Dean Smith

[mykeyb]

2 hours ago, HKP90 said:

Don't know how the above thing isn't displaying posts, but hey.

Anyway, my rebuttal would be that seasons aren't played over 28 games, calendar years or over 10 games of a new season. All selective statistics. 

 

Right so we disregard that data and go on the basis of your instinct, gut feeling or whatever you feel........

[KMitch]

That performance was poor, but West Ham's first two goals were statistical anomalies (XGs of 0.12 & 0.04 respectively).  The soft red card didn't do us any favors, but there are a lot of positives to take from this performance:

• Smith stopped playing 532
• He benched Mings for poor performances
• He started Bailey
• Ollie found the net again
• Buendia looked like a good player in his actual position (on the right in a 433) and got an assist (MOM for me)

 

[ciggiesnbeer]

9 minutes ago, KMitch said:

That performance was poor, but West Ham's first two goals were statistical anomalies (XGs of 0.12 & 0.04 respectively).  The soft red card didn't do us any favors, but there are a lot of positives to take from this performance:

• Smith stopped playing 532
• He benched Mings for poor performances
• He started Bailey
• Ollie found the net again
• Buendia looked like a good player in his actual position (on the right in a 433) and got an assist (MOM for me)

 

Positivity, I like it! Even if I dont share it right now. 

[foreveryoung]

7 minutes ago, KMitch said:

That performance was poor, but West Ham's first two goals were statistical anomalies (XGs of 0.12 & 0.04 respectively).  The soft red card didn't do us any favors, but there are a lot of positives to take from this performance:

• Smith stopped playing 532
• He benched Mings for poor performances
• He started Bailey
• Ollie found the net again
• Buendia looked like a good player in his actual position (on the right in a 433) and got an assist (MOM for me)

 

I counter your argument why I think it's falling apart.

Played Young at CM

Took off Buendia, when he looked our best player, great for his confidence

Behind the scenes fall out.

Work rate of Mings

Not our first loss, 4 going on 5

 

[mikeyp102]

I really want Smith to be successful, story behind it all would be great.
We’ve seen him have these type of runs before and turn them around, and that’s why I’m currently still for him to stay. But, we need results and performances to turn soon otherwise he will have to go. Before he had the return of Jack to help him, can he get that back without such a talent? 
The problem being, there are a lot of bang average managers out there. I wouldn’t want him to be replaced by one of those as there would be no point. If he goes, we need to have someone top quality lined up to replace him. Who that is though, I don’t know.

[TrentVilla]

2 hours ago, birdman said:

Sacking Smith now would make things a whole lot worse. If we're in the relegation places come new year then of course the board have a decision to make but Smith deserves time to sort stuff out. I want the club to progress as much as you but I also value a bit of stability. 

That is your opinion, not fact, it isn’t an opinion I share. I’m not calling for him to go, I don’t though think he can turn this around and I think he will go.

There is no benefit in stability for stability sake.

[foreveryoung]

2 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

Because there are still at least 5 or 6 clubs ahead of us in resources, and winning any silverware or qualifying for Europe is still a big ask. And our squad is unbalanced.

Villa definitely an attractive option in the summer when a manager can come in and demand a few key signings.

Mid-season, not so much.

5-6 clubs ahead of us don't need managers though. It's your opinion and that's fine, but I don't agree.

An it's only unbalanced as Smith plays 2 strikers for a start. A new manager would balance out the squad, playing the right players in there right positions, i.e. Buendia.

[TrentVilla]

1 hour ago, KentVillan said:

It’s been a completely stop-start season, though, and he’s barely had a chance to work with certain key players.

IMO the only valid reason for getting rid at this point is if he’s totally lost the dressing room, and they’re actively trying to get him sacked. If that’s the case, then his days are numbered.

If it’s purely about form, and the vast majority of the players are still behind him, then he should be given time to turn it around. I don’t see the benefit of sacking him in that scenario and then scrabbling around for a replacement when nobody obvious is available.

Yes players have been absent for varying reasons, they are for all teams that doesn’t excuse how poor we’ve been. If you think how we are playing is excusable because we’ve had absences fair enough, that is your view but it isn’t mine.

 

 

[KMitch]

Just now, foreveryoung said:

I counter your argument why I think it's falling apart.

Played Young at CM

Took off Buendia, when he looked our best player, great for his confidence

Behind the scenes fall out.

Work rate of Mings

Not our first loss, 4 going on 5

 

 

• I didn't agree with the Young substitution, but I get the thought process behind it (having a veteran on the pitch vs throwing a 19 year old in Chucky or A. Ramsey in off the deep end).
• Buendia's substitution was a result of the red card, not because of his performance.  Bailey's pace was valued over Buendia's passing when we were down a man.  Who should he have taken off instead?  A central midfielder?  Bailey?  No, Buendia was the logical choice.
• What fall out?  More Twatter speculation...  I'm not going to beat anyone over the head for that.
• Yeah, and Mings got the message.  Was benched for poor performances, and looked much better when he came on after the red card.  
• 4/5 losses - "Results-Oriented Thinking" at it's finest...  We've also went on winning runs on Smith's watch over the past 3 seasons too.  

[Brentfordnylons]

Keep with Dean and get him a decent assistant.

[blandy]

If posters wish to discuss potential new managers and your thoughts on that, please start a thread for that. This thread is about Dean Smith, not whoever follows him into the role, whenever that might be. Thanks.

[PaulC]

5 hours ago, Dave-R said:

Think the West ham game we were just plain out of luck all through, you only have to look at how accurate there first two goals were, they were wonderful strikes.

We could have done something about blocking those shots though. Would west ham have given us that time and space. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Some people are mentioning " Lucky goals "

But fact is, even if the game finished 0 - 0, we will still have been shite.

Just shite with a lucky draw.

You create your own luck, to a certain extent.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[string28]

20 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

That is your opinion, not fact, it isn’t an opinion I share. I’m not calling for him to go, I don’t though think he can turn this around and I think he will go.

There is no benefit in stability for stability sake.

Can i just ask TrentVilla when did you`re view change of smith ive been on here for years and you seem to be rational in you`re views on subjects? just i think a lot have changed on smith so would like to know.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, MotoMkali said:

I'm still for Smith. But if we could get Gerrard or ideally Potter (another villa fan), we would be foolish not to go for it imo. Gerrard has proven himself an excellent manager. And whilst we aren't at the top of the league like rangers he's done an excellent job beating Celtic with lesser players and resources.

Potter though he's a fantastic manager and we should be pursuing him as much as possible. 

Lesser resources Jermaine Defoe and Steven Davis signed from the Premier League on Premier League wages 

[KMitch]

3 seasons ago, we were mid table in the Championship, we've improved every single season under Smith until this summer when we lost Jack, which seemed to catch everyone off guard at Villa.  We knew this season was going to be one of transition, and no matter how optimistic some were about our chances to challenge for Europe without Grealish were, it was always going to be a very tough ask.  Our season's publicly stated goals in interviews with Smith are to improve on our finish from last season (11th) and get the team to play and win without Jack.  We're 10 games into the season and we're missing on both those goals, but we've dealt with a COVID-caused shortened preseason and one of the worst injury crises of all time.  That said, as poor as we've been, there are still 5 teams playing worse than us and Smith has proven he's been able to turn around poor runs of form before during his previous 3 seasons with us.  It's too early to call for his head right now.  

[romavillan]

For my money you have to be bonkers to be wanting Smith out of the door. Really bad run but he'll work it out, it's not the first time he's needed to turn things round with us and so far he's always managed to do so.

A month ago he was nominated for manager of the month wasn't he? He will get it right, hopefully the board will back him in Jan to strengthen up the middle of the park too, but regardless Smith is still the man for this particular job IMO. Yes he's got some problems to sort out but he's smart and he's always learning. 

There's been some outright abuse directed at him on here which is just mental. 

[thabucks]

My main gripe with Smith during these periods of poor results and pressure, is that we lose all identity form, shape and cohesion - 3 years in and do not have a back up plan, make quick decisive tactical changes often enough and we have no discernible identity - still. 

[hippo]

26 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

I really want Smith to be successful, story behind it all would be great.
We’ve seen him have these type of runs before and turn them around, and that’s why I’m currently still for him to stay. But, we need results and performances to turn soon otherwise he will have to go. Before he had the return of Jack to help him, can he get that back without such a talent? 
The problem being, there are a lot of bang average managers out there. I wouldn’t want him to be replaced by one of those as there would be no point. If he goes, we need to have someone top quality lined up to replace him. Who that is though, I don’t know.

But there is no top quality out there to be "lined up" 

Bear in mind the footballing nous at our club replaced ROK with Danks , instigated a doomed Ings/Watkins partnership. Spent 60m on wide players - whilst leaving us with DM who we knew would be required to trott half way around the globe on a regular basis.

These are people expected to have a top quality guy (that we have all missed) lined up......I really don't see it.

[Peter Griffin]

5 minutes ago, romavillan said:

it's not the first time he's needed to turn things round with us

Do you not see that as a problem Smith has? Why do we repeatedly need to get out of a horrible run of results. Rather than having a manage to get us out of these situations we need a manager that doesn't get us into them in the first place