Source: Northern_Echo
Magpies star just glad to be playing
ALAN Smith compares the hurly burly football played in the Championship as being more muck and nettles than the refined fare on offer in the Premier League.[LNB] His frankness may do nothing to boost the image of English footballs second tier but the Newcastle midfielder insists he is enjoying this season as much as any in his career.[LNB] After serving a one-match suspension, Smith is expected to make an immediate return to central midfield tonight against a Sheffield United side who have failed to live up to their billing as pre-season title contenders.[LNB] Smith celebrated his 29th birthday last week prompting him to remark that, nowadays, every game he plays is a bonus. In his case such glib phrases possess genuine resonance after the sickening injury sustained while playing for Manchester United at Liverpool led to predictions that he would never play again.[LNB] His commanding performances in Chris Hughtons side this season have laid to rest any concerns regarding Smiths ability to control a midfield, but he admits he will never return to his best.[LNB] When youve been through something when you realise you might never play again then every game is a bonus, he confessed.[LNB] Playing at Anfield on that day could have been my last.[LNB] So I enjoy every day. I know Ill never be able to get back to as good as I was in terms of that two to five per cent that takes you to the very top international level, Champions League level.[LNB] As soon as I did my injury I knew that. I spoke to Alex Ferguson about it and we both knew it would be so difficult to play at that standard, week in week out. I am an honest person, I know Im not as good as I was, simple as that. I dont play as freely as I used to.[LNB] The pedigree of this evenings teams ensures it is among the more glamorous fixtures in a Championship calendar that offers little in the way of glitz. But Smith is happy to spend a season scrapping for his life.[LNB] The Championship is more muck and nettles (than the Premier League), he said.[LNB] You go to grounds where, as a kid, I used to watch football.[LNB] The Premiership is this massive worldwide thing, its unbelievable.[LNB] But this division has something special as well.[LNB] In a way we are the Man United of this division in that everyone wants to beat us. Its difficult every week when the other team runs that little bit further, tries that bit harder. [LNB] Smith supported the clubs announcement last week to make Hughton their permanent manager but admits that in pre-season the players were making many of the big decisions for themselves.[LNB] The hardest thing at the start of the season was knowing which players wanted to stay, he said.[LNB] We went to Leyton Orient (in pre-season and lost 6-1) and it was a disaster. We had a meeting when we came back from the game, just us players.[LNB] We said whoever wants to leave they can leave and well help them to go, whoever wants to stay then commit yourself to stay. That was a massive turning point. It wasnt just me who called the meeting it was decided among us because it was obvious what needed to be done. It was strange we were managing ourselves.[LNB] Chris knew that we were having that meeting and he stood back and let us sort things out.[LNB] There was never a chance that I would be one of the ones asking to go. I needed to play regular football.[LNB] Thats what Ive missed for the last three seasons. You just want to play.[LNB] Newcastle (probable): Harper; Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique; Guthrie, Smith, Nolan, Gutierrez; Carroll, Harewood. Subs (from): Krul, Kadar, R Taylor, Donaldson, Tozer, Geremi, Butt, Ranger, Lovenkrands[LNB]
