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Scottish Premiership - Aberdeen v Motherwell

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Jamie Smith.


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I've been told he's still getting steroid injections, and any breakdown between now and the end of the season will mean he needs drastic surgery.  Despite being back in the side it seems he's not quite out of the woods yet.

 

Hopefully his luck has changed though, love to see him get a bit of consistency.

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  • 1 month later...
Calderwood weighs up Smith’s future at Pittodrie

Dons manager must decide whether to offer talented but injury-plagued player a new contract

By Paul Third

 

Published: 21/04/2009

 

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood fears Jamie Smith’s latest injury could have far-reaching consequences for the player’s future.

 

From the pinnacle of his Dons career against Copenhagen, where he scored two wonderful goals in December 2007, to limping off the field at Celtic Park on Saturday after another injury in a dire 16 months since the European night to remember, Smith has struggled for fitness at the club.

 

Calderwood must decide whether the former Celtic winger is worth another contract – and admits it will be the toughest decision of his Pittodrie career.

 

Talks between the club and players out of contract in the summer have been put on hold until the end of the season.

 

Smith’s latest hamstring injury has come at the worst possible time for him.

 

If it was down to ability a new offer would be made, but Smith’s problems means it is unlikely a new deal will be on the table.

 

Calderwood must weigh up whether to offer Smith a new contract and the continuing doubt about his ability to play regularly makes the Dons manager’s task an even tougher one.

 

Calderwood said: “Jamie has been back for half a dozen games now and I feel for him. He has worked so hard to get himself fit again.

 

“If it is three weeks he might only have two games left. He has nothing to prove to me in terms of his ability, but we will sit down with him at the end of the season and make a decision.

 

“Everybody wants Jamie Smith to stay here as there are no doubts about his quality, but we have to assess his situation.

 

“I don’t think it will be a long-term injury, but you need your best players available regularly.

 

“It is one of the hardest decisions I will have to make, but that’s what I’m paid for.â€

 

Smith’s injury came as a surprise to the Dons manager after what had been a poor showing against Celtic on Saturday.

 

He said: “Jamie was playing in central midfield, which is a position which asks a lot more of a player than playing wide or up front, but he was handling it well.

 

“There was no hint of a problem until he signalled to come off on Saturday. The pitch was fabulous, the game was played like it was a charity game as the pace was so slow, but still Jamie felt something go.

 

“We’re talking about two to three weeks at the moment, as is the case with Derek Young, but we will need to wait and see how bad the damage is.â€

 

While Smith hopes to return before the end of the season to convince his manager of his fitness, vice-captain Zander Diamond is facing confirmation today he will play no further part in the campaign. The defender’s season-long ankle injury flared up again on Saturday and his manager expects to be without the player’s services for the final five matches of the season.

 

He said: “Zander is seeing the specialist and I expect to have it confirmed his season is finished. His ankle has been affecting his performances and games are hard enough without a player worrying if he is going to injure himself every time he over stretches himself.â€

 

Mark Kerr is available again after suspension while Darren Mackie will be fit to face Celtic on May 2.

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  • 2 weeks later...
ABERDEEN midfielder Jamie Smith is back in training and could face Dundee United next week.

 

There were fears Smith could be out for the rest of the season because of a hamstring injury.

 

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood said: “Jamie’s recovery is ahead of schedule.

 

“He is back doing light training and has a chance of facing United.

 

“That would be a massive boost but we will have to wait and see how he goes over the next few days.â€

 

Darren Mackie and Derek Young, who also have hamstring injuries, were having scans today to discover if they will be fit to play again this season.

 

Calderwood said: “It would be a bit dramatic to suggest at this stage that they will be out for the rest of the season.

 

“But we are worried because they keep getting back to a certain level of fitness and then feel pain again. We are hoping the scans will give us a clearer picture.â€

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From the BBC. I don't think he can really blame the club can he?

 

Smith uncertain on Dons future

Aberdeen midfielder Jamie Smith

Injury-plagued Smith has yet to find the net this season

 

Jamie Smith is unhappy that he has not yet been offered a new deal by Aberdeen and may well seek employment elsewhere.

 

Contract talks at Pittodrie have been put on hold until the Dons discover whether they have qualified for Europe.

 

"I just get the feeling that if the club wanted to keep me then it could have been done by now, but obviously that's not the case," he told RedTV.

 

"I've got other responsibilities which are more important than my football, as in my family."

 

The 28-year-old former Celtic winger insists he would love to stay with Aberdeen, where he has been since moving from Dutch side ADO Den Haag almost four years ago.

 

"It's a great city; it's a fantastic club," he said. "I've loved playing for the club.

 

I'm feeling absolutely fine, looking forward to getting back involved

 

Aberdeen winger Jamie Smith

 

"My family are really settled, the kids love the school that they go to, it's a nice area that we're living in.

 

"But if it's not possible, it's not possible. You have to work, you have to play football."

 

For the third straight year, Smith's season has been heavily curtailed by injury and he has been limited to 14 appearances this term.

 

He has recently enjoyed an extended run in the side but missed Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Celtic after suffering a hamstring strain against the same opponents two weeks earlier.

 

"It was no relation to all my other injury problems that I've had in the past," said Smith, who hopes to return for Thursday night's trip to Dundee United.

 

"I'm feeling absolutely fine, looking forward to getting back involved."

 

Defender Lee Mair and skipper Scott Severin are among the other Dons players who will be out of contract at the end of the season.

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You have to work, you have to play football."
  ...and therein lies the problem, Jamie. You haven't been working for a considerable time now. How the fuck can you be unhappy with the club for not pissing the little cash we do have on someone who has been seen less than Shergar over the last three seasons?  And the irony in that is that if Smith was a horse he'd have been taken to the glue factory ages ago.

 

We've all said it, we all want to see a fit Jamie Smith in an Aberdeen side.  But the bottom line is if he's perenially injured how can we keep him on?  I feel sorry for him, but I'm so frustrated with this guy's situation (as I'm sure he is ten times as frustrated about it) and I have to say now that if JC offers him a new contract I will be rather pissed off to say the least. 

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Looks like I am in the minority but I would give him a new contract.  He is the only player at the club that when fit can actually win matches on his own.  His injuries are frustrating, but if we can happily pay wages for some of the pricks at the club like Langfield whose attitude stinks then I think the cash should be found, I'm sure it wouldn't cost that much.  The performance against Copo was the best performance of any dons player since Jess at hampden against der hun in 95 and in this game alone he gave us more joy and made the club more money than most of the rest of the squad have done in the last 5 years put together.

Sign him up.

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Looks like I am in the minority but I would give him a new contract.  He is the only player at the club that when fit can actually win matches on his own.  His injuries are frustrating, but if we can happily pay wages for some of the pricks at the club like Langfield whose attitude stinks then I think the cash should be found, I'm sure it wouldn't cost that much.  The performance against Copo was the best performance of any dons player since Jess at hampden against der hun in 95 and in this game alone he gave us more joy and made the club more money than most of the rest of the squad have done in the last 5 years put together.

Sign him up.

 

Yes but he actually plays and generally well as opposed to one mercurial game very blue moon

 

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Looks like I am in the minority but I would give him a new contract.  He is the only player at the club that when fit can actually win matches on his own.  His injuries are frustrating, but if we can happily pay wages for some of the pricks at the club like Langfield whose attitude stinks then I think the cash should be found, I'm sure it wouldn't cost that much.  The performance against Copo was the best performance of any dons player since Jess at hampden against der hun in 95 and in this game alone he gave us more joy and made the club more money than most of the rest of the squad have done in the last 5 years put together.Sign him up.

 

I think you are overstating Smith's performance against Copenhagen. Yes he scored a superb goal at a vital time in the match but I don't remember him singlehandedly beating Copenhagen. That night was a tremendous team performance. Smith is a good player when fit and on form but nothing more than that. He'll certainly never be anywhere near as accomplished as Jess was. I would also suggest that, arguably,  Langfield has been more valuable when it comes to results in his Dons career than Smith.

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I'm not saying smith is as good as or better than jess, just that he is the best player since jess.  Smith seems like a good guy, very proffessional and always shows respect for the fans and the club.  Show him some loyalty.

 

I will never understand why so many people rate langfield, for me he is the biggest liability ever seen, and he is a cunt. 

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Langfield has been very good this season. I want Smith to stay but his reliability, or rather lack of it, has to be reflected in the terms of any contract. He is the best player at the club.

 

Agreed. I wouldn't hand him out any sort of contract. He has to understand that despite the skills we all know he has, he can't get the same contract he's on due to his lack of playing time. At this rate I don't think he deserves one, despite him appearing to be a nice guy and genuinly enjoying (when fit) playing for the club. As I said, there is no doubting his ability, but I just can't see how they could justify it.

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I'd suggest some middle ground, if he is that happy here (and I know for a fact that what he says in that statement about 'family being really settled' is true) maybe he'd be happy to sign a new contract on more realistic terms.  He is one of the big earners, maybe a reduced contract with certain bonuses written in for x amount of games would be more appropriate.

 

We cant be paying big salaries to people that are never fit, but by the same token we can ill afford to loose one of our (potentially) biggest assets.

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Smith is arguably our most naturally gifted footballer. He has the ability to turn games in our favour at the drop of a hat ... something we've not seen since Eoin Jess was at the club.

 

But Smith is just too injury prone for a cash-strapped club to have on their books. 14 starts this season is not a good haul for the amount of money we've paid him. Time to cut him free and let another club pay for a handful of good games per season.

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The guy wants to stay, is genuinely happy to be at the club and living in the city and is our best player. I agree that his injury ravaged couple of years makes resigning him unappealing but how often do you get that kind of player? Anderson was injured for more than 2 years but presumably folk were able to see the player.

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Smith had an interview in todays metro, the main gist of it being unless he gets a new contract offer before the end of the season (before we find out about Europa league) he will go get a contract elsewhere.

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