Dean Smith

[Davkaus]

Just now, TomC said:

 

Which is why they may wait until the January transfer window...

 

Part of me wants to give him that chance, part of me wants him to go while he still has a bit of credit rather than being hounded out of the club, I genuinely love the bloke. 

[Panto_Villan]

7 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

It would be great to hear if the few posters who defended Dean still had the same opinion after the last 2 games. I expect it will all be immaterial after the weekend anyway.

No, I've always said we should give Dean time and judge him at the end of the season, but that was based on the idea we'd be safe from relegation and the question would just be "has he made enough progress to justify the money spent?"

After this loss we're in a genuine relegation battle and I think it's time to be ruthless. If I knew we couldn't finish below 16th I'd still be saying he should stay until the end of the season.

[Villatillidie95]

i've got a weird feeling about the short term. I think that either deano will be given th enext 2 games to turn it around, or if he is sacked i have a feeling that we will go after frank lampard for the manager's job. Not sure why, just seems like a move the board would be keen on given that he is young and tries to play the right way, plus the trend at the moment is to hire young managers

[string28]

I dont think our owners will be wanting a relegation battle and i dont think the will be looking at "credit in the bank" what ever that is. I can see them making a change now and i feel for dean because i dont think its just down to him but we will move on because we are villa.

Edited November 5, 2021 by string28

[Peter Griffin]

6 minutes ago, TomC said:

17 minutes ago, Cliffy Biro said:

 

Fortunately, there are teams worse than us in the league this year.

I would say Norwich are weaker an possibly Newcastle. Toon will improve inJan and new manager bounce. Even so, 3 go down. What 3 are worse than us?

[Eastie]

1 minute ago, TrentVilla said:

You are probably right, nonetheless if someone asks me who I’d want he is the name I’ll give.

With the close realationship between purslow and Gerrard I think he will be the man heading down south to villa park - will certainly be putting a huge wad on stevie G although for me I think we should try for potter but think Gerrard is nailed on 

[HanoiVillan]

1 minute ago, Davkaus said:

I think the dilemma is that with our lineups, if you give him another couple of games, you may as well give him until Christmas. Bringing another manager in for Liverpool, Leicester and blue mans is a hiding to nothing.

There is no other suitable time other than right now. After the international break we have 10 league games in 43 days up to Jan 2nd, so there is an average of a game every 4-5 days. *Right now* there is a gap, and the form and performances are in the toilet, so it should be obvious, and FWIW I think it will; there have been several articles in the media about the trouble he's in which to my mind have been forewarning about the forthcoming chop.

[IrishVilla10]

20 minutes ago, jim said:

I’m absolutely stunned there are still people backing Smith. Especially  considering the dross we have been served up for the majority of this year. 

If Bruce had the identical record including the promotion this board would be unanimous. 

I find it similar to United fans with Ole, everyone else can see it 

[foreveryoung]

20 minutes ago, TomC said:

I wouldn't disagree with that. I just think that he has enough credit in the bank that they're going to give him the break and a few more matches to put things right.

 

This credit in the bank Bo****S in running a bit thin now. You don't keep a manager until we are in the bottom 3 just because he did some good things previously. Ranieri won Leicester the Prem but they soon got rid of him when things went tits. 

Funny enough, Shaky was assistant then too.

Edited November 5, 2021 by foreveryoung

[Davkaus]

1 minute ago, HanoiVillan said:

There is no other suitable time other than right now. After the international break we have 10 league games in 43 days up to Jan 2nd, so there is an average of a game every 4-5 days. *Right now* there is a gap, and the form and performances are in the toilet, so it should be obvious, and FWIW I think it will; there have been several articles in the media about the trouble he's in which to my mind have been forewarning about the forthcoming chop.

I can't argue, it makes sense, it just breaks my heart. 

[Xela]

I love what Smith has done here as manager... but 5 defeats in a row, including some very poor performances is damning. The Wolves collapse seems to have had a huge impact on us. It can be difficult to recover from a collapse like that. Seen it happen a few times here. I really thought we would win tonight and we'd turn it around. 

Its all rather depressing isn't it

 

[VillaChris]

8 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Sometimes players just needs to hear a new voice and new ideas. 

Yes I think that's the point people are missing. I'm sure the players still respect DS for all he's done for them personally as he's obviously a good bloke to play for but they've switched off mentally on the pitch.

I mean if they were fully believing in him still we wouldn't be starting every single match in last month in hopeless manner would we?

His cycle has just ended here, just like Pochettino's did at Spurs a few years ago.

[DaveAV1]

3 minutes ago, TomC said:

I wouldn't disagree with that. I just think that he has enough credit in the bank that they're going to give him the break and a few more matches to put things right.

 

It’s not about credit in the bank, it’s about what happens now and in the near future. He’s done great, lived the dream and will have plenty of happy memories. He can look back with pride and will always be thought of highly by the vast majority of fans. But he’s reached the end I’m afraid and it’s time to go before those memories become tarnished. Shake his hand, give him a nice pay off and get on with appointing the next man. 

The King is dead, long live The King. 

[Xela]

4 minutes ago, Zero7 said:

If he does go, I want a German manager, anyone, don’t care as long as they are German 

They're the latest must have for any hipster club. 

[The Fun Factory]

If Dean is meeting Purslow tomorrow to try and keep his job I suppose he could say give me the international break. Give me the international break to coach the players and sort this mess out. Our pre season was disrupted so treat this like pre season mark 2. I did this during the covid lockdown and I can do this again.

However I fear the problems are deeper than that. I think to lose Grealish and two coaches was just  too much in one summer.

[The Fun Factory]

Just now, Xela said:

They're the latest must have for any hipster club. 

Jurgen says hi. He likes Americans.

[Peter Griffin]

9 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

Not really, when both of them have been in it for half the time we have. It's a stat that has been created to make us look bad.

So they have only been in it for half the time and they have only won about a half a dozen games between then and yet we have played more games and have a worse record. It is very really damning

[foreveryoung]

8 minutes ago, vreitti said:

I was sure Dean would put it right tonight. Now I find it impossible to defend him anymore. Having said that, I don't want see him go either. I'm just glad I don't have to make that call. Are there any viable options available is another big question? Shakespeare certainly isn't one. If Smith goes, he has to follow. 

What call, "sorry Dean we are giving you the boot, but here's 3 million quid to see you on your way". It's in a managers remit, it's not like our jobs, your sacked now F*** off!!

He's been good for us, but now he ain't. Thanks but see ya later.

[HanoiVillan]

3 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

I can't argue, it makes sense, it just breaks my heart. 

Yep, me too. Definitely have more happy memories of the last three years than for a long time. Can't even list them all, just keep thinking about the home game against Boro in that 10-in-a-row run and how it was the best atmosphere and most utterly dominating performance I've ever seen live, and how good that night was.

[VillanousOne]

I respect all Dean has done with the club.

The issue I have is I don't see who could come back into the team that would help turn things around.

Too many players are out of form or being played out of position and the wrong formation/tactic being picked.

Bailey hasn't turned out to be our saviour, neither has Buendia.

I don't think Luiz or even Ings coming back will make much of a difference and it's clear Sanson has run over his cat or sh@gged his wife so he won't play.

Under Bruce shortly before he was sacked it was almost inevitable that the players and formation picked were unlikely to win every week and he couldn't coach a performance out of them.

And that is what it is like under Dean now.

I don't think it is all his fault, he didn't necessarily dig the hole we are in, but it's too late to do much about it, we are dug in now and he won't get us out of it because he only has a tiny child's plastic spoon.