Alan Smith still has 18 months of his contract left on Tyneside, and we fully expect Alan to see out that contract at Newcastle.
Alan Smith – a striker this afternoon?
But whether he’ll get an extension to that we don’t know, but think it may be unlikely at this stage.
And with all the injuries to the Newcastle strikers recently, more than one columnist has suggested Pardew could play Alan Smith up front, where of course he started his career at Leeds, and where he played for England.
And playing up front could give Alan the chance to score his first senior goal ever for Newcastle , which we’re sure he’d just love to do.
This is what Alan Pardew said today about the 30 year-old:
“Alan’s been injured, and wasn’t involved on the bench on Wednesday. He had an injury but he will be in and around the team,”
“He’s an important person in this group. He’s a good character around the dressing room, he’s strong, he knows these sort of games and he’ll definitely be in the dressing room come what may. I like Alan. He’s got 18 months to run here and I’m sure he will want to see that 18 months out.”
“He’s had to change his game with injuries and the age he’s at, but that doesn’t mean to say he can’t play a more forward role.” “I just said to him I’ll use him where I think we might benefit from him and don’t rule that out.”
“That’s basically the message I gave him.” “I think it’s got him excited, I think he wants to get up front now and get a hat-trick himself, if he’s got one in the locker somewhere!”
With Cheick Tiote very likely to be missing this afternoon, with a tight hamstring, we would expect Alan to deputize in the holding midfield position.
And with all the players out injured – Steven Taylor, Tiote, Carroll, Ameobi, Gutierrez and Harper, we have a feeling Pardew could field the following side this afternoon:
Krul
Simpson Williamson Coloccini Enrique
Barton Smith Nolan (c) Ferguson
Lovenkrands Best
That’s not a bad side, and if we can take our chances like we did on Wednesday night, then the lads should be able to make it through this afternoon.
We hope so, in any case, and we don’t want to see any giant killing act by Stevenage this afternoon, that’s for sure.
Comments welcome.
NUFC News 24/7 
32 comments so far
JWatson
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Comment #1Didn’t he used to be a striker when he was first at leeds? Interested to see how he plays.
arcarius
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:23 AM
Comment #2Hahahaha
You sure bout that Pardew?
Havent break his duck yet even since he joined us 3 years ago. Even his record as a striker for Leeds wasnt clinical
We are not that desperate for strikers, are we? How bout Colo as a striker? Nearly scored a wonderful half volley against Citeh last year, no thanks to Joe Hart 😆
McGroin
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Comment #3I would be very upset if he didnt get used as a striker if he plays today,If I was Alan Smith and he didnt get to play in the striker role today,I would be upset with Pardew that doesn’t believe in his ability to score goals.Maybe if he can score a goal today,maybe it release the pressure for him to score his first goal for the club and maybe the goal might keep coming ?. I can wish,cant I ?
tjshawsey
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Comment #4Why not? I think its a great opportunity to show what you can do. Also could play colo CDM?
McGroin
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Comment #5This is off topic : Do you reckon for a player like Jean Makoun 7 Million is asking for too much ? Personally I would love to see him at the club.
Welsh-Toon
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Comment #6Colo is a CB, leave him as a CB please
arcarius
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:32 AM
Comment #7We have Gosling for that
Malaysia-RASHID
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:37 AM
Comment #8If do Pardew paly Smith in forward, i will impress with him coz Smith play forward for MU, and Leeds.
And he play DM which can’t dribble, can’t tackle and make good short passing. Should let him play forward his nature position.
Brutooon
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Comment #9He is 30 yrs old and never be younger, why not give ranger a chance? The lad is hunger for goal and he is one for the future
Best (if fit) and Xisco sould be ahead from him
Malaysia-RASHID
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:41 AM
Comment #10*can’t make good short passing.
toonry13
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Comment #11team for today 4-3-3
krul
simpson collo willo ferguson
barton nolan vuckic(new contract till 16)
lovenkrands ranger xisco
wouldnt mind seeing gosling start or come on depending on fitness. maybe change xisco with routledge.
Brutooon
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Comment #12I rathergive ranger the playing minutes. Aan smith is awaste of time
dak76
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:48 AM
Comment #13Didn’t Best come off injured on wed night?
team today I’d like to see
Krul
Simpson Willo Kadar Ferguson
Rout Smith Guthrie Loven
Vukic
Ranger
GeordieDan
Jan 8, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Comment #14I doubt we’ll play a team as strong as Ed is suggesting. We could ill afford to lose more key players at this stage of the season.
I’d go with a good mix of youth and experience, something like:
Krul
Perch-Williamson- Kadar-Ferguson
Routledge-Smith-Guthrie
Vukic
Ranger-Lovenkrands
I think this team would hammer Stevenage anyway with minimal risk to our key players.
toonarmy21
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Comment #15Geordiedan got the right idea why play our best players ie Barton Jose colo when they are likely to get injured when we will need our best team a week from now!!
Toon1978
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:08 AM
Comment #16Seeing Gosling get on the bench today would be good and even better if he were to get some time on the pitch!!
Welsh-Toon
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Comment #17Todays Team
Krul
Perch…..Willow….Kadar……Fergie
Rout…….Barton….Smith…..Vuckic
Nolan
Loverman
Youth and experience….. Today will be tuff whatever the team but this keeps some experience in it whilst giving the rest of the 1st team another week to shake off the knocks ready for the Dirty Mackems next weekend…. This team is still strong enough to win….
LifeLongGeordie
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:11 AM
Comment #18Might as well give him a try, although I doubt he’ll do much. Been trying to get a goal since he joined Newcastle. Bad signing and I’d get rid of him now. Useless to the club
Welsh-Toon
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Comment #19toonarmy21 // Jan 8, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Geordiedan got the right idea why play our best players ie Barton Jose colo when they are likely to get injured when we will need our best team a week from now!!
Because today is still important to get the result we need, and that’ll mean having 2,3 or 4 1st teamers playing today….We know next weekend is a must win but so is today mate…
Rotonda heights
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Comment #20If smith plays as striker today then if I was Xisco or ranger I’f be on my bike. I was really hoping we could shift his 60K a week wages. yes he may good in the dressing room, but he’s a bl…y expensive cheerleader !
TheScottishGeordie
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:33 AM
Comment #21—————-Krul
R.Taylor–Kadar—Colocini–Enrique
Routledge–Nolan-Vuckic–Ferguson
———–Xisco—-Best
Xisco deserves a chance! I don’t know if Raylor if fit though and maybe play Vuckic infront of Nolan.
AngerOfTheNorth
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Comment #22Stevenage will be fired up for this game and will give everything. As a result, I think they’ll put in a few full-blooded tackles… Maybe leave the likes of Barton, Coloccini etc on the bench, so that we don’t end up with more of our top players out injured..?
geordieal
Jan 8, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Comment #23I like Alan smith, granted he hasn’t been great for us on the pitch, but he always gives 110%, it’s off the pitch that I’m impressed with, I honestly think without him and Nolan we would not be where we are today, not the greatest players but they command respect from the other players and have them fighting for the club, for that we should all be grateful and get behind him rather than slate him, it was Alex ferguson that changed him to a dm, he was there to break up play and did a good job at man u. I wish he was able to keep the scoring side of his game going, he was never prolific but scored some crackers, and ya don’t become a bad player, he just had to change his game alot, which for a striker that can’t tackle I think he did quite well.
GeordieDan
Jan 8, 2011 at 12:16 PM
Comment #24WelshToon>
Aye, today is a very important game but we really should be beating a team like Stevenage regardless of what team we put out.
We need a little bit of the experience in there to keep the youngsters mindset right but we’d all be reeling if Nolan/Barton etc were to get injured and missed the game against the Mackems.
Its not worth it mate and we’ll win anyway, I’m confident enough in our squad for that today.
Dyer8
Jan 8, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Comment #25Todays Team
Krul
Simo…….Willo…..Colo……Kadar
Rout…….Vuckic….Smith…..Ferguson
…………..Ranger … Best………………
Robby Bobson
Jan 8, 2011 at 12:39 PM
Comment #26Fergie broguht him to be a striker and hes played for england as a striker, so he has it somewhere.
The problem for us is that he was playing with owen and used as a target man when hes not that.
The Eternal Optimist
Jan 8, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Comment #27best is injured lads and even if he wasnt Pardew would be mad to risk him if he can make the derby.
Alan smith is a terrible central midfielder, we all know that. He’s going to be around for 18 months because of his crazy wages. if we can squeeze any value from that as a striker im all for it and maybe stevenage is the place to see if he has the hunger for goals when in that position.
By the end of next season we’ll all be converts to the church of mike ashley (i am already you’ll probably have guessed). We wont love him as a person but respect what he has done for the clubs future. still makes me chuckle when i see fans on here moaning about him. the gys the real messiah when compared to the dark days of fat fred
could not be happier with the club at the moment. HWTL
Sav
Jan 8, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Comment #28McGroin, I think the exact opposite.
What is the point of playing Smith up front when he won’t be staying beyond next year at the most, he has not scored a Toon goal in 4 years and maybe one or two for ManU before that. At the same time we have Lovenkrands, Best, Vukic, Ranger, Airey and others who need opportunities to play and stake a serious claim for striker places.
To waste such an opportunity today by trotting out ‘old warhorse’ Smudger would, to my mind, be a travesty, not to mention reducing our chances of progress past the first FA Cup hurdle on sentimental claptrap.
maccamyfriend
Jan 8, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Comment #29FA Cup not so important, would love to see:
Krul
Simpson Willo Colo Kadar
Guthie Vuckic Donaldson
Ranger Airey Xisco
Subs: Soderberg, Folan, Gosling, Adjei, Inman, Smith (as striker!), Sami Ameobi.
Think it will be:
Krul
Simpson Willo Colo Enrique
Routledge Guthrie Smith Ferguson
Ranger Lovenkrands
Subs: Soderberg, Kadar, Perch, Nolan, Barton, Gosling, Xisco.
Toonbyblood
Jan 8, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Comment #30Finally got around to retrieving my account…
Smudge is massive part of the team spirit i think. There’s something to be said for keep that intact and not just rushing him out the door – even for 60 a week. I’d prefer Smudge than a David Bentley.
But that’s just me.
Would love to see him get a goal.
The Power Ranger
Jan 8, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Comment #31Keep Smudger till his contract expires, i like him alot!
toonoholic
Jan 8, 2011 at 4:03 PM
Comment #32or maybe pardew wants to finish his career off today.
power ranger if you like him a lot, you can pay for his wages. he is motivation that newcastle require, but not at 60 k.