Smith in Bangkok bust-up

Terry Venables last night defended Alan Smith after the Leeds United striker's notorious temper boiled over in the heat of Bangkok.

New Elland Road manager Venables likened Smith's passionate style to that of Leeds legend Billy Bremner, who Venables often faced as a Chelsea and Tottenham player during the Sixties.

Venables also sympathised with Smith over the two-footed lunge that saw him replaced after 57 minutes of the friendly against a Bangkok XI.

The manager was adamant that an earlier, unpunished challenge that riled the striker was a worse offence, saying: 'Alan has to learn to control his cool, but it wasn't all one way out there.

'He had some bad treatment out there, they bumped him about a bit. Football is a competitive game and guys like him have to protect themselves.

'His reputation goes before him - they call him the Bad Boy here - so people are trying to sort him out as well. He wasn't sent off, the referee just asked me to replace him. It looked to me like he was getting very angry and it was best to take him off.'