Nathan Smith

[valiantsireno]

He didn't bring him down,the player took a dive hoping to get him booked and sent off

 

In fairness, the ref was out to get inniss from the kick off. Once again another dreadful officiation of a port vale match.

[Bucknall Rob]

In fairness, the ref was out to get inniss from the kick off. Once again another dreadful officiation of a port vale match.

 

I didn't think the ref had that bad a game, I have seen a lot worse up Vale this season, not sure the ref was out to get Innis, he probably only avoided a yellow card early because it was the first minute of the match.

 

Hopefully with a good pre season under his belt, Nathan can make a claim for a place in the first team, be good to have someone come through the youth team and earn a regular place in the team.

[Spunk Trumpet]

The lad is doing what he should do at that level.

 

Sadly we rarely have youngsters who can go out on loan and shine at conference level.

It seems most our first year pros get shipped to Stafford, Alsager, Newcastle etc. That tells me they aint good enough!

 

Well done to Smith but i would expect nothing less.

Too many of our youngsters are offered contracts and then loaned out to dross and do nothing, yet we stick with them!!

 

Ryan Lloyd is the prime example.

Been a pro almost 5 years and quite frankly 7th or 8th tier standard.

 

As fans we get excited because Smith is doing something good at a club that isnt the likes of Alsager.

The whole mentality of the club regarding youth needs to change.

 

Personally im sick and tired in trying to develop youth through sending them on loan to local dross sides and even more so our pre seasons are always dominated by playing the local sides which i think helps us not one bit.

[bycars rob]

In fairness, the ref was out to get inniss from the kick off. Once again another dreadful officiation of a port vale match.

Inniss had a poor game and should have been sent off as he committed two bookable offences in the first 10 mins and most refs would have given a foul against him after he lost the ball to send their man clear 2nd half. He probably needed the game to get back into it after a long lay off and hopefully will get better.

[mbycars]

Didn't Nathan get two goals yesterday with a late poke in?

[bycars bootboy]

Good move for him and will toughen him up at that level too ready for hopefully stepping it up with us. I am pleased we have managed him by loaning him for a season to get the experience rather than in the past throwing unready youngsters into the first XI and discarding them after a few poor performances (Louis Briscoe, Ross Davidson etc)

 

Hooper.

[PV1973]

The lad is doing what he should do at that level.

 

Sadly we rarely have youngsters who can go out on loan and shine at conference level.

It seems most our first year pros get shipped to Stafford, Alsager, Newcastle etc. That tells me they aint good enough!

 

Well done to Smith but i would expect nothing less.

Too many of our youngsters are offered contracts and then loaned out to dross and do nothing, yet we stick with them!!

 

Ryan Lloyd is the prime example.

Been a pro almost 5 years and quite frankly 7th or 8th tier standard.

 

As fans we get excited because Smith is doing something good at a club that isnt the likes of Alsager.

The whole mentality of the club regarding youth needs to change.

 

Personally im sick and tired in trying to develop youth through sending them on loan to local dross sides and even more so our pre seasons are always dominated by playing the local sides which i think helps us not one bit.

Totally disagree with the not good enough comment. The step up from playing u18 football to even the levels of the local non league sides to play competitive mens football is a big jump, don't under estimate how much different it is to be playing against men who have more experience than these lads do. From there to conference is a bigger step and then so on up to our level in league 1.

 

In the case of Nathan Smith he was at Stafford last season, now he's gone up to a better level with Torquay. By the same token Lewis Bergen, who's a year behind Nathan is at kidsgrove this season which is the same level Nathan was at last season. To me it's good progression to get these lads playing mens football as quickly as possible once they sign their first pro contract. Hopefully from then they progress like Nathan smith has.

[tisdeano]

He did well again last night

 

Good game McDonald and Smith outstanding

[Regal Beagle]

Inniss had a poor game and should have been sent off as he committed two bookable offences in the first 10 mins and most refs would have given a foul against him after he lost the ball to send their man clear 2nd half. He probably needed the game to get back into it after a long lay off and hopefully will get better.

 

How did he have a poor game when their only chances were from 25 yards+ ?

 

I thought the ref was a joke. He talked to him for simply missing the football in the first few minutes, it was a foul but there was nothing malicious and it was his ball to miss. Very clearly told him that his next foul would be a booking, and then the next "foul" Inniss made when he very clearly kicked the ball and nothing else, he was booked for?

 

Then as has been said, their striker going down under no contact to try and get him sent off and didn't get booked for it.

[JRC]

Totally disagree with the not good enough comment. The step up from playing u18 football to even the levels of the local non league sides to play competitive mens football is a big jump, don't under estimate how much different it is to be playing against men who have more experience than these lads do. From there to conference is a bigger step and then so on up to our level in league 1.

 

In the case of Nathan Smith he was at Stafford last season, now he's gone up to a better level with Torquay. By the same token Lewis Bergen, who's a year behind Nathan is at kidsgrove this season which is the same level Nathan was at last season. To me it's good progression to get these lads playing mens football as quickly as possible once they sign their first pro contract. Hopefully from then they progress like Nathan smith has.

 

I completely agree, if we intend to keep a youth team we need to have a way of bringing players through by playing at gradually higher levels. Palace are using us to do it. Some 18 year olds have the physical strength to play division 1 football but most don't.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

How did he have a poor game when their only chances were from 25 yards+ ?

 

I thought the ref was a joke. He talked to him for simply missing the football in the first few minutes, it was a foul but there was nothing malicious and it was his ball to miss. Very clearly told him that his next foul would be a booking, and then the next "foul" Inniss made when he very clearly kicked the ball and nothing else, he was booked for?

 

Then as has been said, their striker going down under no contact to try and get him sent off and didn't get booked for it.

 

Totally agree there. First one was a foul fair enough(could have been booked by some refs I admit) but the 2nd challenge he got the ball and was one of several awful decisions from the ref and linesmen in the first half. Porter also went down in a heap as I think he realised he didn't have the pace to get away from Inniss and thought he's dropped the clanger in the first place so maybe the ref will side with me if I go down when nearly clean through. Thankfully it was the one decision(or none decision) the referee got right!

[Jacko51]

How did he have a poor game when their only chances were from 25 yards+ ?

 

I thought the ref was a joke. He talked to him for simply missing the football in the first few minutes, it was a foul but there was nothing malicious and it was his ball to miss. Very clearly told him that his next foul would be a booking, and then the next "foul" Inniss made when he very clearly kicked the ball and nothing else, he was booked for?

 

He wasn't booked for the foul, he was booked for the dissent shown.

[Valiant62]

He wasn't booked for the foul, he was booked for the dissent shown.

 

Which is a wage docking offence internally, I hope.

My general comment is that I prefer Inness to McGivern and given the clean sheet he should keep his place. That said, he had a poor game by his own standards and made a couple of poor decisions that could have resulted in a goal against better opposition. That's very unusual for him.

[tisdeano]

Latest Torquay player of the season standings, voted for by fans

 

1st: Nathan Smith (117 points)

2nd: Dan Butler (101)

3rd: Courtney Richards (74)

4th: Angus MacDonald (72)

5th: James Hurst (69)

6th: Durrell Berry (60)

7th: Tyrone Marsh (45)

8th: Andre Wright (36)

[robf]

Latest Torquay player of the season standings, voted for by fans

 

1st: Nathan Smith (117 points)

2nd: Dan Butler (101)

3rd: Courtney Richards (74)

4th: Angus MacDonald (72)

5th: James Hurst (69)

6th: Durrell Berry (60)

7th: Tyrone Marsh (45)

8th: Andre Wright (36)

 

AS I cover a fair bit of Nathan Smith news on the OVF frontpage I've been around the Torquay forums and news sites and they are gushing in their praise for his performances.

 

This DOESN'T mean, in my opinion that he's going to walk into the Vale side next season (as some suggest) as I reckon there's a big gap between National League and League One. Just look at Lloyd and Johnson who are also doing really well in the National League yet arguably struggle in League One.

 

But I do think it shows that Nathan Smith has learned an awful lot from his loan spell and could be in serious contention to be in the first-team should he have a good pre-season. If not, I reckon he'd be perfect for a season-long League Two loan next season - he's only 19 after all...

 

I also hope it shows the Vale that this sort of season-long loan spell is really beneficial. I think previously players have gone out to a club for a couple of months here then another club and so on. Smith knew he was spending the whole season in Torquay since the summer and that has probably helped him settle, get to know the players and so on...