MikeMcKenna

So poor. Fulham have been the better side. Might as well get the youngsters on. This game is done.

Nakamba is a real liability. He either gets caught in possession or passes short. For me he is the biggest midfield problem. He is a stopper but so poor on the ball.

Really poor game!

The list is ****** depressing and endless.... June 2011: McLeish appointed as manager May 2012: Finish 16th in PL December 2012: losing 8-0 to Chelsea January 2013: Bradford 3 Aston Villa 1 May 2013: Finish 15th in PL May 2014: Finish 15th in PL May 2015: Finished 17th in PL May 2015: Lose 4-0 to Arsenal in FA Cup Final June 2015: Signed Micah Richards September 2015: Signed Lescott February - April 2016: Longest losing run - 11 games April 2016: Relegated from PL May 2016: Club sold to Xia the Fraud. August 2016 - May 2019 - In the Championship December 2019: In PL relegation zone

I don’t see the equivalence. It makes sense for a manager to big up the players when they are good or visa versa have a word in private if they are not. It doesnt make sense to publicly say they lack commitment.

He isn’t a Brummie. He’s from Dudley. I for one do NOT want Allardyce and as with DS, where a manager is from, doesn’t ultimately count for anything

When a team is down on confidence I really doubt slagging them in public will help. I think it was a bad move by DS.

Would you have Andre Green back?

It is hard to disagree with much of what you say but ultimately if the board stick with him (obviously we have no say in it) someone at the club must recognize that we need 2/3 more players who up for the fight. If DS is still here over the next 7 days they must get players in. Haven’t got a clue who, but, imho we need as a minimum a striker, a DM, and a LB

I have a funny story about that very moment. A mate and I, planning to go the West End after the final, were dressed in our two tone suits. I had on a new pair of Italian shoes with Cuban heels (it was 1975!). When Grayson hit the post and then banged in the rebound, I jumped up, moving a couple of yards down the terrace and crashed down as one of the heels came off! Seconds later I saw someone pick it up and threw it God knows where! Despite looking for it after the game, I couldn’t find it, so had to limp back to the hotel and don a pair of white pumps. None of the clubs would let me in with them on! How times have changed, I was ahead on my time, flash suit and white trainers!! Met Ray some years later and he offered to buy me a new pair of shoes

The more worrying thing for me, is that DS has stated they lack commitment. If he is staying, I think we will see a few loan players with PL experience and maybe a key signing. Whether he is or not we need to recruit PL players for the relegation fight ahead. This bunch will not get keep us up and hopefully the board realize that.

This thread is a farce and making us look an even bigger laughing stock. Close it ffs!

Disagree. As fans, with the exception of last year, we have suffered 9-10 years of absolute garbage and terrible managers. Imho, they would be foolish to keep him and I say that as someone who will be very sad if he is sacked. Nothing easy about being a Villa fan, especially if you end up managing them...

I really don’t want DS sacked but he looked and sounded clueless after the game. He picked the team and set the tactics. His plan B, if that’s what it was didn’t work. Our players were a yard slower than Watford... one of the worst teams in the PL.

In the post match interview he said he was ‘angry’ with the players and something like... we were lacking commitment, Watford were more committed than we were. He then proceeded to bitch extensively about their two goals. He sounded like a manager who fears the worst. Very sad.

This. I will be very sad if DS goes but I will be devastated if we get relegated again and staying in the PL is the greatest priority. I fear he has lost the dressing room. Whenever a manager starts talking about his team lacking commitment, you have to question why he hasn’t instilled it?

It is a very sad day. As much as I hate to say it I cannot see how Smith can stay. Without a change we are going down.

Sadly, for the Villa fan; Dean Smith, the dream could be over. I wouldn’t be surprised if the board sack him now. The team seem to be totally at odds now. No ideas, no spark... nothing.

Jeez it is depressing reading VT nowadays. FWIW, the save by Foster from Wes was incredible. We gifted them a goal and despite their 11 attempts, there wasnt that much between us till the goal. We can still win this!

This has always been my view. I support Aston Villa and hero worship no individual player. Back in the day I really admired Andy Gray, John Gidman as players for their skill, work rate etc and was gutted when they left but the rest is history... the club carried on and won the league, European Cup. That said, I hero worshipped Ron Saunders. As far as he was concerned, the ONLY people who mattered were the fans. For him, the players were workers paid to do a job. IMHO it is the managers job to remind them who pays their wages. However, I largely agree with the original post. Fans are very quick nowadays to criticise managers/players when things are going wrong. Sadly nothing is going to change as we live at a time of instant gratification. Booing the team or slagging a player never achieves anything and simply makes it harder for players to lift themselves.

I don’t know if this selection is about rotation. It really is quite a different set up and designed to improve possession, passing etc

Obviously we haven’t got a lot of options and this may sound crazy, but I would stick Jack back on the left, play Al Ghazi as a forward 10 in support of Wes. Jack is better at beating players wide and chasing back. Al. Ghazi can score with both feet and likes to get into the box.

Wes is one of the few trying. He isn’t the problem today. Trez, Al Ghazi, Elmo are f***** useless.

Cannot believe how DS has set us up here today. Norwich are **** but could be 2 up. Tension at VP is as bad as I have known it for some years. F***** depressing.

With many previous managers I have advocated giving them time and am very uncomfortable questioning Dean Smith’s future with the Club. That said, the performances in recent matches and especially today have been appalling and DS is ultimately responsible. The team appear clueless and frankly it is difficult to see how they will start to click.