Farke could unearth Leeds' next Alan Smith in "exceptional" £3.5m star
da roleta： Leeds United used to be a dominant force in English football with the Whites regularly competing near the top-end of the Premier League as opposed to the summit of the Championship.
da esport bet： Taking a brief trip down memory lane, the late 90s heading into the early noughties saw the West Yorkshire titans routinely compete in Europe, with the likes of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mark Viduka and more all dazzling the Elland Road faithful with potent attacking displays.
Another gem that who grabbed the attention of the Leeds masses around this golden time was Alan Smith, with the versatile Yorkshire-born ace chipping in with many goals and assists of his own.
Alan Smith's time at Leeds
Much like modern day examples involving Georginio Rutter and Kalvin Phillips, Smith eventually broke Leeds hearts everywhere when joining arch-rivals Manchester United in 2004.
But, before that controversial switch to Old Trafford occurred, Smith was a regular in many a Whites side that challenged near the top of the Premier League.
Indeed, the much-loved Leeds number 17 would go on to notch up 54 goals and 18 assists from a bumper 225 appearances, with six of those goal contributions tallied up in the illustrious Champions League.
Whilst Smith will be predominantly remembered as a young hotshot striker to those in West Yorkshire, the now-retired attacker was also capable of lining up in the midfield spots when needed, with the latter stages of his long career seeing him regularly line up in the middle of the park.
That was something Sir Alex Ferguson brewed, once notably comparing him to a United legend: “He’s an outstanding person who has a strong character and a real determination. There are some of the characteristics which have led me to liken him to Roy Keane – and that is why we were prepared to try him in the midfield role.”
Smith’s career numbers by position
Position played
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
CM
128
2
5
SS
60
16
10
CF
54
12
8
AM
46
1
2
DM
8
0
0
RM
7
0
1
RW
4
1
1
LM
4
2
1
CB
1
0
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
His spell with the Red Devils saw him become a frequent midfield option, with one Leeds star now aiming to become his club’s next Smith.
Leeds' next Alan Smith
Although the Championship high-flyers are experiencing a crisis in confidence at the moment, Farke’s camp is undoubtedly brimming with some top talents for the division.
One of those talents was only picked up last summer in the form of Ao Tanaka, but the Japan international has managed to seamlessly fit into the Elland Road setup as a stylish and composed performer after signing for £3.5m.
Much like Smith, Tanaka is capable of firing home a crucial goal for Leeds at a moment’s notice, with the ex-Fortuna Dusseldorf man up to four goals and two assists for his promotion-chasing outfit from 36 league clashes.
But, as much as this output has caught the eye of the Leeds faithful, Tanaka’s often under-the-radar presence has also offered Farke’s men some calm in tense moments, with an unerring 90% pass accuracy averaged per Championship clash.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Smith was also a cool customer for Leeds during some jittery contests, with his longetivity in football – which resulted in 284 Premier League appearances being amassed – yet another aspect of his varied game Tanaka will aim to replicate, with the 26-year-old’s instant impact in England leading to him perhaps becoming an accomplished top-flight presence down the line.
While the Japanese is undoubtedly more defensive in nature, his ability to find the net suggests he could play behind the striker and venture into more forward areas, just as Smith did during his early days at Elland Road.
Already, the Whites number 22 is being hailed as “exceptional” according to Opta stat man Jonny Cooper, with the next step for both Tanaka and Leeds hopefully the Premier League, if the West Yorkshire giants are able to push through any upcoming hiccups.
Related Farke must ruthlessly axe Leeds star who earns more than Gnonto & Meslier
This Leeds United star’s first team spot is now arguably up for grabs.
