Craig Mackail-Smith

[Braggfan]

Yes he was. When Poyet signed him, he said he was going to build the team around him. This never happened. He was used to playing as part of a strike partnership and Poyet consistently played him upfront on his own. I’d say we were partially responsible for wrecking his career!

I've always thought CMS was a strange signing because although there was absolutely no arguing with is goal scoring record at Peterborough, he just didn't fit our style of play. At Peterborough he played on one of the smallest pitches in the league. It was easy for defenders to start counter attacks by playing it over the top and CMS would just sit on the shoulder of opposing defenders waiting for the ball over the top. He was perfectly suited to that. But when we signed him, we were playing a patient possesion based football, where we would build attacks from the back on one of the largest pitches in the football league. The style we played was the polar opposite of Peterborough's. I don't want to say he was one dimensional because that would be a diservice but I just mean he needed a specific style and service to thrive and we just weren't set up for that at the time.

Funnily enough though I always thought if it had been a few years later and CMS had been joining Hughton's Championship side, I think that style would have suited him. As we were very quick on the break and liked to get balls into the box to centre forward.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Yes he was. When Poyet signed him, he said he was going to build the team around him. This never happened. He was used to playing as part of a strike partnership and Poyet consistently played him upfront on his own. I’d say we were partially responsible for wrecking his career!

Great to have these debates again. In his entire career he only scored more than 15 league goals in a season twice, both in League One in a team built around him. Sandwiched between those 2 seasons was a season in the Championship with a strike partner and team built around him and he got 10 goals. He just had a golden 2 or 3 years at P’Boro where everything fell into place around him, tactics, team mates etc. His stats everywhere else whether National League, League Two are nothing to write home about. To say we were partially responsible for wrecking his career is a bit ridiculous tbh had it not been for Poyet staking so much on him, I think he’d have played a lot less than he did.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

My mate went out with Amber Fry for a bit and she’s now married to Craig but he still has her on Facebook and she is just as bad apparently

A girlfriend of mine had a kiss on the cheek from Barry Fry. We might be related.

 

[blue-shifted]

Great to have these debates again. In his entire career he only scored more than 15 league goals in a season twice, both in League One in a team built around him. Sandwiched between those 2 seasons was a season in the Championship with a strike partner and team built around him and he got 10 goals. He just had a golden 2 or 3 years at P’Boro where everything fell into place around him, tactics, team mates etc. His stats everywhere else whether National League, League Two are nothing to write home about. To say we were partially responsible for wrecking his career is a bit ridiculous tbh had it not been for Poyet staking so much on him, I think he’d have played a lot less than he did.

Yes. It was injury that destroyed his career

 

[Change at Barnham]

It would appear that Ivan Toney also plays on the shoulder, looking for his speed to give him an advantage over the defenders.
It will be interesting to see where he ends up and how his career goes.

 

[Zamoracomehome]

Yes. It was injury that destroyed his career

Apologies for the plug...! But this week's Football, the Albion and Me podcast is with CMS who says a combination of injury, tactics and price-tag pressure/change of mentality were why things didn't quite go to plan.

No Covid conspiracies in this, but he's a decent listen: https://anchor.fm/footballthealbionandme/episodes/Craig-Mackail-Smith-eil32q/a-a31ln8d

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I've always thought CMS was a strange signing because although there was absolutely no arguing with is goal scoring record at Peterborough, he just didn't fit our style of play. At Peterborough he played on one of the smallest pitches in the league. It was easy for defenders to start counter attacks by playing it over the top and CMS would just sit on the shoulder of opposing defenders waiting for the ball over the top. He was perfectly suited to that. But when we signed him, we were playing a patient possesion based football, where we would build attacks from the back on one of the largest pitches in the football league. The style we played was the polar opposite of Peterborough's. I don't want to say he was one dimensional because that would be a diservice but I just mean he needed a specific style and service to thrive and we just weren't set up for that at the time.

Funnily enough though I always thought if it had been a few years later and CMS had been joining Hughton's Championship side, I think that style would have suited him. As we were very quick on the break and liked to get balls into the box to centre forward.

Peterborough were a real lower level crazy gang. Played kick'n'rush like we did in school. The season before we signed CMS their stats were something head-mental like Goals For:100, Goals Against: 100. Naive in the extreme to just expect the CMS goals to just keep rolling in against a hjgher class of defender that wouldn't be outdone that easily

 

[BeHereNow]

CMS sees through the Covid nonsense.

Brilliant! Love him even more.

 

[RossyG]

Yes, good for him. I think more people are realising that this has been a huge and calamitous overreaction.

 

[Grombleton]

Peterborough were a real lower level crazy gang. Played kick'n'rush like we did in school. The season before we signed CMS their stats were something head-mental like Goals For:100, Goals Against: 100. Naive in the extreme to just expect the CMS goals to just keep rolling in against a hjgher class of defender that wouldn't be outdone that easily

I had to look that up just to double check if they were really that bad:

2010-2011:

Goals For: 106 (highest in the league)
Goals Against: 75 (joint-second worst).

Insanity

 

[CheeseRolls]

I've always thought CMS was a strange signing because although there was absolutely no arguing with is goal scoring record at Peterborough, he just didn't fit our style of play. At Peterborough he played on one of the smallest pitches in the league. It was easy for defenders to start counter attacks by playing it over the top and CMS would just sit on the shoulder of opposing defenders waiting for the ball over the top. He was perfectly suited to that. But when we signed him, we were playing a patient possesion based football, where we would build attacks from the back on one of the largest pitches in the football league. The style we played was the polar opposite of Peterborough's. I don't want to say he was one dimensional because that would be a diservice but I just mean he needed a specific style and service to thrive and we just weren't set up for that at the time.

Funnily enough though I always thought if it had been a few years later and CMS had been joining Hughton's Championship side, I think that style would have suited him. As we were very quick on the break and liked to get balls into the box to centre forward.

Gus was looking to create a bargain basement Barcelona. What he saw in CMS was high energy, which meant defending from the front (win it back and keep it). In hindsight it does seem bizarre trying to kick start possession football, by signing a kick and rush forward. Towards the end of his spell with the club, CMS got a massive roar of approval from the home fans, when he sprinted 40 metres, closed down a defender and conceeded a throw in. By contrast the Murray who left Brighton at that time, was much more a traditional centre forward, who saved his energy for the penalty area. The Murray that returned to the club to me, had a much more rounded game and his hold up play and all round contribution had gone up a level.

 

[FatSuperman]

I had to look that up just to double check if they were really that bad:

2010-2011:

Goals For: 106 (highest in the league)
Goals Against: 75 (joint-second worst).

Insanity

Sounds brilliant. They would have been fun in the MTL

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Sadly CMS Albion epitaph, despite being a patently nice lad, will be Labrador Chasing A Stick

 

[Justice]

Sadly CMS Albion epitaph, despite being a patently nice lad, will be Labrador Chasing A Stick

Murray was almost forgotten when CMS had a hot streak before the injury. He was probably trying to hard at times on his return but overall that is a bit harsh.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Remember you lot saying how much more you prefer him to Lambert and how much longer he would be scoring for you.
Neither player lasted much longer at our clubs in the end.

You're being a tad over generous, I feel:

Lambert games (goals)

2009–2014 Southampton 207 (106)

Macka

2011–2015 Brighton & Hove Albion 109 (21)

 

[METALMICKY]

Sadly CMS Albion epitaph, despite being a patently nice lad, will be Labrador Chasing A Stick

Harsh but fair!

 

[Baldseagull]

Always frustrated me that when opposition played a high back line against us to constrain the space that we didn't punt a couple of balls through for CMS to run onto.

 

[Betfair Bozo]

It would appear that Ivan Toney also plays on the shoulder, looking for his speed to give him an advantage over the defenders.
It will be interesting to see where he ends up and how his career goes.

Toney has pace but also good movement. I have thought since his first spell at Scunthorpe that he would be better the higher he goes. There is no point in making the right run if your team-mates can't spot or execute the pass. I expect his next move will prove me right or wrong but I think he is worth a punt for someone. No surprise that Brentford were interested.

 

[Gazwag]

Sadly CMS Albion epitaph, despite being a patently nice lad, will be Labrador Chasing A Stick

And Covid denier

 

[marlowe]

The shirt of his current club Stevenage is pretty appalling.

Bizarrely it appears to be modelled on an inverted version of the old staff uniform of their shirt sponsor's biggest competitors...