Newcastle’s Worst Ever Signing

Thursday 12th July 2012 by

I’ve made no secret of what I think about Michael Owen, safe to say he is not my favourite player. It’s hard to argue with the many polls that have had him down as the worst signing in our history.  However, the news that Alan Smith has somehow got himself a two year deal with MK Dons got me thinking. Should Smith be given that dubious accolade?

If we are simply talking personality, effort and commitment then the lad from Yorkshire beats Owen hands down. When Smith was on the pitch, the workrate couldn’t be faulted, even if his end product sadly could. Surely though, it’s the end product that is the main criteria for judging a player?

If that is the case then the playing record of Alan Smith is as bad as anyone to have graced St James’ Park, 77 starts and precisely no goals.  For his troubles, Smith was paid around £12 million quid in wages. At least for Owen’s £20 million pay cheque, he managed to put the ball away 30 times.

What is sad about Smith’s career is that he had been a very good player in his early days but his horrendous injury while with Man Utd effectively brought that career to an end. So trust Newcastle to sign him up on an obscene contact. However, was it the fault of Smith (or Xisco, Luque , Geremi  etc ) to stay at the club on an obscene amount of money, rather than move on to play somewhere else for less?

If someone comes into your office today and says ‘Billy, have a 50% pay rise and now bugger off home to watch Jeremy Kyle for 2 years’, what are you going to do? I don’t think it will be ‘no thanks, I’d rather not have the money and would prefer to continue to work every hour of the day in front of this computer’.

All of the mentioned players and many others before them, have seen this club as a cash cow. As we try to bring in the right players this summer and keep the good ones we already have, for the long-term good of the club they have to be on the right contracts. That is contracts that reward their abilities but also don’t take away their ambition and desire to perform.

If that means we lose a couple of players we would prefer not to, rather than put them on £80k a week, then sadly so be it. The lessons of the past surely tell us, throwing silly money at players does not work.

 

  • Scott

    Surely Xisco!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Surely????

    • Phil K

      Agree about Dennis Wise, actually. The damage he did resulted in relegation remember. Both indirectly and directly.

  • Fra

    marcelino and xisco for me

    • Lyle

      Agree with those two, and you can hoy Hugo Viana and Gavilan in the mix too.By the way Malcolm, “Jinky Jim” was my idol too; the likes of which we’re unlikely ever to see again.  

    • Dgc

      Marcelino or Luque for me. Not sure Xisco has been given many chances

  • WallsendStu

    The worst person to put pen to paper to represent NUFC has to be Dennis Wise. The worst mistake ever

  • DoubleCarpet

    Why have a go at the bloke? He was signed for a stupid transfer fee on stupid wages by a stupid manager who should never (in hindsight although few of us thought so at the time) have been let anywhere near our club. Why should he have torn up his contract and said thanks but I’ll no longer take the money I have a legally binding contract for because you won’t give me a game and it doesn’t feel right. Do me a favour – would you do that?

    When he played he was very limited but he always gave his best – often by jumping into daft tackles and getting booked but for which he was always applauded. 

    I refuse to slag off a bloke who tried his best, never moaned to the press, never caused trouble and always supported his team mates and the manager.

    If you want to start slagging people off start with the ones who never gave a toss. Luque and Owen anyone? Part time footballers, full time charlatans. Despite all his limitations (quite possibly caused by a terrible broken leg) Alan Smith does not deserve to be classed alongside those two – and quite a few others.

  • Jim1983

    XISCO enough said!

  • Pigmeat

    Don’t get me started about Marcelino and his f*****g finger!

  • Micky Burns

    Boumsoug, Xisco, Luque, Marcelino, Carl Cort to name but a few. Then again we have made some signings of the decade in Cabaye, Tiote, Cisse, Ba and Krul so its not all bad. Howay the lads.

    • Phil K

      Cort’s goal scoring wasn’t actually that bad. I gather it was his obnoxious wife that was the cause of his bad rep, not Carl himself.

  • Griff

    I have to say Smith was nowhere near our worst ever signing. I’d be much more inclined to include Ian Rush, Andreas Anderson and Paul Dalglish amongst many others in that group. The days of massive wages, as you know, are gone but most of the players during the recent era and era’s gone were on absurd wages, not just Smith of course but there were many who did not put the effort in Smith did.

    In my opinion this article is pointless and has no substance.

  • Gavin Mccormack

    well frank dumbass  and marcelino was a massive pile and that stephan guivarch shit as well all shit art a shit time panic ca buys

  • Matthew Tobin

    With all the terrible expensive signings we’ve made, it makes you think, what’s the best FREE transfer we’ve ever done? 

    would you agree with this list?http://thespectatorsview.com/2012/07/08/top-5-free-transfer-signings/ 

    • Phil K

      Sibierski surprised and delighted the fans, who weren’t happy at his signing. In the end, he won us over big time. Certainly in the running for best ever free transfer

  • Guybullet

    Fumaca, frank pingle, rob McDonald, billy white hurst, tony Cunningham, mark Stimson, bobby shinton, mike hooper, David batty, marcelino, maric, xisco, John Barnes,

    • Mkeats555

      David batty?!

    • Fredshere

      Horse shit and platitudes. David Batty? John Barnes, our free transfer top goal scorer from midfield when Shearer was injured?

  • Alex

    I’m presuming the author is really trying to talk about the worst in FINANCIAL terms. If that’s the case, then the huge sums of money involved in the Smith signing and 5 years contract really DO have to be classed as the ‘worst ever’.

    However, if it’s in terms of PLAYING, then it’s wrong and unfair. We’ve had many more with less heart and skill to band Smith with these wasters.

  • CJcoffee

    Surely you are all forgetting Silvio Maric?? Paid about 10 million for him and I think he got 1 assist!!

    Albert Luque surely trumps them all??

    Smudger grafted in the central midfield area as more of a holding player. He wasn’t on the pitch to score goals!! Even Sor Alwx had said he was more of a Roy keane type after his injury!! Gather all the facts before producing a ridiculous article like this!

    I have only named two of many players ahead of Smith for that tag!! As for those saying David Batty…… Clueless!!

  • Trippynet

    “When Smith was on the pitch, the workrate couldn’t be faulted”

    That remark alone signifies why he wasn’t our worst signing. He did put effort in, even if it didn’t lead to success. It’s also worth noting that Smithy was employed as more of a holding midfielder rather than a striker in the later part of his career with Manure and then with Newcastle. Tiote (in a similar role) has 50 games for Newcastle and only 1 goal, but he’s a top notch player.

    Either way, I reckon it’s a bit unfair to judge a holding midfielder largely on goal tallies.

    I’d still go for Owen, purely because he had the talent, but couldn’t be arsed to use it for the club. He joined the club for the wrong reasons (playing for England), couldn’t be bothered in the slightest, then pissed off on a free transfer the second we were relegated.

  • Mal

    When he was first signed he was very popular for a season or two. If I remember the new owner used to have his name on the back of his shirt. There’s been a few who cost just as much but have given less – marcellion and xisco are both mentioned below. Anyway he’s left – time to move on.

  • Phil K

    No shortage of effort, but paying him 60 grand a week was ludicrous, and all down to Fat Sam. Was horrified they’d signed him THEN and he turned out worse than even I’d thought he’d be.
    Others are doing similar to Smith, like the moochers at crisis cliub Portsmouth. Its why Ashley is playing Fagin on the subject of wages, and the likes of those at Portsmouth and Smith are why.

  • Martin Langford

    Many thanks for giving Smiffy the chance to prove his worth with us at MK Dons, which he did in style. The goal at Uddersfield in the play off semi will live longer in my memory than failing to get to the final. Smiffy has proved it is not all about the money by signing for 2 years with us instead of number of other higher placed teams. He gives 200% on the pitch and is fast becoming a Dons fave.

  • Steve

    MArtin, he’s found his level. It’s all well and good giving 200%, but no goals in 77 appearances is terrible even for a midfielder.

  • Tone Town Toon Fan

    The worst was …Marcelino.  He seemed to spend four years off with a sprained finger, and then had to be paid to go away.  Complete and utter waste of space!

  • Sharpie

    Smith was poor for us, but maybe he deserves a little bit more in the way of praise for our post-relegation rehabilitation than many will give him credit for. If what we’re led to believe is true, Smith played a big role along with other senior pro’s in galvanising the dressing room following the infamous Leyton Orient defeat.

  • Speedy_02

    Michael Owen for me for the reasons already detailed below. Paid a kings ransom every week, but repaid us with no effort and a face like a smacked arse that never hid the fact he only came for the cash. Guys like Smith who never shirked a tackle or a shift in spite of limited talent are far more of a credit to the shirt than Owen who could have been a world-beater.
    Pity the fool who signs him now…although I don’t think anyone will be that stupid!