Derby County have made an offer for Michael Smith, a striker from Sheffield Wednesday. The move has been rebuffed as The Owls have asked for a "considerable" loan fee. What can the 32 year old striker offer The Rams? We spoke with Joe Crann Sheffield Wednesday journalist for The Star, The Wednesday Week and Talking Wednesday to find out!
Michael Smith has been linked with a move to Derby. What do you make of it?
Joe Crann: It makes sense considering how strong his relationship has been with Paul Warne over the years. It’s not the first time they’ve shown interest, and with Derby pushing for promotion it makes absolute sense that they’d want a proven goal scorer at that level. If they get him, I’d back them to go up.
TWW: It makes sense for Smith to be linked with Derby, reuniting with his old boss Paul Warne and he is an absolute beast in League One (Over 20 goals per season in his last two L1 seasons). The loan rather than permanent deal probably works in Derby’s favour as much as it does ours. I’m not convinced it’s necessarily the last we’ll see of him in a Wednesday shirt, especially as even the most optimistic Wednesday fan can see L1 looming again and he’d probably be surplus to requirements at Derby if he did manage to get you over the line.
Talking Wednesday: I think it makes sense, he's an ideal choice at that level and is no stranger to scoring a lot of League One goals. 21 in all competitions for us last season and 17 in the league, just someone you'd be looking for.
Smith has played 16 times this season for Wednesday. How has he performed?
Joe Crann: He’s not really had much of a chance, to be honest. He offers a really high work rate and is a proper handful for defenders, but has been pretty limited in terms of starts. He’s had a couple of knocks injury-wise, but he’s also just been a bit out of favour as well.
TWW: It’s really hard to judge his performances this season as they were almost all in the ill-fated Xisco days shudder. Every player has been a different animal since Danny Röhl has taken over, however, he clearly doesn’t fancy Smith in his plans.
He's clearly found it harder in the Championship, the step has jumped since even we were last in the division and a lot of players have looked slightly off it. I'd say it doesn't help that he hasn't really been in the managers plans and we require more pace with our playstyle.
Talking Wednesday: I think the club would prefer a permanent move. He doesn't fit Danny Röhl's system which is a lot more intense in the press than Darren Moore's ever was. We've been much improved under this manager and it's become evident that we need new players to fit the system, Smith leaving frees up funds. He is that typical League One striker that will get you goals at that level but there's question marks on him ever fully being able to make the step up - Rotherham fans said the same when we signed him. He's also out of favour with us having an academy product shining at the minute and Ike Ugbo has come on loan from Cardiff. We're looking for pace and clinical finishing.
He’s made 53 appearances (and scored 20 goals) for The Owls. Why are Wednesday looking to loan him out, despite being in a relegation battle?
Joe Crann: It just feels like he’s not Danny Röhl’s kind of player from the outside. He’s not featured much, and with the emergence of Bailey Cadamarteri it doesn’t look like there’s any sort of guarantee that that is going to change.
TWW: We’ve had plenty of fans calling for him to come back into the side as we are lacking goals but almost all of the goals he’s scored during his time at Hillsborough were in our promotion season last year, which might be a clue as to why Rotherham didn’t think too long about selling him on after their promotion. That said, the two goals he has scored this season were against Rotherham in our first win, which must’ve stung a bit :D
Talking Wednesday: He obviously doesn’t fit in to Danny Röhl’s set up and despite being good at holding up the ball, he clearly doesn’t fit with the expected work rate/pace of what we’re trying to do now. He’ll never beat anyone in a foot race and we have been limited this season in the number of times we’ve managed to get the ball in to the opposition box for him to capitalise on it.
How would you sum up his time at Hillsborough?
Joe Crann: Pivotal. Wednesday wouldn’t have got promoted without him last season, and he became the first player to score 20+ goals in a season for the club in over a decade. He came to get the club promoted, and managed to do that. Will always be remembered very fondly no matter when he moves on.
Talking Wednesday: He is a striker that I felt never scored, but he somehow managed to bag 21 last season. I think that says a lot for how he's a no frills, gets the job done kind of striker. Plenty of time for him and wouldn't be against still having him as a squad player here.
Smith is 6 ‘ 3” and is striker. What type of striker is he? Is he a prototypical big man? Is he a hold up player? Does he run into the channels?
Joe Crann: He’s largely what it says on the tin… Big, strong, and a threat in the air. But he’s also a lot better footballer than I think some give him credit for, and his work rate is exceptional. He’s a finisher first and foremost and is best placed in and around the box, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not prepared to work himself out wide if needs be. Can work as a hold up player and is difficult to get the ball off because of his physical prowess, but his biggest strength is his positioning and finishing.
Talking Wednesday: He's got good attacking movement, the striker that pops into the box at the right time and makes himself available. Isn't afraid of a header and has a good finish, can be slightly wasteful at times. I wouldn't say we relied on him as a hold up player, but he has done it to an extent. Expect him to always be getting on the end of chances, even if they don't go in!
He's a strong header of the ball and he's got a good jump height, not afraid to get stuck in. One of his biggest weaknesses at Championship level has been keeping to the pace of the matches, but I can't see that being an issue at all really in League One as it wasn't last season. He also bring a lot of maturity and experience. He's been in the game a long time and is clearly well respected by his team, and they trust him on the pitch - part of the reason he scored a lot last season I feel.
Sheffield Wednesday are asking a considerable loan fee for Smith. Do you think this deal will get done before the deadline?
Joe Crann: Honestly, only the people involved can give you an idea of that. All depends on who is preparing to budge on the deal and whether either party thinks that they can get the right deal for their club.
Talking Wednesday: I think you'll struggle. Chansiri won't want to budge if he doesn't see the deal as profitable. The season we got relegated was down to FFP so since then we've been even tighter with anything budget/fee related. But I think he'd be worth it.
Do you think Smith can be good player in League One for Derby?
Joe Crann: Smudge would be a great player in League One, like I mentioned before, if you get him I’d be backing you to go up. Great person, great pro, and a guy who knows where the back of the net is – especially in League One.
TWW: Even last season with the record he had, fans did still question Smith at times but ultimately it’s the goals that count. He’s a great League One striker, very difficult to defend against, good in the air and loves a good tussle. That said, one minute you might be praising him for a good finish, and the next frustrated that he took too long – and with fewer chances coming our way this season we’ve definitely noticed it more. I’d never doubt him from the spot though, scoring 7 penalties last season. He certainly gives defenders something to worry about and if you have a good partner striker for him, you could strike gold.
Talking Wednesday: If you need goals, he's proven to score goals. If you have players that can deliver a decent ball, he'll usually be in the right place to put it away. He's the exact striker I'd be looking at signing if we were back in League One.
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