Hero or Zero #4 - Vladimir Smicer

[6TimesaRed]

Following on @Red Astaire Threads, I thought this would be a good one...

Šmicer joined Liverpool for a fee of £4.2 million, recruited to fill the void left by the departure of Steve McManaman to Real Madrid.

Upon arriving at Anfield in 1999.. Šmicer was given the famous Number 7 shirt although he would later wear number 11. When he left Liverpool in 2005, Šmicer said "Just signing for Liverpool in itself was a dream because I supported them as a kid. It was a dream come true".

He made his debut for Liverpool in a game against Sheffield Wednesday FC at Hillsborough. Liverpool won the game 2–1 and Šmicer impressed with his initial input. However Šmicer divided opinion amongst fans, the truth was that he was plagued with injury problems, which also triggered a lack of consistency therefore he was always in and out of the team.

He did love the Club and was Instrumental in the 2005 Champions League Final in helping Liverpool lift number 5, scored Liverpool's 2nd and scored the decisive penalty in the shoot-out which was his second of the final and his last ever goal for Liverpool

He oozed potential, shame he never really fulfilled it... Hero or Zero ???

I make him a hero, just for pulling a rabbit out of the hat in the Champions League final....

 

[Mersey86]

Hero. A talented player who did not ever quite succeed in the Premier League. Scored one memorable very late winner against Chelsea, I remember. But the star turn was his goal and PK in the Champions League final. That kissing of the badge after his (winning) penalty showed how much the club meant to him. A hero for that alone.
I have written before of a friend of mine who was working in the Czech Republic and went to the Czech Cup final. At half time he was lining up for a beer and realised that Vladi was the man in front of him in the queue. He introduced himself and Vladi was really friendly talking of his love for Liverpool and his time at the club ... but had "the scariest eyes I've ever seen".

 

[Markeh]

Scored in CL final !!

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I recall reading interviews during the Houllier/early Benitez years when players would mention him as the most skilful guy during training sessions. Very frustrating player because he was really inconsistent and getting injured so often that he couldn't show what he could be capable of. I thought his career with us took off again after Benitez took over, and had hoped we'd see the proper Smicer emerging at last, but alas, we sold him right after that. He went on to get a couple other long injuries so bullet dodged there.

I think he loved the club like Didi did; remember reading articles/posts by forumers describing their interactions with him and his interest in their birds. 😀

 

[localny]

I was very disappointed in him, I thought he was very windy, and didn't try hard enough. He was a zero to me, everything I didn't like about the modern footballer.

But then he scored that goal.... And all was forgiven. Rarely would one moment change my mind, but that did.

 

[Oncy]

Hero.

 

[dmishra]

There are two things I remember Smicer for - the Dennis Wise sending off and the CL final. That's about the only two things he did in a Liverpool shirt. If it weren't for the CL final, he'd be one of the surest LFC zeroes of all time.

But the CL elevated everyone to heroes, I suppose.

 

[Rosco]

If he didn't score in the CL final he'd be a zero.

Luckily he had timing on his side, he was average overall at best

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

Huge hero.

His reaction/celebration in the CL final always makes me laugh, he was going mad running along arms out and mouth wide open letting it all out and within a split second stopped and just started walking along normally as though nothing had happened.

 

[Spionkop69]

Hero.

He was LFCs Marco Tardelli.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Hero.

 

[keniget]

 

[dogboy]

Did we sign him around the time the scum bought poborsky and juve got neveded(?) So he was pretty meh, bsng in the middle of the talents of those two.

 

[Tal]

Did we sign him around the time the scum bought poborsky and juve got neveded(?) So he was pretty meh, bsng in the middle of the talents of those two.

No, Poborsky was Utd's version of Patrick Berger, both bought in 1996.

Smicer signed for us in 1999 and is a big fat hero (minus the fat), for the CL goal and also being a pub quiz question about the only player to score two goals in the same match on different days.

 

[Judge Jules]

Bags of ability but (a) wasn't used properly - GH kept sticking him out wide when his best position was central - and (b) probably didn't have the strength, physical or mental, needed to play consistently in top-level English football anyway.

Bearing in mind that he knew he was leaving the club immediately afterwards and still did what he did in Istanbul, he's a hero for that alone IMO.

 

[Fabio]

Hero

Everyone who disagree can suck a dick and hand in their badge and gun

 

[Dave G]

Hero. Was always able to add something a little different from what we had at the time, ( Garcia reminded me an awful lot of him when he joined us years later ). One thing I loved about him at the time was he was a dirty little so and so who was always tapping away at opposition ankles but seemed to get away with it to a large extent.

 

[Red Astaire]

Deffo a hero. Much beloved simply for his epic strike (and pen) in Istanbul. Other than that he was a bit of a let down as he arrived with such a rep.

Here is Vlad getting mobbed - Proper hero.

 

[Asbo]

Deffo not a hero, but not a zero either, he was so fucking frustrating, we kept on being told how great he was in training sessions and then watched him being gash on the field on matchday.

He is the only player in a red shirt who managed to look more stunned and surprised by scoring than Igor Biscan did.


Vlad and Igor the Anfield Hammer House of Horror first names on the teamsheet!

 

[peekay]

Anyone who performed on 25th May 2005 and contributed on important occasions in the run in is forgiven for everything he did in the past and is a hero.

 

[mark1975]

He's the diet coke of hero, just one calorie.

 

[dogboy]

No, Poborsky was Utd's version of Patrick Berger, both bought in 1996.

Smicer signed for us in 1999 and is a big fat hero (minus the fat), for the CL goal and also being a pub quiz question about the only player to score two goals in the same match on different days.

You're right Tal. Ill just say the same thing in the inevitable berger hero or zero.

 

[Molbystwin]

In the years he was at Liverpool leading up to his last game he was pretty much innefectual, too lightweight, unimportant really.

Then in his last game ever in our shirt he scored the goal which turned the tide against all the odds and gave millions of Reds all over the world hope and then right at the end with his last ever kick for us he showed an Ice cold killer instinct and helped seal victory in the greatest game I have ever seen.

LEGEND.

 

[localny]

The clips above inspired me to watch that final again. A grown man getting so emotional 9 years later over a game of football!

When Stevie retires, he's the last one from that team left playing for us, and not many of them playing full stop.

9 years. Madness.

 

[localny]

Enduring memory of that night. Calling me father who was on holiyers in Spain - he'd stopped watching the match at half time. I called him and told him it was 3-3. He ran out of the restaurant he'd ordered food in and back to watch the match. Waiter came back to an empty table..(he's a hammers fan, but a football fan)..

 

[Judge Jules]

Nice story. I was getting high fives all the following day from people who don't support LFC but were made up we'd won in that way.

 

[Pesam]

Hero

Everyone who disagree can suck a dick and hand in their badge and gun

Absolutely. He was a superb player but we never saw the best of him due to his too frequent injury problems BUT the talent was very obvious as was his love for the club and he gave us all a fitting finale by saving his best game til last.

 

[gkmacca]

He really did suffer from being overhyped before he arrived. I'll always remember a TV report some channel did on whether it would be Liverpool's year to reclaim the title. They found these reds sitting outside a bar somewhere and this bloke said: 'Oh, we'll win it. The reason is two words - Vladimir Smeeeeeecer!' He hadn't seen him play, of course, but that was going on for ages before he actually got on the pitch. If he'd just signed without fuss he might have impressed more people far more quickly but, yes, he was hugely frustrating, but hard to dislike. I still think he did enough to warrant plenty of respect.

 

[Red Astaire]

Nice story. I was getting high fives all the following day from people who don't support LFC but were made up we'd won in that way.

I walked into my local Greek run cafe wearing my LFC shirt just after the match finished (I was living in Sydney at the time) I got a round of applause from loads of the staff and a few customers! I couldn't believe it. They all came and shook my hand and said what an amazing game it was. The owner was an Olympiakos fan. I got my croissant and coffee for free as well. Brilliant memory. 🙂

 

[Silver Sean]

Hero. I loved him. Wrote him a letter to Bordeaux when he left. He loved us. And to me that means something.