariably good ones.

To think of him as just a target man is do him a disservice. I'm sure he would have adapted to the current plan; he was a team player, and a great one too.

[mygiddypant]

Would Smith off scored as many goals as ogbene has so far.

My answer is no

But why choose Ogbene as a measure? Would Smudge have scored as many, or more, then Washington? Possibly, or probably?

[welovebooth]

But why choose Ogbene as a measure? Would Smudge have scored as many, or more, then Washington? Possibly, or probably?

Cos ogbene is our top scorer and could argue he has replaced him up front.

Think Washington is another will grigg intelligent .

But ogbene goal yesterday was a quality centre forwards goal put the ball back were it came from

Kelly was a quality reaction finish aswell that was quality

[Redshank]

I think we're forgetting how good an all-round footballer Smith was and, like frog says, there were a couple of times in the first half last night when Smithy would have held the ball up. I've not seen anything from Eaves or Washington yet to suggest that they could someday compare with Smith at his brutal best.

The difference for me this season is the extra quality we have in defence and the wing-backs. It's no coincidence that Woody is having one of his best season's ever...he's not having to compensate and cover for Ihekwe's failings. Hall and Humphrey's are both top quality signings and we've not shown any sign at all of the traditional "last 5 minute panic stations" that had become our trademark.

The ramp up in quality at the back is allowing us to play a better style of football and the distribution from the back is so much better. It's a shame that Smithy isn't a part of what is starting to feel like an exciting new era, but we move on. He's history.

[GlennMiller]

I think we're forgetting how good an all-round footballer Smith was and, like frog says, there were a couple of times in the first half last night when Smithy would have held the ball up. I've not seen anything from Eaves or Washington yet to suggest that they could someday compare with Smith at his brutal best.

The difference for me this season is the extra quality we have in defence and the wing-backs. It's no coincidence that Woody is having one of his best season's ever...he's not having to compensate and cover for Ihekwe's failings. Hall and Humphrey's are both top quality signings and we've not shown any sign at all of the traditional "last 5 minute panic stations" that had become our trademark.

The ramp up in quality at the back is allowing us to play a better style of football and the distribution from the back is so much better. It's a shame that Smithy isn't a part of what is starting to feel like an exciting new era, but we move on. He's history.

Spot on Redshank. Warne has put together a formidable back three, with 3 or 4 equally competent replacements, and together with a goalkeeper in fabulous form, we have a defence which forms a wonderful baseline for a successful team. Add the pure class that we now have in midfield and we're looking like a quality side. The final piece of the jigsaw is up front which is a work in progress. Kelly is a very exciting prospect, Eaves has yet to show anything and Washington is a great work horse. Smith would have benefited from our current style of play and who knows how he might have performed? However, he's gone and we work with what we have. If we carry on at our current rate of progress, the search for a quality striker in the January window will become intense!

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

The key to our relative success so far lies in the quality of the replacements

Decent players coming off the bench when needed.

The 60 minute sub tactic also seems to be working so far

I’m a bit concerned though that Rathbone, Wiles and Wood might be overworked and end up missing games