Cizzler

Haha I don’t want him executed. He’s taking us down. If the board haven’t been lining up targets for the past two weeks they’ve either lost interest or have their head in the sand. The int’l break would help the new manager bed in. I’m concerned he hasn’t been sacked yet tbh.

Been utterly dreadful all season, depressing he’s nailed on to start. He’s been defensively appalling - slow, never close to his man, gets overlapped all the time. But yeah looks emotionally done in that interview. Smith has lost them.

Why’s he still here?

No ideas, no attacking play, no phases. Clueless. Smith shouldn’t even get the second half.

If he survives this, the people running this club don’t have a clue. He’s taking us down.

Because he passes it sideways/backward to an open man every time. He takes the easy pass and it always takes two touches to control because it’s bobbling/ on the players wrong foot. So much more to passing than an accuracy stat

Nakamba can’t pass and doesn’t press. What is the point of him

Nakamba hasn’t pressed all game. He’s atrocious and no wonder they’ve scored. **** off

Much better Buendia!

No one in centre mid can take the ball on the half turn. Just one tough passing back to the centre back Nakamba woeful - every pass backwards and to the players weaker foot. Ashley Young somehow worse

Watkins on the pitch?

Shite from Targett

Literally never tried to retain possession from throw-ins and we concede all the time -

This new set piece coach absolutely stinks

Missed that - thanks. Big losses.

Young is definitely in centre mid. He’s stinking it up

Where are Ings and Luiz? Not on the bench? Didn’t hear anything pre-match

Should be 2-0 down ffs

Ashley Young?? Sorry you have to be joking

The only team’s we’ve beaten playing this 3-5-2 system both conceded 5 goals apiece this weekend. If Smith doesn’t revert back to four at the back and one up top, he’s clueless.

All he seems to have done is try and turn Matty Cash into an Aldi version of Rory Delap - moon balling every throw-in we win in the other’s team’s half to loop into their box. Zero attempt to retain possession and rushes Mings up there, it’s shite. Defensively at set pieces we look absolutely woeful too. What is he actually telling them to do? Conceded simple goals against Wolves and Arsenal now - it’s cost us two games. This is with three centre backs too. How can he be so bad at instructing our players to win headers in our own box?

He’s surely only a few more bad results away from losing his job now. Getting bested tactically by Arteta is pretty damning. The players couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable in that formation. Targett and Cash were constantly in no man’s land, didn’t know who to press/cover - what on Earth do they do at BMH. The 3-5-2 is even making Konsa look bad. He’s reluctant to drop Watkins but he needs to. He’s been awful this season. He needs to change things quicker when it’s obviously not working. Why wait until half time? We were terrible from the first minute and his hesitancy cost us the game. It was done at 2-0. He also needs to stop playing players out of position (Buendia, Cash, Targett). Play one striker and he needs to play 4 at the back fgs. It’s worrying that he can’t set up a 3-5-2 or react to what’s happening in a game in front of him. He’s being exposed as a bang average manager imo.

Ramsey looks out of his depth

Villa were certainly open to changes. It’s why they pushed for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse but quickly became aware that a deal would be too expensive. They expected more interest in Douglas Luiz, too. Strong messages that Manchester City were ready to activate a buy-back clause found their way to members of the Villa hierarchy, and for some time they were preparing for such an outcome. Villa were also open to moving Luiz on elsewhere and at the right price, but there wasn’t enough interest. When he returned from the Olympics as a gold medallist, Smith welcomed him back with a presentation in front of his team-mates to celebrate the success. A move for Ward-Prowse had passed by then and Villa had decided that he was staying. Roma continue to be linked with Luiz and if they come in strong during the January window, Villa will be in a good position to get a higher transfer fee should his form remain at this high level. Whether they will want to let him go is another matter. The 23-year-old is an unsung hero from the last two games. His corner kicks have been superb. His driving runs have helped, and crucially, he’s maintaining his discipline when the going gets tough. The balance in the middle is just right for Villa. McGinn is at the top of his game and Jacob Ramsey offers a significant presence, too.

What if he just doesn't feel Polish? Why does he need to play international football at all? I agree he's got no shot at RB for England. Trent can barely get a game. But why bother playing for a nation he has no real allegiance to? Scott Sutter played a couple of games for Switzerland, said he hated it. It isn't going to further his career/ put him in the shop window any more than playing for Villa does, they're not going to win a trophy. Don't see the point myself.