A'Villan

What Smith says is one thing and is potentially misinterpreted for something it's not, how he manages the team is another and will show his intent. Even in the event his plans don't come off the way he had hoped, there will be telltale signs of what was attempted. In multiple interviews Smith has articulated that you need to have a skill-set to play appropriate to the various situations that come along. This philosophy is for the tactics a coach employs as well as expecting the players he trains to develop ability and decision making skills. I posted in another thread a brief tactical analysis of Brentford's game against Leeds, which I found to be a good indication of a coach who's methods are not limited in approach and can adapt according to the tendencies of the opposition. Ironically the tactics involved high pressing, which saw Leeds finish with a 70% pass completion rate, and in the end Leeds managed to equalise in the 88th minute, perhaps an indication of Brentford's fatigue. However there are endless factors that make up the complexities of how a football game is determined and having some consistency in approach can be favourable if it's relative to the challenge. There will be exploitable traits in any and every approach. The standout note for me in that match was that Brentford had 8 shots, 7 on target at HT, playing on the counter. Because they ended up drawing doesn't necessarily indicate that the tactics weren't good enough to have won it, clearly they had more than enough opportunity to do so, what it indicates to me is that a coach has come up with a plan to optimise his teams chances of coming out on top of the contest. For Smith to set the goal of the team performing to standards that are above their current ability is what we want, even if they can't sustain those standards for an entire match. Both teams endure the fatigue and physical exertion of competing throughout the game. If a team has to wait 60 odd minutes to have a marginal energy advantage over us we are doing well in my view. Fitness levels are going to be relative to the work players put in as individuals but mostly as a team. If a team can't overcome our strategy for 60 minutes and are dependent on us tiring I would suggest we are the more resilient and conditioned team to compete over the last 30 minutes as well, even if those 30 minutes are where you will find us more vulnerable to lapses of some sort, the onus is still on the opposition to find a way to effectively expose it if and when one arises. There is also the point that 60 of 90 minutes is roughly 66%, a fairly considerable amount greater than half of the game. Odds are in the favour of any team with effective strategy or superiority over that time and I don't agree with the notion that the benefits of an effective pressing game are outweighed by the compromise of fatigue. It's not black and white. Aside from changing formations and selections from time to time Bruce was so rigid in his philosophy that we were predictable to the opposition, making it easier to plan for and nullify our attempts to control a game. Bruce's undoing was also that any consistency we had under him lacked the appropriate quality required to impose our will and play the game on our terms. There will be aspects of any coach's approach which become trademark for at least some period of time and therefore potentially predictable, for Smith it may be a high pressing defensive approach in most games. That's not a problem until it becomes evident that it's more of a hindrance than it is an advantage. Planning for the outcomes desired in each fixture is a demanding task in a highly competitive league. It's early days yet but from the very little in which I've been exposed to Smith, he seems like he has the right attitude and awareness of what's required in order to develop himself and his teams. He seems to have a fundamental understanding of how the game works, not limited by any sort of doctrine or philosophy which would neglect a component of the game. Yet to be seen if he has it in him to prevail over the challenges he faces as our head coach and whether or not he has it in him to win promotion from this division but I don't think he can be accused of lacking in tactical approach due to the desire for his side to play a pressing game designed to expose but also force errors in our opponents game, which then will lead to opportunity and chances created for us. Not if he is instilling it effectively and the players are producing performances that indicate as much. The more time he invests developing or solidifying our game the better we will become. Playing in a way which enables the development of and ultimately the realisation of certain performances is necessary and we will inevitably be compromised in some way along that road, what's important is that we identify and understand the approach we want to take and adopt it as long as it serves us to.

It's not all that funny is it. I didn't even pick up on the gag until you spelled it out for me. As for his monobrow, come on! Do we expect him to wax it off and paint on some symmetrical lines with permanent marker! There should only be one type of person without facial hair. Women!

The best always make it look easy, mate. You are obviously quite passionate about football, perhaps less so about construction. I could be the one mistaken but I feel like you may not have interpreted my post as it was intended. Ingenuity is invaluable in any endeavour. As is quality and potential like you mention. We are not at odds on this. What you mention as the process which should take place is in itself a set of guidelines and principles, is it not?

It seems like all the males involved with the Kardashian family are suffering in one way shape or form. What's Kanye gone and done now?

I am currently undertaking the 'Dealing With People With Mental Health Issues' unit of my course at uni. So seeing as I'm in the thread I might share some of the most recent content covered. The President of The American Psychological Association at the time was sought out by CNN to give some insight into his profession. To share his insights he was afforded a one word answer to the question, "what is the state of psychology in today?" He replies, "good" Unsatisfied the reporter says okay can you sum it up in two words. His reply, "not good" The reporter asks a final time for him to give a three word account. His reply, "not good enough" (I can't vouch for the truth of this CNN part of the talk, whatever the case it was a prelude to the explanation of the development of psychology) I think there was a timeline that his one, two and three word responses represented but I have forgotten, nevertheless, he goes on to explain.. 'Good' was the emergence of a means to make miserable people less miserable through science and understanding the causality for certain illnesses and finding effective treatment. 'Not good' was the consequences of that. Part of that was moralistic. Clinicians became pathologisers and forgot about the concept of responsibility. The science had forgotten about those without any ailments and never focused its scope on the betterment of their lives. Likewise, high genius was overlooked in the profession. There was no thoughts of creating positive interventions to increase the quality of life or happiness of individuals, its concern was on the disease model. 'Not good enough' was the sentiment that the science could in the next 10 years become concerned with the fulfillment of life, with enhancing its strengths as well as its weakness (his wording, not mine) etc. That high genius could also be nurtured. (FWIW I personally find a lot of the system and science to be incredibly adversarial and disjointed from understanding behaviour which is painfully ironic.) He then goes on to introduce 'positive psychology'. And I've just realised instead of typing the talk out for you, I can just link you to the talk. Here it is:

Absolutely! This is what Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is all about. Where the mind goes, energy flows.

I take it then that you have never worked on a building site in any skilled capacity. Would this be correct? Edit: I don't want to derail the thread. It's just an analogy to illustrate that if you are competent in your profession you understand the ins and outs of the various roles that need to come together to make a project happen. You are free to come to your own conclusions but I think you are missing my point.

Watched this in full. To give it some context the coaches that are asking questions are of an introductory level and the answers given are not about the intricacies and details of how professional football clubs are run. They are designed to give some feedback to these novice coaches on how someone with a wealth of experience in the game like Smith has done things or what he thinks. What it does offer is some insight into the personality of both Smith and O'Kelly. My favourite question and answer was the one on the use of futsal in development. Smith answers that its effective in enhancing technique among other aspects. Then he says basketball is best because you always play with your head up. So true. I am 23 years deep into my basketball journey and peripheral vision is of the highest importance. I have never played 11-a-side football but I play Division One futsal and what Smith says is so true and has transferred into my futsal game. When I am on the ball, whether I am chopping it between feet, making a Cruyff turn, or a bait and take, whatever move I'm trying to make to create some space or beat an opponent, my head is always up, which allows me that extra focus on where I can play a pass or that extra split second to better place my shot. Good on Smith and O'Kelly for doing this though. Grassroots is where it all starts. I did my level one coaching badges under Trevor Gleeson and while the content was very basic having someone who's experienced the highest level the country has to offer is great to have around and shows the novice coach that the Pro was once at that stage in their journey too.

I don't envy Smith in predicting the Swansea lineup. They have used 5 different formations in their last 5 games. 4-1-4-1 4-4-2 3-5-2 4-2-2-2 Whatever the fifth setup was. Nyland Elmo Chester Tuanzebe Hutton El Ghazi McGinn Grealish Bolasie Abraham Kodjia

@Stinglikeabee Welcome, and thanks for your post. Insightful. I'd like to pick your brain to better gauge the history and what we might expect here. While perfectly understandable and relatable to have such expectations, is it possible that hope has persuaded judgement and overlooked actual ability or merits in regard to obtaining a top 6 finish? I do not watch Brentford play, so don't take this as me insinuating that I believe playoffs to be beyond your club. I am genuinely asking the question as I know from being a fan of this club, that the contrast between what is expected and what eventuates can be both disappointing and even confusing at times. This is a competition, and margins are fine, even a club like Villa, with the playing personnel we have at our disposal, can find ourselves on the wrong end of results. All too easily. Coming from the position of ignorance that I do regarding Brentford, I would of thought that the system and coaching that you employ be the cause of any promotion chances above the playing personnel at your disposal. I take it from your view I am mistaken in thinking that? Saying that the football was aesthetically pleasing would suggest that management (Smith absolutely included in my view) had done a good job of integrating both methodology and personnel. The explanation for the poor results is literally a multi-million dollar question, isn't it? I would appreciate you expanding on what your understanding of what caused your team to forfeit the points that should've been achieved. For us, it was quite clearly a lack of adaptability and appropriate preparation from Bruce. We had players of elite calibre for the division throughout our squad, some of whom would not even make the match day squad such was our depth. We were so desperately reliant on the superiority of individual skills and bravado. Apparently we spent more than Brentford had in their entire 127 year history the season before, and we have only continued to add to that. Edens (one of our owners) at another sports club he owns, appointed a coach of only one years experience. This coach took that club from the worst ever record and a lowly ladder position to the playoffs in one full season in charge. He was then afforded 4 years from memory to push on and take things to the next level. So I am not as concerned for Smith as you are. Should he show the capability to achieve promotion within the timeframe the club can afford he will be backed. My word, does he have the playing personnel at his disposal. Even our defense, which has been penetrated with ease time and again this season, boasts three players of premier league experience. As far as personnel goes that is our weak point. However our true fragility can be found in a lack of coordination as a unit. If Smith can remedy this I think he might enjoy some success with Villa. From what you have written in stating that the football was easy to watch, he can, as long as players cooperate and commit to his methods. I understand that the data analytics you employ are able to identify players who are playing to a similar or higher standard currently possessed by your club but are from countries where the fee they command make them worthy investments for Brentford. That's the kind of ingenuity that will take you places from a financial and business perspective as well as adding talent to the footballing side of the club. Win-win really. Though I don't see how that negates the work of the head coach in assembling and preparing his team to play an effective brand of football. If anything the two are complementary and both testament to your club being on track to grow in performance and therefore stature. Like you say the expectation is playoffs and a chance at your first ever Premier League campaign. How do these analytics assist Smith in his tactical approach? I would be very keen to understand this better. Do they really identify anything that the naked eye might not through observation? I imagine it might give concrete feedback on the tendencies of the opposition in a number of ways. But will Smith really be left at such a disadvantage without it? Bit of an essay there for you, so thanks if you've taken the time to read through all that.

You know he will. Donkey touch and all. If it was Run Relentlessly, Rinse, Repeat, then Hutton would be setting the standards. Seriously though, I expect Hutton will give his all to whatever's asked of him. No half measures. We won't see him do anything delicate or aesthetically pleasing, though we may see his commitment be enough to learn some new tricks and integrate. Also, any occasion we adopt a pressing approach, Hutton might be our best asset.

Leeds vs Brentford @ Elland Rd this season. Smith knows Leeds are at home and under Bielsa are the third highest scoring team in the division. Brentford set up to counter attack, respecting that it will be inevitable that Leeds have their share of possession. The plan is to disrupt their sequences with effective pressing and positioning off the ball and hit them on the break, committing men forward to give the attack impetus. and options. This is a success. By HT Brentford have had 8 shots on goal, 7 on target. Leeds will finish the game with a pass completion rate of 70% due to the pressing from Brentford. Brentford open the scoring in the 2nd half through a penalty where Leeds were exposed once again. It is only through an 88th minute equaliser that Leeds manage to come away with anything from the game. I will also mention that Brentford put 5 past Rotherham this season. I too don't want to get swept up in my own optimism and will wait and see what comes. That said, it's very hard to imagine Smith's setup to be on par with Bruce's in terms of how we are organised, the quality of chances created and the nullification of opposition threats. As Smith says in that Nike training video, you need to be able to utilise a variety of skills appropriate to the situation. I think the success, if it comes, will be from the little improvements in approach that will add up and hopefully gain enough momentum to see us promoted.

Burn him alive.. Seriously though, I would take Guzan at his best over any of our current keeper options. And you forgot Dawkiins!

I haven't watched Swansea in years. Possibly since they had Michu and Pablo Hernandez. Would love us to get the win. If we need to win 50% of games or more to achieve top 6 and over 70% for automatic then it won't hurt to start here.

I think they are responsible for the most academy graduates to play more than a certain amount of Premier League games of any professional academy in England. I think Villa were 6th in that ranking. But I agree with your sentiments. The reality is not many players do make the grade straight from the academy. Of the players involved in our NextGen win over Chelsea back in 2013, only Grealish and Loftus-Cheek look to make a name of themselves, one from each squad. I guess you've caught me out though, I don't know anything about Villa's academy these days. I was just under the assumption that Tuanzebe would be a prospect as we've gone to the effort of loaning him in, so you can understand my assumption that he's going to be good enough to make the grade. The fact he is from United is neither here nor there, but I guess I would point you to my first sentence to understand why I assumed he may have the talent to go places.

The results will be a measure and indicator of the hard work put in and the methodology employed on that journey. Winning is ephemeral and if we are going to endure and overcome the challenges ahead it is best we place our focus on something more long lasting like the process. Success doesn't define us, we define the success. Hot air would be what we just experienced under Xia. Not at all what blandy is suggesting we tolerate, the opposite. Time for cohesion through a team oriented approach and philosophy and culture which has its foundation in tapping into inner resources before financial.

I had that exact thought after I made the post. On second thought, it might just be that I've established myself as the local idiot to our visiting Brentford friend.

And we'll put in a good word for you to Bruce.

I think I know what you're saying. The analogy I used in another thread is apt. An architect can draw up different plans for different jobs and they will still be effective as long as the principles of the trade are followed. Likewise, a builder doesn't need to be an architect to follow the plans and understand the practicalities of the task at hand, they share the same language. Following the principles of the trade should ensure a fairly successful build. Regardless of the fact that different projects will offer unique challenges they all require fresh eyes, a sharp mind and a concerted effort. Some constructs are more detailed, complicated and demanding than others, and I will wait to see how Smith fares as he steps in to new territory, but I am quite confident he will at least be a noticeable improvement on what we saw under Bruce. Hopefully that is enough to gain promotion. Comparisons to Lambert are too pessimistic for me and while there is potential for parallels to arise I feel like the hierarchy and circumstances are nothing alike. From the mouth of the 'architect' at Brentford, the difference in their model to other clubs is that they scrapped the academy in favour of a B Team which would yield more finance as academy players were too young for professional contracts and would get poached for nothing, whereas the data analytics model enabled them to identify players abroad whose skill set and league are of a quality equal or greater than what Brentford have but due to the country they play in are worth a fee affordable for Brentford. Add to this the head coach deals only with day to day strategy like training and match day preparation, the director of football deals with medium-term strategy like transfers and succession planning and the board deal with long term strategy and objectives. They all liaison with one another and have input in decisions. Everything is tailored to the goals established from the top. Like the architect and the builder, they are all speaking the same language and understand the roles of the other to a degree that allows them to function successfully. As @TrentVilla has made mention of, there was deliberate wording in the title of our announcement for Smith's appointment. Head Coach. We have also recently employed a director of football who has enjoyed success at the highest level. Same goes for our CEO. I can't speak for Sawiris but Edens seems down to earth with ambitions where the sky is the limit. Seems to take the time to inform himself so that he can be effectively involved in the process. So it would seem like Villa is also setting up for a system where autonomy is spread and the model reliant on effective teamwork and the highest of standards from top to bottom. That's how it seems to me.

Welcome addition in my mind, will help bring and instill the methodology that Smith has planned.

No arguments from me. I think there was a brief spell of games where he was called upon and he scored a few for us. But I struggle to recall any moments of significance for him in a Villa shirt. I suppose I called him consistent because apart from his time at Villa, he has a record of a goal every second game over three seasons, two of which he played most of. Admittedly I don't know League Two at all, but I play in Australia's third tier in basketball and am familiar with the standards between divisions in that sense. Seeing as there is relegation and promotion, like there is here, I will assume that 17 goals in League 2 is still a commendable effort when backed up with his record in the championship. Until of course he came to us. Honestly though, mate. There's a part of me that's with you. Aside from his goal stats and being recruited by a side who chose him to fit a system they employed, I haven't seen much evidence of a player who has a lot going for him or will trouble our opposition. Definitely not displacing Kodjia or Abraham for me at this stage.

Kala!

Hogan enjoyed a good haul of 17 goals in League Two before being recruited by Brentford. From there he scored 7 in 7 appearances in his first season, and then one for every other game in his second season, in which he play 20-30 fixtures. That is what he has to show for as a professional footballer. For me, what it shows is that he can be an effective asset at this level. So not quite the poor player that @Stevo985 makes him out to be. He has shown to be an effective and consistent goalscorer in both League Two and the Championship. However he was not worth the money we paid for him, regardless of whether or not he has been redundant due to an incompatible system or not. Kodjia is the far superior player in my opinion. On his day, he could pass for a Premier League striker. He can make things happen just by putting the ball in his vicinity. I can't say that for Hogan. I would not have any objections to Smith playing whoever gets us the win. If I were coach it would be Abraham and Kodjia ahead of Hogan.

Before my time. Nonetheless, RIP.