Leeds United Football Club - Smithy: Read My Lips
"How many times do I have to say it?" was how Alan Smith began his reaction to the continuous speculation concerning his future at Elland Road.
The LEEDS hero has again been reading about himself in the papers this week, and as usual, he's been left shaking his head in disapproval at being linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.
Smith has never said he wants to leave, and has made this point clear so often over the past year that he feels like a stuck record. If he ever had any doubts that the club might cash in on him, these were put to rest last week by chief executive Trevor Birch, who said the club were not looking to sell anyone during the transfer window.
Smudger though accepts that whilst Leeds are struggling financially in the boardroom as well as on the pitch, there's no getting away from the constant rumour mill and he just has to laugh it all off.
"There's good players at this football club," said Alan.
"It is a good club and there's always going to be speculation about the players with the financial situation we are in, but Trevor Birch has come out and reassured everybody that nobody is for sale.
"From a player's point of view and a fan's point of view, we can take his word for it."
"I've said it enough times (that I don't want to go), but hopefully my performances from now until the end of the season are what will count. It's easy to come out and say you don't want to leave and then put in a dire performance."
If Smith's words are not music to the ears of his large following at Elland Road, then an added bonus from the rough and tumble striker is his insistance that he doesn't know any other players in Eddie Gray's first team who are looking to use the transfer window as their escape hatch from the club.
"There will be no sulking, Trevor has already said that he doesn't want people who don't want to be here to stay, but all the lads do want to stay and they want to do well under Eddie.
"We are pulling together now. If you look at the performances under Eddie, taking Bolton out of the equation because it really wasn't his full team, we've had some good performances; drawing with Chelsea, winning at Charlton and Fulham and even at Man City where we got battered for 80 minutes but still could have nicked it.
"We let ourselves down against Wolves but we are all positive that we can turn it around."
Smith has stood by the club's decision to start his two match ban immediately, and he'll be an anxious observer from the stands at St James' Park tonight instead, keeping his fingers crossed that United can bounce back after two consecutive defeats.
"We got a good result against them here, we should have won that game at Elland Road, but we went to St James' and got a result last year and now hopefully we can repeat it."
"How many times do I have to say it?" was how Alan Smith began his reaction to the continuous speculation concerning his future at Elland Road.
The LEEDS hero has again been reading about himself in the papers this week, and as usual, he's been left shaking his head in disapproval at being linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.
Smith has never said he wants to leave, and has made this point clear so often over the past year that he feels like a stuck record. If he ever had any doubts that the club might cash in on him, these were put to rest last week by chief executive Trevor Birch, who said the club were not looking to sell anyone during the transfer window.
Smudger though accepts that whilst Leeds are struggling financially in the boardroom as well as on the pitch, there's no getting away from the constant rumour mill and he just has to laugh it all off.
"There's good players at this football club," said Alan.
"It is a good club and there's always going to be speculation about the players with the financial situation we are in, but Trevor Birch has come out and reassured everybody that nobody is for sale.
"From a player's point of view and a fan's point of view, we can take his word for it."
"I've said it enough times (that I don't want to go), but hopefully my performances from now until the end of the season are what will count. It's easy to come out and say you don't want to leave and then put in a dire performance."
If Smith's words are not music to the ears of his large following at Elland Road, then an added bonus from the rough and tumble striker is his insistance that he doesn't know any other players in Eddie Gray's first team who are looking to use the transfer window as their escape hatch from the club.
"There will be no sulking, Trevor has already said that he doesn't want people who don't want to be here to stay, but all the lads do want to stay and they want to do well under Eddie.
"We are pulling together now. If you look at the performances under Eddie, taking Bolton out of the equation because it really wasn't his full team, we've had some good performances; drawing with Chelsea, winning at Charlton and Fulham and even at Man City where we got battered for 80 minutes but still could have nicked it.
"We let ourselves down against Wolves but we are all positive that we can turn it around."
Smith has stood by the club's decision to start his two match ban immediately, and he'll be an anxious observer from the stands at St James' Park tonight instead, keeping his fingers crossed that United can bounce back after two consecutive defeats.
"We got a good result against them here, we should have won that game at Elland Road, but we went to St James' and got a result last year and now hopefully we can repeat it."