Craig Mackail-Smith

[JBizzle]

Would be interesting to know the total cost of all the players and compare it to the CMS transfer fee.

Yeah true, but I think CMS is still quite harshly treated. He got 14 in his 1st season and 11 in his 2nd before getting injured. He actually only ended up playing about 100 games for us, with nearly half of those being in his 1st season. His injury killed his career sadly.

When he came back he'd lost his pace and his confidence and was well behind Ulloa in the pecking order. I'd never argue he was value for money, although now £2.5m for 20-odd goals over two seasons would be worth at least twice that.

Shame. Really liked him as a person though.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I don't think I'm being particularly harsh, and nor is Easy 10. His first season was ok, he was absolutely superb in the Friday night home 3-3 draw with Leeds and later scored a sublime volley at Burnley. I think he scored 13 that season - didn't pull up any trees but a perfectly acceptable return for a player at that price in his first season.

By then we could all see what we had bought though - a player without the required composure or footballing brain for a team with promotion aspirations, and the Palace 1-3 FFS Murray game sadly showed us what we were missing. Murray was actually bang average in that first season with the Nigels, but in that one game he looked far more comfortable at that level than CMS.

After that season, it was going to go one of two ways - he was either going to show he was learning how to play against better defenders and improve his composure, or he was going to continue being over reliant on his pace and never step up.

Yes he got injured and was never the same afterwards, but well before then he was starting to prove a very expensive failure.

No complaints about his efforts on the field from me though, and for that I will always wish him well. I just rather wish we had never signed him.

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I'll give a different perspective. CMS functioned best by 'picking the ball up and running at defenders'. Poyet played him far too often, in our early days at the Amex, as a lone target. Although we played the ball on the floor most of the time, passes to CMS becam too offen just 'hit and hope(less)'. This is when he learned the 'charging about like a madman, chasing balls like a demented puppy' style. Then he got injured and lost a bit of pace. His end time with us was marked by a long priod with few goals under the brilliant leadership of Sami Shittier, and nobody looked good during that era. So, in my view, he was played inappropriately, and not coached to play differently (or was coached but was too thick to lean - something I find unlikely), and was unlucky.

 

[blockhseagull]

Yeah true , craig wasnt the worst weve signed , by a long way , but he wasnt good VFM was he ? ,probably amongst the worst value signings we have made ...

Elvis Manu

 

[Mellotron]

In my opinion his first touch is roughly League Two level, he managed the success he had by relying on other attributes, so even in a system set up perfectly for him I don't think he would ever flourish long term at Championship level.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I remember him from the very beginning, I saw four of his first five games, Donny, Pompey and Cardiff A and Peterborough, and the Leeds game a couple of weeks later, and he was very good then - brilliant against Cardiff and Leeds as I recall. As memory serves we were playing Barnes as a striker then in a 2 up-front but then we went on a dreadful run and Poyet switched to loan striker, and it just stopped working for him.

 

[Stat Brother]

Talking of former players, it would seem that Bridcutt is off to Forest.

Trending on Twitter no less.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Some harsh comments on here. I seem to remember him getting injured when he was on a decent goal scoring run and never being quite the same afterwards. The team was never really set up to play to his strengths and never really adapted to how different he was to Murray

He did run around like a headless chicken but some of his support play was very good. I think the fault lay as much with Poyet as it did with him.


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Great post, this is how I see it. I think a lot of people are willingly forgetting what he was like pre-injury. Sadly he was never the same afterwards and that's what is remembered.

 

[hampshirebrightonboy]

I remember him from the very beginning, I saw four of his first five games, Donny, Pompey and Cardiff A and Peterborough, and the Leeds game a couple of weeks later, and he was very good then - brilliant against Cardiff and Leeds as I recall. As memory serves we were playing Barnes as a striker then in a 2 up-front but then we went on a dreadful run and Poyet switched to loan striker, and it just stopped working for him.

Remember him just after that at Bristol. Buckley I think it was pinged a ball to him in a good position in the area and he just fell over.
Next game against Leicester he missed an open goal. Just remember thinking at that moment perhaps he wasn't the player I thought he was when he signed.

 

[Chinman3000]

One of his best contributions was not any of his own goals, but that perfect cross to Ulloa for that emphatic last minute winner against Forrest

If not for getting us in the playoffs, for at least rending Reading's (one of many) pitch invasion totally pointless.

For that alone he was worth every penny. Good luck to him

 

[AmexRuislip]

Signed to Wycombe Wanderers till 2020.

http://www.chairboys.co.uk/players/mackail_smith_craig.htm

Good luck to him

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

http://www.chairboys.co.uk/players/mackail_smith_craig.htm

Good luck to him

As you say, delighted to see him doing well again. He was a square peg in a round hole whilst playing for us unfortunately, but always loved his work ethic, and willingness to give everything for the cause.

 

[AmexRuislip]

As you say, delighted to see him doing well again. He was a square peg in a round hole whilst playing for us unfortunately, but always loved his work ethic, and willingness to give everything for the cause.

He'll have to work harder, as Capt El Abd kicking his ass

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

He'll have to work harder, as Capt El Abd kicking his ass

If he can catch up with him!

 

[AZ Gull]

http://www.chairboys.co.uk/players/mackail_smith_craig.htm

Good luck to him

In a month's time it will be seven years - SEVEN YEARS - since he signed for us.

Where does the time go?

 

[AmexRuislip]

In a month's time it will be seven years - SEVEN YEARS - since he signed for us.

Where does the time go?

I watched him play a couple times last season, upfront with Akinfenwe.
It reminded me of the Brits years ago....Mick Fleetwod and Sam Fox

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

In a month's time it will be seven years - SEVEN YEARS - since he signed for us.

Where does the time go?

Indeed, Gus will be picking up his pension soon.

 

[Invicta]

Pleased for him. Great bloke who always tried his best

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Good to see him doing well. Just wasn't a good fit here at the time.

 

[Goldstone1976]

CMS had a very slightly better goals/game ratio in his time with us than Andone had at Deportivo.

 

[Brovion]

In a month's time it will be seven years - SEVEN YEARS - since he signed for us.

Where does the time go?

Blimey. Didn't he cost the same as Pascal Gross as well? Something else to make you think.