Pimlico_Villa

What you don't acknowledge is the dire predicament we are in. In case you hadn't noticed, we don't have one fit senior striker and had previously gone into the season knowing we were light, given Wesley was reportedly not our first choice. Absolutely no point in using other teams as a proxy for activity as they all have proper strikers and aren't desperate. They are all looking to slightly modify and add at the margin at best, nothing fundamental. That's clearly evidenced in the signings you list. Plus, he should have been working pre-emptively prior to Jan to button signings down, especially as we already knew Wes wasn't likely to step up any time soon. We might as well just appoint Agents to do our business as they would face fewer constraints.

Really starting to doubt him. Two weeks into the window and he’s done absolutely nothing, despite the dire predicament. I’m actually shocked he’s been entrusted after signing Wesley and Targett.

Was he part of that Leicester squad that went on that brilliant end of season run to go from relegation places to comfortable survival?

If these were real hamstring injuries, then he would be out for sustained periods.

The booing suggestion is a last resort to get Smith to drop him. He’s pulled players off before because he knows the crowd can get at them. In saying that, I know there are an abundance of happy clappers on here that would applaud any player, no matter how little effort they put in.

Also looks overweight. As for him faking hamstring injuries when he isn’t playing well. Laughable.

We have to start booing him. That’s the only thing that will force smith to drop him.

Oh no. That’s very Brucey

Yes, they are a lot worse. A lot worse.

Would get rid of Jota, for sure. Absolutely despise how weak and pathetic he is. Lansbury isn’t at the level either. Both could potentially attract fees from Championship sides if we are savvy enough. Would love to get rid of Elmohamady and Taylor, but there wouldn’t be any takers for them.

I caveat this with an acknowledgement that I have been very critical of Smith in the past, but having had chance to calm down after yesterday’s abject drumming, I do think he should stay. Firstly, beyond that core of Heaton, Mings, McG and Grealish, the rest of the squad is nowhere near the requisite level of technical quality or physicality to play PL. Those players that are developing - Engels, for example - are twice the player playing alongside that full core and half the player with out it. As such, the injuries to Mings and McG have a huge knock on effect throughout the squad as there is no one like for like that can come into compensate. Secondly, I do think we need to see the bigger picture. It’s often mentioned on here - and is pretty much consensus - that we have suffered from instability and inconsistency for almost 10 years. Under this regime and Smith, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a strong and natural cohesion between fans, players and owners and I really do think Smith’s background and approach is key to that. It’s things like this that get ignored in the heat of the moment when we get spanked so adjectively by relegation rivals, but in the long term I do think we’ve landed on a good thing here and should preserve it. It’s is the right structure for us to finally start developing as a Club. Even if we get relegated this year - which, with the injuries, is almost certain - that unity between the fans and the club will be essential in keeping us alive. So, we have to think longer term here. Imagine going down without Grealish, a mercenary Manager like Allardyce and think about where that would leave us as a Club for a moment. I don’t think we’d come back from that. It was always an impossible ask to take a squad that finished 5th in the Championship and assemble, pretty much from scratch, a squad capable of staying in the PL. We signed some absolute dross - Wes, Targett, Jota - and need to learn lessons from that, but it would have been entirely unprecedented for such an enormous challenge to have worked. Let’s stick together, take relegation on the chin, and come back stronger. We’re well capitalised and run professionally, so we need to use this experience and learn from it.

These players don’t have the quality to do anything other than a well rehearsed Plan A. Look at those players. They are all scared and lacking confidence. None of them could take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Have thought this for a while. Use us a stepping stone to his Top 6 role.

Serious questions have to be asked of whoever brought these players in as well. Huge cost outlay on players that are nowhere near the level to play PL. Targett and Wes in particular cost huge amounts and are absolutely rubbish

I would keep him because he is proven in the Championship. If it was still possible for us to stay up, which it isn’t, I’d bring in a proper PL standard Manager. That starting XI selection today was an utter disgrace and he has to take full blame.

A lot of this is because there isn’t an ounce of quality beyond our starting XI. There just aren’t any players that can come in as like for like when there are injuries or players need resting. Similarly, when an opposition has sussed us out, it might look like he doesn’t have a Plan B but the issue is that there just isn’t the personnel or quality to take a different approach. This is why quality has to be brought in during January. Over a course of a season it is very important to have quality in depth, given the intensity of the league. It would have been too much bringing in all of those players in pre-season, so it might have always been the plan to do it in Jan once that crop of players had settled in. It’s also situations like this where Grealish is too young to Captain the side. He can lead by example and, yes, will be better for it, but when we need to get out of rut we need a a more experienced player.

We’d be a great fit for Eddie Howe. A stepping stone before he gets a Top 6.

Again, as no one has answered this - what are Wesley's key attributes? I just don't know what he does. This is a question directed at those who still think he'll come good. Just tell me what his attributes are!

That's interesting. I think the Brighton game epitomises this: time and time again they just played straight through us. I don;t understand what creates the gaps, though, as we typically set up 4-1-3-1, with a player between our MF and Defence and also 3 players ahead of him. On paper, there shouldn't be any gaps. Perhaps it is that front 3 getting caught too far forward?

Yes, but what are his attributes?

He’s had half a season and has shown no discernible sign of improvement. I don’t even know what his main attributes are. Can’t head the ball, can’t shoot, can’t hold it up and isn’t quick. To those people that keep saying to give him more time, what are you seeing that could be nurtured?

Yes, but we are constrained by not having an ounce of quality beyond the starting 11, aside from Lansbury. He probably could conceive of a Plan B, but we just don’t have the players to do anything differently. That is why Jan is massively important recruitment-wise.

That’s a fitness issue and also because we are usually chasing games

Not sure there is much he could have done today. When you have to bring Neil Taylor on, it just emphasises the complete lack of quality beneath the first eleven. It’s the infrastructure around him that need to address that. We have to accept that we are not going to win away against decent teams with this injury crisis. The players that make up the rest of the squad are just not good enough

I strongly suspect he is taking bribes. No way a player can be that bad. Whoever bought him in the first place should be questioned as well. If this is the formation we want to play, then we should have gone for a player that can play that 1 up top role properly.