Magpie signs on loan

[ShropshireAlex]

"Crewe Alexandra can confirm the signing of 20-year-old Newcastle United midfielder Liam Smith on a loan deal until 9 January 2017.

The youngster joins Steve Davis' set-up immediately and will be available up to, and including, the trip to Mansfield Town on 7 January.

After graduating through the Magpies' academy and earning a pro contract in 2015, Smith joined Blackpool in League One on a two-month loan in March 2016 for his first taste of senior football.

He made four starts and four substitute appearances for the Club before returning to Newcastle at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Smith will begin training with his new team mates at Reaseheath tomorrow and will be available for selection for the friendly match with Wolves at Gresty Road on Friday evening."

If he's as useful as Brad was in his loan season, could be handy. Not experienced midfielder we need, but more than our backups.

Read more at http://www.crewealex.net/news/articl...tEqYk4gvXtX.99

[Preston76]

Good luck Liam welcome to Crewe

[thnhouse]

I'm suprised the headline isn't "Davis doesn't learn from mistakes", that's another time we've loaned in a player where we have good talent coming through. Not to mention that we're in desperate need of a battling midfielder and we've loaned in a playmaker.

So the shopping list was a big striker and a battling midfielder and we've bought two small strikers and a creative player. Did we shop online and these are the substitutes that have shown up?

"Sorry we're out of stock on the Dave Brammers will a Harry Wilson be ok?"

[Furberstreet]

Not quite the midfield player it has been repeatedly stressed that we need. We have the young talent and need an old head on the pitch. Why are we therefore training other clubs' youngsters? Despite SD's utterances, we do not seem to be signing the type of players he had identified as missing from the first team squad. Having been assured by SD that he has (finally) learned from his mistakes, where are we now?

[Stealex]

He's probably waiting to see what comes of the rumours regarding Harry and the Westwood and Hanley situations. It's pointless signing another Fox when if we wait a couple of weeks then we might just be able to afford the midfielder that we require. Admittedly we run the risk of missing out on players but i don't see that we have much of a choice.

[whosbrianwilson]

On paper, Fox was the perfect signing. He fitted the experienced, older head, battling midfielder description to a T.

As we all now know, the paper lied and he didn't contribute a great deal. No point in repeating the exercise.

I think Stealex has got it absolutely spot on.

[thnhouse]

I agree, but then why sign this lad?

Are we getting paid for taking these lads on loan? Otherwise we're paying to stunt our lads development.