Former Charlton striker heads back to SE7 as League One’s top scorer
Michael Smith heads back to Charlton Athletic tonight as League One’s top scorer – and Johnnie Jackson reckons the Rotherham United striker has turned into an accomplished frontman.
The Addicks signed Smith from Darlington in the summer of 2011 for an undisclosed fee. He had loan spells with four clubs before being sold to Swindon Town in January 2014.
Smith hit double figures for Rotherham in the Championship last season and leads the charts in League One this time around with 12 goals, as well as three assists. He is averaging a League One goal every 111 minutes, the same return as Macauley Bonne, another former Charlton forward.
Smith struck twice in Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Sunderland.
Charlton caretaker boss Jackson was a key cog in Chris Powell’s side when Smith arrived in SE7.
“I remember a lad who was big, strong and a good target,” Jackson told the South London Press. “He perhaps didn’t score the goals he does now, but his game has clearly developed. He’s a focal point for them aerially because of his size and his strength, but he has developed as a player as well.
“I’ve seen a lot of him this season – he’s good with his feet and got good movement in the box. He’s added goals to his game. He’s gone away and had a good career. There was always a bit of raw talent there, he wasn’t the finished article [when Charlton signed him] – but there was always something there with Smithy and he was a good lad as well.
“He was a young lad a long way from home. He’s probably a bit more settled now. He’s obviously a big, big player for them.”
Everyone at the South London Press thanks you for your continued support.
Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has encouraged everyone in the country who can afford to do so to buy a newspaper, and told the Downing Street press briefing:
“A FREE COUNTRY NEEDS A FREE PRESS, AND THE NEWSPAPERS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL PRESSURE”
If you can afford to do so, we would be so grateful if you can make a donation which will allow us to continue to bring stories to you, both in print and online. Or please make cheques payable to “MSI Media Limited” and send by post to South London Press, Unit 112, 160 Bromley Road, Catford, London SE6 2NZ
Just proves a point, that sometimes it is the way the player is utilised on the pitch by the manager.
As much as I admired what Lee Bowyer did for Charlton, he clearly was not getting the best out of Bonne, but Paul Cook has. Some strikers need to be ‘supplied’ with ammunition in order to do their work, eg wingers putting in crosses etc. With Smith, it is probably that he has matured as a player and has gained experience as he has got older, so Charlton letting him go early, probably was not necessarily the wrong thing to do. However, be warned, we have a potentially good striker in Josh Davison, we must persevere with him and not let another club gain the benefits.