Leeds United: Smith’s delighted to have staked a claim
YEP 22/10/13
Matt Smith was handed a rare start for Leeds and responded with two goals. Now he tells Leon Wobschall he’s wants a regular run.
A TWO-GOAL haul on the sweetest of Sunday lunch-times against a team from the city of his birth – Matt Smith would be forgiven for thinking he has finally ‘arrived’ in a Leeds United jersey.
United’s cup was brimful to the top with gushing positives following a sumptuous dismantling of Lee Clark’s Birmingham City, with the 4-0 victory their most emphatic since a stellar showing at Nottingham Forest in November 2011, when the Whites’ fittingly honoured the memory of the late Gary Speed with a classy four-goal triumph.
The good news for the Whites was headlined by a two-goal showing from summer signing Smith, who kick-started his United career in front of the watching TV audience, the fourth time this calendar year in which the 6ft 6in forward has proved not to be camera shy.
Smith’s previous three contributions propelled him to national prominence, the first being his brace in an almighty FA Cup third-round shock at Boundary Park in January when he inspired his former club Oldham Athletic to a stunning 3-2 victory over Liverpool.
The blue half of Merseyside were also tormented by Smith in the next round, with the giant targetman repeating his heroics of the previous round by netting a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Everton – ahead of powering home a towering header in the 3-1 loss in the replay at Goodison Park.
It was displays like those which started to mark the card of scouts and managers regarding Smith, out of contract with the cash-strapped Latics in June and destined for elevation to higher things.
Elland Road was the destination Smith was headed for, despite rival Championship interest and after a largely quiet start to life with the Whites, a clear statement finally came on Sunday.
Smith’s next task is backing it up, conscious that United have bragging rights to attend to as well as points in Saturday’s big West Yorkshire derby at near-neighbours Huddersfield Town.
Smith said: “I have been given an opportunity. I have played a bit-part role so far with my starts in the cup and coming on regularly in the league. But I hope to keep it going now.
“The thing I have noticed, certainly from coming from part time to full-time football is that you need that consistency. That’s what makes a good player; a great player week-in, week-out – delivering performances.
“I will enjoy this moment, but make sure I’ll come back fighting for the next game.”
While Smith was afforded a portion of the limelight on Sunday, plenty of others shone, including the likes of Rudy Austin, who crowned an exhilarating display with an outstanding goal, Alex Mowatt – looking more and more of a find – and Ross McCormack.
The latter provided plenty of menace alongside Smith at the business end of the pitch and conjured a fair few twists to bewitch the Blues defence, with the Scot very much United’s version of the Magic Man.
On his partnership with McCormack in a classic big-man, little-man combination, the 24-year-old said: “We have got a good relationship on and off the pitch.
“We are friends away from it and on the pitch, he’s very clear in his communication and where he wants the ball when it comes up to me. He tells me near enough exactly where he wants the ball.
“Obviously, he’s a terrific player and he’s got a lot of magic. He can turn a game on his own sometimes.
“It’s great to play with someone who is confident and comfortable on the ball. You know he will always put in crosses and create opportunities for you.”
Despite several contenders, the man entitled to the biggest backslap on the day was United manager Brian McDermott after he found a solution ‘in house’ to arrest a worrying run of form and provide a momentum swing for Leeds, who went into Sunday’s game on the back of a poor streak of five defeats in seven Championship matches.
McDermott’s switch to a fluid 3-5-2 system worked a treat after being tried out in a training-ground dress rehearsal against Rotherham United, with United backing up the promise shown in that performance when it mattered against the Blues.
Smith, whose fine header to wrap up proceedings to make it 4-0 on was the stock in trade of all big centre-forwards worth their salt, acknowledged: “It was obviously pleasing to see what takes place on the training ground gets replicated on the pitch. It worked well for us, we got balls out wide and crosses into the box and created chances from start to finish.
“We also got in behind them with willing runners all over the park.
“I was delighted. Obviously, our run of form has not been great, so it was good to hit back with a very good performance. A clean sheet, four goals and I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.
“The first goal was a deflection, which came off the keeper and bobbled out to me on the edge of the box. I saw him coming across, so I decided to back away because I thought his momentum would have taken him the way he was going. The second goal was an unbelievable cross from Alex Mowatt. We know he’s got that ability on his left foot to put in crosses like that all day. It was a phenomenal cross and I managed to put my head on it.
“Credit to the team, we created chances from start to finish and kept going. It’s easy when you are 3-0 up to let your standards drop and we knew that they were going to come out with momentum in the second half.
“But we managed to stay strong and resilient and kept them to shots from distance and Paddy (Kenny) made a few great saves. All around, it was a great performance.”
Matt Smith was handed a rare start for Leeds and responded with two goals. Now he tells Leon Wobschall he’s wants a regular run.
A TWO-GOAL haul on the sweetest of Sunday lunch-times against a team from the city of his birth – Matt Smith would be forgiven for thinking he has finally ‘arrived’ in a Leeds United jersey.
United’s cup was brimful to the top with gushing positives following a sumptuous dismantling of Lee Clark’s Birmingham City, with the 4-0 victory their most emphatic since a stellar showing at Nottingham Forest in November 2011, when the Whites’ fittingly honoured the memory of the late Gary Speed with a classy four-goal triumph.
The good news for the Whites was headlined by a two-goal showing from summer signing Smith, who kick-started his United career in front of the watching TV audience, the fourth time this calendar year in which the 6ft 6in forward has proved not to be camera shy.
Smith’s previous three contributions propelled him to national prominence, the first being his brace in an almighty FA Cup third-round shock at Boundary Park in January when he inspired his former club Oldham Athletic to a stunning 3-2 victory over Liverpool.
The blue half of Merseyside were also tormented by Smith in the next round, with the giant targetman repeating his heroics of the previous round by netting a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Everton – ahead of powering home a towering header in the 3-1 loss in the replay at Goodison Park.
It was displays like those which started to mark the card of scouts and managers regarding Smith, out of contract with the cash-strapped Latics in June and destined for elevation to higher things.
Elland Road was the destination Smith was headed for, despite rival Championship interest and after a largely quiet start to life with the Whites, a clear statement finally came on Sunday.
Smith’s next task is backing it up, conscious that United have bragging rights to attend to as well as points in Saturday’s big West Yorkshire derby at near-neighbours Huddersfield Town.
Smith said: “I have been given an opportunity. I have played a bit-part role so far with my starts in the cup and coming on regularly in the league. But I hope to keep it going now.
“The thing I have noticed, certainly from coming from part time to full-time football is that you need that consistency. That’s what makes a good player; a great player week-in, week-out – delivering performances.
“I will enjoy this moment, but make sure I’ll come back fighting for the next game.”
While Smith was afforded a portion of the limelight on Sunday, plenty of others shone, including the likes of Rudy Austin, who crowned an exhilarating display with an outstanding goal, Alex Mowatt – looking more and more of a find – and Ross McCormack.
The latter provided plenty of menace alongside Smith at the business end of the pitch and conjured a fair few twists to bewitch the Blues defence, with the Scot very much United’s version of the Magic Man.
On his partnership with McCormack in a classic big-man, little-man combination, the 24-year-old said: “We have got a good relationship on and off the pitch.
“We are friends away from it and on the pitch, he’s very clear in his communication and where he wants the ball when it comes up to me. He tells me near enough exactly where he wants the ball.
“Obviously, he’s a terrific player and he’s got a lot of magic. He can turn a game on his own sometimes.
“It’s great to play with someone who is confident and comfortable on the ball. You know he will always put in crosses and create opportunities for you.”
Despite several contenders, the man entitled to the biggest backslap on the day was United manager Brian McDermott after he found a solution ‘in house’ to arrest a worrying run of form and provide a momentum swing for Leeds, who went into Sunday’s game on the back of a poor streak of five defeats in seven Championship matches.
McDermott’s switch to a fluid 3-5-2 system worked a treat after being tried out in a training-ground dress rehearsal against Rotherham United, with United backing up the promise shown in that performance when it mattered against the Blues.
Smith, whose fine header to wrap up proceedings to make it 4-0 on was the stock in trade of all big centre-forwards worth their salt, acknowledged: “It was obviously pleasing to see what takes place on the training ground gets replicated on the pitch. It worked well for us, we got balls out wide and crosses into the box and created chances from start to finish.
“We also got in behind them with willing runners all over the park.
“I was delighted. Obviously, our run of form has not been great, so it was good to hit back with a very good performance. A clean sheet, four goals and I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.
“The first goal was a deflection, which came off the keeper and bobbled out to me on the edge of the box. I saw him coming across, so I decided to back away because I thought his momentum would have taken him the way he was going. The second goal was an unbelievable cross from Alex Mowatt. We know he’s got that ability on his left foot to put in crosses like that all day. It was a phenomenal cross and I managed to put my head on it.
“Credit to the team, we created chances from start to finish and kept going. It’s easy when you are 3-0 up to let your standards drop and we knew that they were going to come out with momentum in the second half.
“But we managed to stay strong and resilient and kept them to shots from distance and Paddy (Kenny) made a few great saves. All around, it was a great performance.”