I like Smyth but I'm not sure where he fits in the team. He can't play the lone striker due to his size but he didn't look as comfortable out wide. He played a few games out wide in a 4-3-3 at the start of last season and struggled to make an impact and that is the formation Warburton favours. If he wants to be a central striker I don't see him getting much game time. He needs to develop his wide game, using his pace and cutting inside.
I like Smyth but I'm not sure where he fits in the team. He can't play the lone striker due to his size but he didn't look as comfortable out wide. He played a few games out wide in a 4-3-3 at the start of last season and struggled to make an impact and that is the formation Warburton favours. If he wants to be a central striker I don't see him getting much game time. He needs to develop his wide game, using his pace and cutting inside.
Next season will be so vital for fringe players like Smyth, Oteh,Chair, Giles Phillips etc. In some of the early pre season games I think Warburton will be giving lots of the youngsters a try to see how they perform and he will get an idea of how they can or cannot fit into his system. It will literally be make or break for a lot of these development players because for me this is the season where they have to step up.
It would be great to see several of these youngsters join Lumley, Furlong and Eze as regular first team squad players but I think that we will be lucky to see one or two of them get a first team place. The way that Chair performed whilst out on loan would suggest that he probably has a very good chance if he can carry that form into the Championship. Smyth has shown promise previously but needs to build up his physique, Phillips has done well in previous pre season matches but just doesnt seem to do enough to get in the first team and Oteh now appears to have recovered from his injury so this season will be his opportunity to become the player that he has threatened.
I like Smyth but I'm not sure where he fits in the team. He can't play the lone striker due to his size but he didn't look as comfortable out wide. He played a few games out wide in a 4-3-3 at the start of last season and struggled to make an impact and that is the formation Warburton favours. If he wants to be a central striker I don't see him getting much game time. He needs to develop his wide game, using his pace and cutting inside.
I like Smyth too, for his attacking mentality and speed, but I too have doubts about where he can be played if Eze is in the side... The point to note is that BOS is difficult to get off the ball because he has good body strength, something that all of the development players need to do if they want Championship football. It is a tough league in terms of physicality and most teams take no prisoners!