The phrase 'fish up a tree' is often attributed to crapulent couch potato pundit Paul Merson, but was actually first coined by nasally endowed ex-Arsenal colleague Alan Smith. It means the same as 'fish out of water' and refers to a player out of his depth or out of his natural position. Smith stuttered the term when he was having a hard time of life, reporting on Aston Villa-Portsmouth in 2004 for Sky Sport's Soccer Saturday.