Tommy Smith (Auckland FC | A-League)

I don't understand the hate towards Smith. Has he missed that many more AWs matches that say Reid? Or further back Nellie?

Think not.

Sure he speaks funny. But basically he wanted to focus on his club career after fiasco of AWs WC playoffs verus Mexico. Rightly he felt team were let down by NZF with sharkhouse warm up games, and virtual lambs to slaughter. He also had to put with captaining AWs Solomon Islands Oceancia Confeds - another NZF cock up.

Lastly he was not a fan of Herbert's and this was all before Hudson was appointed - with no meaningful AW games planned. So who blame for trying to cement his position at his employers Ipswich.

If was Hudson I'd promise Reid and Smith and their clubs minimal  game in 3 pool games in PNG. No point playing in those in trying heat and humidity. Let them rest up. Then just bring them in for big games semi and final.

The admin is as much to blame as Smith if not more. Smith is a professional playing in one of the richest competitions in the world. If we want professionals of this calibre to play for the NT then we need to start acting like professionals. Lets face it atm the admin is nothing short of a joke. I really think some people on this forum (no sarcasm and not counting myself) could do a better job. They might be businessmen and women with decent backgrounds but it would seem they know very very little of football particularly at an international level. Third world countries are in a all seriousness running better international football programs.

He's not showing any inclination to want to play for NZ again. Missed Oman due to getting engaged? Surely that can be done whenever but ok. Now according to I/V with Ipswich Town mag he's talking about Honeymoon in June 2017 - same time as Confeds Cup.

Up to him but I'd rather he just retired than fudge us about

Why should he be loyal to NZF?

The organisation is a shambles... and the fan base here seems to do nothing but call him names and it can potentially put him at risk of injury and effect his day to day job.

PROAK would you leave your paying job to do some charity work for an organisation that continually screws you around, is poorly run / organised and whose cliental don't care or appreciate the fact you have a real job to get back to???

Putting on the shirt should mean something.... but why would it to him given all of the above.

You want him to play, make him feel valued and make him believe that his time is being used purposefully.

We're turning down Russia for games whilst trying to get Guam... FUCK ME HIS POSITION IS UNDERSTANDABLE

At least he hasn't said his honeymoon will be between 17 June and 2 July 2017.

I don't have a problem with him not wanting to play for us - just say so and get it done instead of all this, missing due to personal reasons etc. If by some miracle we qualify for 2018 i'm sure he'll all of sudden be "proud to don the jersey".

and don't players also get some match payments playing for nz?

Match payment versus club salary?? Irrelevant for someone in his position, for a NZF amateur it might mean something.

So we would rather have him say, NZF is a joke and I can't be bothered working with them? How would that look, managers current and future would questions his professionalism and attitude etc, meanwhile it would potentially rule him out of getting another look in (aka Roy Keane) with the current admin system.

Short of doing what he's doing, I don't see too many other realistic choices.

Well not quite, as an International he can ask for a higher wage from his club (which I'm sure was probably his prime motivation for agreeing to play for NZ in the first place)

He has already said that he didn't want to play for us (well he would take a break), but Anthony Hudson apparently talked him round but its clear that his concern is himself, if NZ had a World Cup Qualifying path through Asia he'd be here but he knows we have no chance via South America, so unless Brazil or Argentina finish 5th he won't want anything to do with NZ

I'd rather he just "retired" to concentrate on playing in the English Championship

Post hidden from a member because of circumvention of the swear filter. 

I am currently closing the loophole in the swear filter. Good times. 

when you've done that can you explain to mere mortals how he did it?

you can edit the html directly and put inline tags like a span in the middle of a word so that to a computer the word is broken up but visually it is in one piece. At least that's how I've done it in the past.

You're always going to be able to get past a swear filter though at least by substituting characters so it might be better not to get into an arms race and just have a clear policy and system to report offensive posts.

Trial and error mostly I suppose

Since 2007 I have always typed swearwords with an asterisk instead of the vowel. Then all this shark and cod crap came in, I never changed my behaviour at all, and now I'm apparently a naughty boy, but all the people legitimately typing swearwords without censor are the good boys because it gets filtered and changed for them. It's a funny world we live in!

c*dding sh*rkhouse

shark is worth typing for the gif

So why did he play at all? Surely if we qualify for a world cup all of the points you are making would all still be the same.

Chump change wages, no loyalty to the country or the sport in the country, He doesn't want to work with the organizing body.  So if they are all valid reasons and he doesn't want to play for us then why does he?

We are just an excuse to squeeze into a world cup, and nothing more.  If he showed loyalty to our country and missed a couple of games he wouldn't be bashed by NZ fans.  You cant demand the respect of fans because you played for them when it suited you.  Respect is earned.

And has NZF earnt his respect?

He did us as much as a favour as we did him by playing in the WC. It helped us to achieve good results and get come credibility which is all but gone now.

Perhaps if NZF wasn't such a shambles he would have played more!

He also turned up in Honiara when Nelsen and Reid didn't

Where does it say he demands to have the fans respect ?

If he is available for any World Cup play off games, good enough for me.

Nothing special.  Just typed the whole word in CAPITALS.  Did it once ages ago to emphasize a word and found it didn't filter.  I reported the loophole at the time but it wasn't closed

FUCK YOU

it works

i loled

I'd be looking to postpone my international career to prolong my club career if I suddenly jumped from my 20's to my mid-30's!!

Full 90 in nil all draw today, slipping back from play off chances

Perhaps he keeps saying he can't play because it's his birthday, and someone was counting

Lol, that's superb from you. Slow clap emoji.

Dropped for todays game. Lost to brentford and not looking likely for playoffs.

Are you sure he was dropped... their problem this year has been scoring more so than defensive frailties. Is he injured... was he on the bench?

Benched. Def dropped

off contract at the end of the season too

Not going to png. Running his soccer school.

Yep

http://www.tommysmithsoccerschool.com/courses/

Statistically he is normally rated the highest player in his team on who scored. I think in the right team he would be good enough to play in the EPL and do well but its a bit like Aussie captain Jedinak who can't pass to save his life would need a coach to play to his strengths and maybe have a very good ball playing CB next to him to play more difficult passes.

Lol. "Here Rio mate, pass this out for me would ya..."

That is top investigative work. Personally I dislike the babysitting "academies" that are popping up everywhere. Surely Tommy has to show his face at his academy or does he hire some of them discarded u19's

Full 90 in the weekend.

Approaching 250 first team appearances for Ipswich!! He's their longest serving player at the moment, having been signed in August 2007.

Could be a candidate for Captain as well. General fan support seems good - perhaps with the help of some shoddy defending from Berra and Chambers

Ipswich only managed a 1-1 draw with Fulham midweek. The Tractor Boys in 8th spot now lie 8 points behind Sheffield Wednesday who are in 6th (last playoff position). 

So with only 3 games go, and barring a miracle, Smith will be playing Championship football next season. Means no playoffs vs OFC Nations Cup scheduling clash. 

Off to get your malaria tablets, yellow fever jabs and the like young Tommy.