Dean Smith

[poitier]

24 minutes ago, 7392craig said:

The problem is, shouldn’t a decent manager be able to get a tune out of the players he has? I’m not saying win the league or anything, but be as terrible as we are? It’s not going to work if he needs to sign 7 or 8 players in the summer to make us competitive. Because we simply won’t be signing that many players.

Yes, certainly I would have expected him to have got more out of them, and if they arent the sort of players that he likes to work with then I would have expected to see more change in the formations/tactics used etc, as I said, it is very disappointing.

I wouldn't be so sure that we won't be seeing 7 or 8 come in, we will need a fair few just to fill the gaps that are left, yes some of that can be done with our own youth, but I think there will be a fair injection of new talent. 

[Pimlico_Villa]

Smith is actually starting to embarrass himself now. Tactics, performances and results have been completely unacceptable. Players don’t have any respect for him and he is hugely out of his depth. 

People who say he needs time... he is not showing any acumen now so what gives you confidence that he can do it? He’s only going to embarrass himself further. 

[Mark Albrighton]

11 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Apparently, we did have the best squad in the league under the previous manager. Then this manager got appointed and suddenly the squad was shit.

Weird.

The squad is better than what Bruce had them achieving in the first three months of the season. And it’s better than what Smith has achieved in the past two or so months.

But it’s not as good as beating Boro and Derby away 3-0. 

It’s somewhere in between the two extremes, with maybe a handful of genuinely quality players (Jack, Tammy, McGinn), a few who are infuriating mercurial talents (Kodjia, El Ghazi), and way too many that are frankly past it (take your pick).

[Stevo985]

1 minute ago, Shropshire Lad said:

The squad is better than what Bruce had them achieving in the first three months of the season. And it’s better than what Smith has achieved in the past two or so months.

But it’s not as good as beating Boro and Derby away 3-0. 

It’s somewhere in between the two extremes, with maybe a handful of genuinely quality players (Jack, Tammy, McGinn), a few who are infuriating mercurial talents (Kodjia, El Ghazi), and way too many that are frankly past it (take your pick).

Agreed.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

13 minutes ago, Merson08 said:

In fairness your all right. Smith is doing a bang up job at little Villa and we should erect a statue in his honour at Villa. Its a good job Villa got him cause I dont want any hope or expectation in my season. Prefer to just write it off the season and next season. 

Wont give anyone at Villa a heart attack at winning so much this way too. League One probably is good idea too we can rebuild and push on after.

Come on Villa!!

Screams of petulant tantrum

[holteend1982]

We gonna end up skipping the bed sheet stage and escalate straight to the cabbage because this is utter **** garbage. 

[NurembergVillan]

38 minutes ago, gaffer85 said:

For everyone getting on smiths back what do you want to do 

His hands are tied at the moment with what he has to work with. The sad fact is our squad just isn't very good, there is no pace or energy in this squad.

As the old saying goes rome wasn't built in a single transfer window

And anyone saying he has to make what he has better is talking shite 

As another old saying you can't polish a turd

True. But you CAN roll it in glitter.

[The Fun Factory]

We need to hold our nerve and back the manager. Some of the comments on here have been embarrassing. Look at Norwich for example. It is going to take time.

[Mazrim]

I don't know what to think anymore. My head says Smith hasn't had a proper chance yet, and I'm sure he hasn't. And its fair to say this isnt his squad yet at all.

But. We havent played well since West Brom. Even with this disjointed tired band of misfits we should have turned in a few more convincing performances than we have.

Is Smith being asked to polish a turd beyond reason or is he just not up to it? Is it all just a case of Grealish being absolutely essential? Has ge been let down in the trabsfer window? We carried no momentum from it - two left sided centre halves, a curious midfielder who is already injured and a right back we definitely need but can't have yet.

I don't know what the answer is. But we dont look anything like the team we were in November and just the loss of Grealish seems too easy to justify it.

I'm fed up. I think only Grealish's return and some brave and timely refresh of the team with youth will possibly save our season and it's probably too late already.

Let Smith try and build a squad or try something else? I haven't got a clue. I guess Im still of the mind that he gets a proper chance but I cant stomach that same team, more or less, taking the field every game and phoning it in. There has to be something else to try. Anything.

Bad night. Bad month or 2.

[Keyblade]

2 hours ago, Mantis said:

If we do get rid, I really hope we try and go for a progressive manager and not some has-been of the Bruce mould.

And then what, sack him after 20 games too?

[Spoony]

40 minutes ago, Mazrim said:

I don't know what to think anymore. My head says Smith hasn't had a proper chance yet, and I'm sure he hasn't. And its fair to say this isnt his squad yet at all.

But. We havent played well since West Brom. Even with this disjointed tired band of misfits we should have turned in a few more convincing performances than we have.

Is Smith being asked to polish a turd beyond reason or is he just not up to it? Is it all just a case of Grealish being absolutely essential? Has ge been let down in the trabsfer window? We carried no momentum from it - two left sided centre halves, a curious midfielder who is already injured and a right back we definitely need but can't have yet.

I don't know what the answer is. But we dont look anything like the team we were in November and just the loss of Grealish seems too easy to justify it.

I'm fed up. I think only Grealish's return and some brave and timely refresh of the team with youth will possibly save our season and it's probably too late already.

Let Smith try and build a squad or try something else? I haven't got a clue. I guess Im still of the mind that he gets a proper chance but I cant stomach that same team, more or less, taking the field every game and phoning it in. There has to be something else to try. Anything.

Bad night. Bad month or 2.

This pretty much exactly sums up my feelings. 

[Keyblade]

What happened to the team that played in the QPR away game all the way through to West Brom? How did we just revert to Bruceball? It's really disappointing, but it's one of the reasons I'm prepared to give Smith time. He's shown glimpses that he can get this team playing.

[Skruff]

We struggle whenever teams press us high. It's the way to beat us. The first few matches under Smith we were given far more time on the ball. 

I imagine we train to play our way out. But our players are currently unable to do so in a real match situation.

You can see patterns of playing out of defence, pass and move, 1-2s. But they are easily disrupted or poorly executed. 

When the tempo and intensity of our opponent is too high compared to that of the abilility of our players. They revert to long balls. I don't think that's what we practice, or how we try to play. Hence we're unsucessfull at that as well. 

The discrepancy between our players ability and what Smith is trying to do is too high. 

It's Smith's job to coach them and make them sucessfull at it. Not every player has the ability/is coachable. Most of them are past their prime and have been playing a certain way for most of their career. I believe many of them are too limited to adjust. And it's a huge part of our current issue. 

However it's Smith's responsibility to set up the team in a way that suits them. And adjust the instructions, training and tactics accordingly. I understand why criticism comes his way, he isn't above it. 

That said. It takes a long time to go from the way we've been playing to the way we want to play. Insisting on doing it with our current squad might in hindsight be naive, if our goal is to get as many points as possible. However, if the long term goal is to implement the style. The sooner he starts the better(that he continues). If another transfer window and a squad clear out is what's needed, so be it. I'm all for giving him time to get in the players he needs. 

It's also important to remember we're missing the most important cog in the machinery. And, in the current squad, there's no spare part. 

If we look anything similar come 1/4th into the next season. It's time time to consider things. Until then. I think patience is in order. He has my support. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by Skruff

[Dave-R]

4 hours ago, Mazrim said:

I don't know what to think anymore. My head says Smith hasn't had a proper chance yet, and I'm sure he hasn't. And its fair to say this isnt his squad yet at all.

But. We havent played well since West Brom. Even with this disjointed tired band of misfits we should have turned in a few more convincing performances than we have.

Is Smith being asked to polish a turd beyond reason or is he just not up to it? Is it all just a case of Grealish being absolutely essential? Has ge been let down in the trabsfer window? We carried no momentum from it - two left sided centre halves, a curious midfielder who is already injured and a right back we definitely need but can't have yet.

I don't know what the answer is. But we dont look anything like the team we were in November and just the loss of Grealish seems too easy to justify it.

I'm fed up. I think only Grealish's return and some brave and timely refresh of the team with youth will possibly save our season and it's probably too late already.

Let Smith try and build a squad or try something else? I haven't got a clue. I guess Im still of the mind that he gets a proper chance but I cant stomach that same team, more or less, taking the field every game and phoning it in. There has to be something else to try. Anything.

Bad night. Bad month or 2.

You want something to try, one answer the youth, young, fresh, hungry and worth the risk, because as it stand many in that first team just can't get the job done.

The Youth is the answer I feel and worth fielding till the season is done.

That is the only other option to seeing different players on the field. Personally I would do it and show those that are in the first team who are letting us down that they can easily be dropped.

Edited February 14, 2019 by Dave-R

[The Hawk]

1 hour ago, Skruff said:

We struggle whenever teams press us high. It's the way to beat us. The first few matches under Smith we were given far more time on the ball. 

I imagine we train to play our way out. But our players are currently unable to do so in a real match situation.

You can see patterns of playing out of defence, pass and move, 1-2s. But they are easily disrupted or poorly executed. 

When the tempo and intensity of our opponent is too high compared to that of the abilility of our players. They revert to long balls. I don't think that's what we practice, or how we try to play. Hence we're unsucessfull at that as well. 

The discrepancy between our players ability and what Smith is trying to do is too high. 

It's Smith's job to coach them and make them sucessfull at it. Not every player has the ability/is coachable. Most of them are past their prime and have been playing a certain way for most of their career. I believe many of them are too limited to adjust. And it's a huge part of our current issue. 

However it's Smith's responsibility to set up the team in a way that suits them. And adjust the instructions, training and tactics accordingly. I understand why criticism comes his way, he isn't above it. 

That said. It takes a long time to go from the way we've been playing to the way we want to play. Insisting on doing it with our current squad might in hindsight be naive, if our goal is to get as many points as possible. However, if the long term goal is to implement the style. The sooner he starts the better(that he continues). If another transfer window and a squad clear out is what's needed, so be it. I'm all for giving him time to get in the players he needs. 

It's also important to remember we're missing the most important cog in the machinery. And, in the current squad, there's no spare part. 

If we look anything similar come 1/4th into the next season. It's time time to consider things. Until then. I think patience is in order. He has my support. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the few rational posts on this thread. 

Whenever things start going south, it’s human nature to look for reasons why and to attribute blame to something. Unfortunately, when the reasons aren’t entirely apparent (and I mean on a deeper level than just “the players are shite”), the obvious response as fans is to blame the person who’s job it is to know how to fix the situation, the manager. 

Often the logic is along the lines of “well if Leicester can go from nowhere to premier league champions, why can’t we?” - which isn’t a bad argument. It’s possible. But Leicester were an anomaly. The number of clubs in dire situations that very quickly turn it around are few and far between. It takes wholesale changes and time. 

Dean Smith is not the reason we lost to Brentford. Nor is he to blame for our current situation. Like the post above pointed out, Dean is setting the foundations for our style of play, but just because our players have been TOLD how to play, doesn’t mean that they are instantly going to be able to like many fans seem to expect. It’s a mid-to-long term strategy by Smith, but one that every successful business would agree with. There is clearly a payoff in the short term with the players we have, but slowly but surely things will start to turn around. Good things come to those who wait.

[Demitri_C]

The important clog grealish. Well in sorry I am not having that. That is a free pass excuse for Smith. He has had eight weeks to come up with a winning formula without him and he has failed there. 

Good managers and good teams can win games without their best players . Even Bruce managed it thatlast year when we were without grealish. 

Tactics were so poor yesterday. Just let have brentford have the ball and play them in the counter. That would be good if we had pace and players that can deliver decent balls but we don't have that. 

El Ghazi has looked gash recently. Then only the other did eyou have a lazy disinterested player in adomah who has been hopeless for more than twelves months. 

Instead of giving elmo who has been shit this  year a chance why not take a gamble and give Ramsey a game? A winger something different but no he plays elmo. Where is keinan Davis as well? Would rather have him back in than Kodjia another who doesn't look interested. 

Look at Hull City terrible side but their manager gets the best out of them. Smith isn't getting the best out of this team. He is doing a terrible job at present. Two wins in twelve is utterly pathetic. 

Edited February 14, 2019 by Demitri_C

[punkiller1981]

Has he been given a free pass this season? Because the lack of urgency is alarming so it seems to me he has been told not to worry about this season. He must have because how else can this crap be explained. Also are tactical setup is failing and we seem to be unwilling to try anything different 

[holteend1982]

1 hour ago, Dave-R said:

You want something to try, one answer the youth, young, fresh, hungry and worth the risk, because as it stand many in that first team just can't get the job done.

The Youth is the answer I feel and worth fielding till the season is done.

That is the only other option to seeing different players on the field. Personally I would do it and show those that are in the first team who are letting us down that they can easily be dropped.

And then our kids get beat week in week out. Will be great for their development that. Some of our 'top' youth talents are struggling to do anything in league 2 at the minute so what good are the young ones that remain here going to do? 

A lot of the first teamers are letting us down but so is Smith, the fact that we've not improved in the slightest since he has come here and Brentford have become a much better side says a lot imo. 

 

[A'Villan]

2 hours ago, Skruff said:

We struggle whenever teams press us high. It's the way to beat us. The first few matches under Smith we were given far more time on the ball. 

I imagine we train to play our way out. But our players are currently unable to do so in a real match situation.

You can see patterns of playing out of defence, pass and move, 1-2s. But they are easily disrupted or poorly executed. 

When the tempo and intensity of our opponent is too high compared to that of the abilility of our players. They revert to long balls. I don't think that's what we practice, or how we try to play. Hence we're unsucessfull at that as well. 

The discrepancy between our players ability and what Smith is trying to do is too high. 

It's Smith's job to coach them and make them sucessfull at it. Not every player has the ability/is coachable. Most of them are past their prime and have been playing a certain way for most of their career. I believe many of them are too limited to adjust. And it's a huge part of our current issue. 

However it's Smith's responsibility to set up the team in a way that suits them. And adjust the instructions, training and tactics accordingly. I understand why criticism comes his way, he isn't above it. 

That said. It takes a long time to go from the way we've been playing to the way we want to play. Insisting on doing it with our current squad might in hindsight be naive, if our goal is to get as many points as possible. However, if the long term goal is to implement the style. The sooner he starts the better(that he continues). If another transfer window and a squad clear out is what's needed, so be it. I'm all for giving him time to get in the players he needs. 

It's also important to remember we're missing the most important cog in the machinery. And, in the current squad, there's no spare part. 

If we look anything similar come 1/4th into the next season. It's time time to consider things. Until then. I think patience is in order. He has my support. 

Top post.

However with more coordinated off the ball movement and support from players looking to receive we can play through a press without resorting to direct and long ball.

I don't subscribe to the notion that our players are so inadequate that we can't operate as a functional whole to overcome the tactics employed at this level.

Whelan's passing range is very limited, Hourihane's is probably adequate and McGinn's is better than average. With that balance we should be equipped to compete.

Mings showing us all he can keep the ball at his feet is fine but was done to excess against Brentford. It just invited trouble, doing nothing to start our build up.

But back to our midfield. Whelan is a veteran who was a mainstay for Stoke in the Premier League. Hourihane has done it at this level for a while now and is well established. McGinn is the best of the bunch. All three should be able to play a short pass and have the fitness to run over the 90 minutes. Essentially that is what is required from midfielders when playing the ball on the floor. Pass and move. You don't beat a press by your ball carrier pondering on the ball or going it solo. You beat a press by passing through it.

Teamwork. That was the difference between us and Brentford. They knew where to be and when. They knew when to play a pass and when to take a man on.

I don't think we had a sequence of more than 5 passes that came to anything of note all game.

 

 

[M_Afro]

He watched a very different game to me! Also, why is he scared of playing Brentford! What have we become!