Craig Mackil Smith is shit and should be playing in the conference...... apparently

[middletoenail]

I love CMS but I just feel he is a victim of his own desire to win every ball. Surely if he didnt over exert himself at every opportunity he would have that extra bit of energy in the 2nd half of games. I have doubts whether he has a footballing brain at this level when movement and decisions are more important than effort.

 

[durrington gull]

The point here is, a back to goal hold up striker, does exactly that. Holds the ball up, giving others time to link up with the attack. Lays the ball off and spins and gets into the box. Cms is not this and never will be. He is best when facing goal and feeding on through balls. Although he is good with his head, for his size he is not a target man so crossing the ball into the box is not a valid option. He has to either play with a partner, or has to play in the hole behind a big man. He is wasted up front on his own and I don't think anyone can honestly think any different.

I think CMS is quality, but the way we play doesn't suit our game i'm afraid, he's a square peg in a round hole at the moment, and i would be tempted to sell him if we could get our money back tbh - hate saying it tho, unless we change the way we play.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Ditto Tuesday. On that I felt sorry for Agdestein yesterday. .

Me too. But only because they didn't put a very flattering photo on the programme cover!

 

[Stat Brother]

Several times today he span off from his marker & created space for a through ball which never arrived but he never gave up. He just needs the service.

I wondered why he was making those moves, when El-Abd (my favourite player) was on the ball.
He's known for many things but pin point 60 yard passes isn't one of them.

 

[Seagulls1984]

The point here is, a back to goal hold up striker, does exactly that. Holds the ball up, giving others time to link up with the attack. Lays the ball off and spins and gets into the box. Cms is not this and never will be. He is best when facing goal and feeding on through balls. Although he is good with his head, for his size he is not a target man so crossing the ball into the box is not a valid option. He has to either play with a partner, or has to play in the hole behind a big man. He is wasted up front on his own and I don't think anyone can honestly think any different.

Great post.

 

[terryberry1]

Agree with both of these. We looked better yesterday as we did up at Palace after he went off.

He's shown very little since he's been here other than he runs around allot. The trouble with Brighton fans is they love trier. Gary Hart was shit when we signed him and still shit when he left 200 years later. He kept getting contracts because a) he was cheap and b) the fans loved him because he ran around allot. You could forgive Harty though as he was cheap. CMS doesn't have that luxury, he's our record signing and one would assume he's our highest wage earner.

[MENTION=159]Stumpy Tim[/MENTION] is about the only person on this thread who has given a balanced argument. All you lot say "he's class" why is he? What has he done since he's been here that has been class? I can only think of two moments of out and out class, his second half performance against Leeds and his goal against Derby. Sure his work rate is good but Harley aside I don't think we have anyone in the side who has issues with work rate. For £3m I would have expected a bit more than work rate.

Well said Arthur

 

[Locky]

Everyone who's doubting CMS, just remind me how many clear cut chances we created for him today? And before anyone suggests it, for those not sitting in the West Stand, Barnes' header back across goal was not in his range, and therefore not a chance?

A good striker puts himself in the right place at the right time.
One thing you can say about Barnes is that he knows where to be, even if he does miss more than he scores.
As Barnes made that header CMS was stationary and only moved forward afterwards making it to little to late.

 

[BensGrandad]

I dont think that we looked any better or more likely to score when he went off as we lost the mobility up front and aspart from the one piece of magic from Vicente we didnt look like we would score and the game would drift to a 0 -0 draw. I think that we should have put Vicente on earlier and let him play the balls through to CMS that our other midfielders are unable to do. Or sign a loan midfielder who can do that. I am sure there is one about probably lurking in Peterborough!

As regards the header Barnes should have taken the initiative and gone for the open goal rather than play safe and head it back across the goal., hoping somebody else would get on the end of it

 

[Mr Burns]

A good striker puts himself in the right place at the right time.
One thing you can say about Barnes is that he knows where to be, even if he does miss more than he scores.
As Barnes made that header CMS was stationary and only moved forward afterwards making it to little to late.

Yer, and that's why CMS is a good striker as if he had gone earlier, he would have been offside and not in a postion too score!! For f*** sake look at the TV.

So in your eyes, as he doesn't put himself in good positions, CMS is not a good striker. f*** me. I think we better tell Tony Bloom to sack Poyet then, as he's spent 3 million on a striker thats not even good. Maybe Gus should be sacked for wasting money, or maybe idiot supporters should just shut up and support an obviosuly good player, when he's having a barren run. Notice I said barren and not poor, because even though some simpletons can not see past goal totals, he does more for the team than you will ever realise. But don't quote me on that, quote Gus!

 

[Mr Burns]

I dont think that we looked any better or more likely to score when he went off as we lost the mobility up front and aspart from the one piece of magic from Vicente we didnt look like we would score and the game would drift to a 0 -0 draw. I think that we should have put Vicente on earlier and let him play the balls through to CMS that our other midfielders are unable to do. Or sign a loan midfielder who can do that. I am sure there is one about probably lurking in Peterborough!

As regards the header Barnes should have taken the initiative and gone for the open goal rather than play safe and head it back across the goal., hoping somebody else would get on the end of it

For once i agree with you. Not trying to Barnes bash, but why play it back across goal, when there was adequete defenders covering. That needed to be put on target all day long, and he probably would have scored, and got the praise his performances over the past couple of weeks deserved. But he didn't and I cannot beleive CMS is getting grief for not being offside to score!?!?

It will come good for CMS. Before long we will switch to 442 with two wingers, and Vokes and CMS up top, and then with service the goals will flow for CMS and all the tits who have to bash someone, will have to find another victim. First it was Buckley, then Vincent, now its CMS turn? I wonder who they will choose next!

 

[GreersElbow]

Barnes went through a bad spell where he wasn't up to scratch, now look at him...

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

CMS only "looks bad" because no one in the team ever pass it to him, especially Bridcutt. Bridcutt had the ball loads of times in midfield, CMS would then make a bursting run through the defence, splitting them open, then Bridcutt would turn around and pass it to Navarro or Dunk.

CMS was getting frustrated, the rare occasions he got the ball he was facing Brezovan with a defender on his back, and he then miscontrolled it pretty much every time

Agree with this.

The players we have were able to play Gus' style very effectively in L1 but it has understandably proved a lot more difficult in the Championship. Too often our instinct is to pass the ball backwards. This is due to Gus wanting the team to keep possession of the ball which I 100% think is the right way to play.

Where we struggle is turning defence into attack. We need to be much more incisive and move the ball more quickly. It's no secret that we are lacking a quality ball playing centre mid. Someone who is either going to beat a player or see the pass. How often do we see a CM go past a player and drive at the opponents back 4? This then starts to open up better spaces and angles for CMS' runs. At the moment our midfield are having to play the ball to him from too deep making the pass much harder to take on and complete and even harder for CMS to control. Centre backs lick their lips when they can see the ball played up from distance giving them time and space to read the ball and win it in the air or on the forwards first touch or at least make it very hard for the forward.

The creative CM was supposed to be Vicente or Harley but for different reasons neither of them have been up to it. Then it was Sparrow who is ok but not creative enough. JFC looked capable and could still prove to be a solution if Vicente doesn't sort it out. Until we get this issue sorted out I think we will struggle for goals whether CMS is playing or not. It was no coincidence that we had (and may still have) the worst record for shots taken. As a result we have been desperate for a striker who can hold the ball, to allow the midfield to catch up and support. I know it's an extreme example but Barca prove that you dont need a holding target man when playing the possession game if you move the ball forward with enough quality.

Leicester played a very similar style to us but they played their possession game in our half as had players more capable of probing forward. When I looked at their starting 11 I was worried. I know they lost the game but they should be doing much better than they are. It's probably only poor management thats keeping them down. Gus would tear it up with their squad.

 

[terryberry1]

Barnes went through a bad spell where he wasn't up to scratch, now look at him...

True, but Barnes didn't cost £3.5million. Big money brings big expectations and CMS has failed to live up to them.

 

[brightonrock]

The problem is both Buckley and CMS make these 'spin off the last man and sprint into the channel' type runs, expecting a ball to be threaded through for them, but it never comes, the central midfield just pass it sideways. Whether we play with two up top to give him some support or not, if he doesn't get the ball played to him, what's he supposed to do? People who look entirely at CMS's goalscoring record are missing the point. Yes it can be argued he gets given the benefit of the doubt because of his work rate, like OGH used to. But when he has NO chances, ALL game, can you really have a go at him? He's making the moves across defenders expecting a cross, or into channels between the full back and centre back, but we never pass it to him. The only time he touches the ball are (a) to try and bring down a long ball with a huge CB on his shoulders, or (b) charging down a defender and blocking it out for a throw. The criticism of him is valid that he isn't the most ruthless finisher, but simply saying "he cost us 2.5m and hasn't scored many" is idiotic if you don't see WHY he hasn't scored.

Plus, he's got the most assists in our squad. Question: if he didn't score again, not one, until the end of the season, but got another 15 assists, would you still think he should be sold? Because the assumption is that Vokes isn't going to be prolific, but brought in to link up play and create chances for CMS. He's been doing it for the rest of the team most of the season, so I just wonder whether Vokes will come in for the same criticism? I somehow doubt it.

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

The problem is both Buckley and CMS make these 'spin off the last man and sprint into the channel' type runs, expecting a ball to be threaded through for them, but it never comes, the central midfield just pass it sideways. Whether we play with two up top to give him some support or not, if he doesn't get the ball played to him, what's he supposed to do? People who look entirely at CMS's goalscoring record are missing the point. Yes it can be argued he gets given the benefit of the doubt because of his work rate, like OGH used to. But when he has NO chances, ALL game, can you really have a go at him? He's making the moves across defenders expecting a cross, or into channels between the full back and centre back, but we never pass it to him. The only time he touches the ball are (a) to try and bring down a long ball with a huge CB on his shoulders, or (b) charging down a defender and blocking it out for a throw. The criticism of him is valid that he isn't the most ruthless finisher, but simply saying "he cost us 2.5m and hasn't scored many" is idiotic if you don't see WHY he hasn't scored.

Plus, he's got the most assists in our squad. Question: if he didn't score again, not one, until the end of the season, but got another 15 assists, would you still think he should be sold? Because the assumption is that Vokes isn't going to be prolific, but brought in to link up play and create chances for CMS. He's been doing it for the rest of the team most of the season, so I just wonder whether Vokes will come in for the same criticism? I somehow doubt it.

I agree.

But I think he will get criticised by the people who dont understand why we're not creating loads of chances and scoring hatfuls of goals. Anyone who is a striker and doesn't score seems to get grief (Barnes) when people don't know or cant see the job he's being asked to do for the team.

 

[Katy11]

CMS is f***ing amazing, dont care what people say, i bet he runs around more than half some teams put together, his work rate forces people into making mistakes, that have won us games, so f*** em

Here here!!!

 

[kevtherev]

Barnes went through a bad spell where he wasn't up to scratch, now look at him...

eh,,you what?...I've been looking at him,,and?

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

eh,,you what?...I've been looking at him,,and?

Barnes is being played out of position so you have to expect him to blow hot & cold. He's doing ok. Give the lad a break.

 

[kevtherev]

Barnes is being played out of position so you have to expect him to blow hot & cold. He's doing ok. Give the lad a break.

Barnes is playing championship level football and shall be judged as such. If he is being played out of position(which he is) then the finger needs to be pointed elsewhere. I say it as I see it. People keep saying that people on this board who beg to differ from saying everything is fantastic, don't remember the bad times. Well I remember the bad times and I was there. But we should be judged on where we are now, not where we have come from. Which on the whole is fantastic. That does not mean that every player is fantastic and everybody is above reproach. Every team in the world can be bettered in some shape or form. Barnes does his best and he has the odd good game but championship level player.....Not for me, sorry.

 

[terryberry1]

Barnes is playing championship level football and shall be judged as such. If he is being played out of position(which he is) then the finger needs to be pointed elsewhere. I say it as I see it. People keep saying that people on this board who beg to differ from saying everything is fantastic, don't remember the bad times. Well I remember the bad times and I was there. But we should be judged on where we are now, not where we have come from. Which on the whole is fantastic. That does not mean that every player is fantastic and everybody is above reproach. Every team in the world can be bettered in some shape or form. Barnes does his best and he has the odd good game but championship level player.....Not for me, sorry.

I used to share your opinion but I am a converted Barnes fan now. I see him as a utility player. Not the most gifted player in the world but does a job and always gives 100% Also takes a mean Penalty