Dean Smith

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Gutted he’s been sacked to be honest. 
 

There’s nothing special about our club.

emphatically, disagree with that.....There is plenty special about our football club.

But winning football matches makes that claim credible...every manager who is appointed, knows the fate, you have to win games on a reasonably regular basis....if they don't they know the consequences.

Brutal, Maybe....Thats why they get paid a kings ransom.

We have to get back to having a winning mentality ( and that includes the fans)...There can be no sentiment for losing on a regular basis and little hope of winning.

Losing football matches on a regular basis is not acceptable, by anyone....Dean Smith is rightfully such a very popular guy, but no one is bigger than the club....many good managers before him, like Ron Atkinson went the same way, Rons team played some delightful football to begin with, but when he went, he had to.

The next guy, will be subject to the same maxims....and they will know that.

 

[Keener window-cleaner]

Having digested the news a reflected a bit I'm feeling a bit uneasy with the sacking. I buy the argument that it was based on the last 10 months, but still it seems a bit harsch. The pre season was interrupted by change of coaches, key players arriving late from international duty, the loss of Jack, injuries and rescheduled friendlies. We have had many injuries the whole season so far. We have managed to claim a historical win away to Man U, and won against Newcastle and Everton. Of the five last games we were unlucky against Wolves, and should have had 1 or 3 points. Against Southampton a draw would have been a fair reslut. West Ham was difficult once we got the sening off. Arsenal was the only game that was really bad. I thought the players showed in the second half against Saints that they were behind him. So it feels a bit harsh on the whole.

Thanks for everything Dean, I think you are my favourite Villa manager.

[beachboys1]

have players said anythink

 

[ReasonforRevolution]

Gutted. I'll always love Villa, but Dean Smith made me proud to love Villa again. With Lambert, Bruce, and the likes, it is easy to forget how disenchanting it all was. Only a few years ago, I was genuinely convinced we were heading to League 1. Six weeks ago, we beat Man Utd away. We owe him a huge amount of gratitude for getting us to where we are now and for connecting us with our team again. Even within this bad patch, there was always comfort knowing that he wants what was best for us. I feared this season would be difficult with Jack leaving. Injuries and the late-in-the-day backroom staff shuffle haven't helped. But he can be proud of what he's achieved. I just hope the board knows what they're doing because it'll have to be a big appointment. Must admit, it feels like they've misread the room and for that, I'm quite angry. Looking forward to him coming back to B6 as an away manager and giving him a standing ovation. He deserves that. 

[Keyblade]

2 hours ago, est1874 said:

The roundly-maligned Tim Sherwood had a very similar win ratio of 35.71% and without the bump Dean got from 37 of his 124 league games for Villa being in the Championship. Devil's advocate perspective for reference.

He didn't get the time to tank his win%. Smith spent 2 full seasons in the PL + change, Sherwood just 28 games.

[TRO]

51 minutes ago, Pissflaps said:

So I keep reading "something wasn't right" this season. 

So what do we actually think it was that lead to this happening? I think smith couldn't figure out how to replace grealish. We are left with plenty of square pegs and round holes. The transfer policy this summer didn't fix anything.

No it didn't....but many of us thought it would.

I thought the signings was good and still do......but I still think the midfield balance was wrong, and it wasn't addressed, sure we went in for Ward Prowse and Emile smith Rowe, but despite being very good players, that wasn't the answer either.....I think we have been barking up the wrong tree.....and I honestly think it has manifested itself in to being instrumental in Dean losing so many attributes his team was initially good at.....A bridge doesn't always fall on the day of the sight of a first crack, but its the start of a weakening process.

This perfomance demise has been coming for some time.....I have mentioned it and others months and months ago. We have won 11 games in 2021 losing 18 and drawing 6.....Thats an awful lot of time, to consider mitigating circumstances...all managers have sticky spells, but I think these defeats sadly consumed him.

 

 

[Rino8]

Suprised he's gone when he has, not sure who else is available?

A lot of dud managers out there who have managed to get their name around through publicity alone (Fonseca etc) but legitimate managers capable of improving a team in this almost good enough state are slim at the best of times 

[AJ]

I love Dean Smith, and I really wanted him to be the one who takes us forward.

However, no manager could survive those 5 losses, no matter who they are.

I believe the board has made the right decision though.

So who is going to be our Remi Garde?

[El Zen]

I still feel like crap about this. 

[Mark Albrighton]

1 hour ago, Pissflaps said:

So I keep reading "something wasn't right" this season. 

So what do we actually think it was that lead to this happening? I think smith couldn't figure out how to replace grealish. We are left with plenty of square pegs and round holes. The transfer policy this summer didn't fix anything.

The Grealish thing is obviously a big factor.

Not really getting the three signings playing together/gelling is another (I think he’s been unlucky in that regard, mainly with Bailey). I’m not sure what the thinking has been with them.

Terry and O’Kelly leaving. I think a lot of us were of the opinion that Shakespeare was the main assistant and they might not have been missed but maybe the departures were much more significant. My feeling O’Kelly in particular, having worked with Smith for so long, was a bigger indicator that perhaps wasn’t appreciated.

A lot of the players not playing to the best of their abilities. Smith’s gonna take the heat for that ultimately but I doubt there are many in the squad who can say they’ve been playing well.

I know people are going to point to the form for the calendar year - yes I know. It’s just crazy how quickly this has deteriorated. He was a contender for manager of the month 5 weeks ago, swatting Everton aside, beating Man Utd away. 

Football, eh?

[MellbergsBeard]

I’ve never been sad about us parting ways with a manager before, I feel like The fairy tale is over, I don’t know where we go from here, I hope the board do.

[ThunderPower_14]

Gutted. I'll always have a soft spot for Dean Smith, the last few seasons have been so joyful for the most part. I think this was probably the right decision at this stage but that doesn't make it any less sad. 

[Mark Albrighton]

Also, and I know I’m gonna leave myself open to attack here, but **** it, have at it…

The form last season, from 1st January through to 23rd May was 29 points over 24 games. That’s 1.20 points a game, which over a season would total 46 points (45.91 points). Newcastle finished 12th with 45 points. 

It’s not great, it wasn’t pretty, but it was kinda midtable form. Closer to “the rest” of the bottom half than the top half, but not really that far out of line with the expectations at the start of that season from what I remember. It would have been a 10 point increase on the previous season, as opposed to 20.

[Xela]

27 minutes ago, MellbergsBeard said:

I’ve never been sad about us parting ways with a manager before, I feel like The fairy tale is over, I don’t know where we go from here, I hope the board do.

You are right. It is the end of an enjoyable chapter in the clubs history. The Dean and Jack era. 

Fingers crossed the board have a plan. I'd like to think they do! 

[VillaChris]

O'Neill going was bigger shock to me and as we saw pretty much condemned us for a decade.

I actually think it was same as now, he'd taken us as far as he could but timing was simply horrible and given his general status to the media and other football people we instantly downgraded in their eyes and it slowly turned that way on the pitch as many of the squad couldn't be bothered.

I think it's a little different. DS isn't quite held in same esteem by press even if he's respected. Players enjoyed playing under him but think they're collective ready to see what someone with fresh eyes and a voice can do for them.

[TheAuthority]

2 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

It’s moved me another notch away from caring.

Genuinely disappointed in the club for pissing their pants and losing their nerve.

If it transpires there is no pre planned transition to a clearly ‘better’ manager, then we have truly shown ourselves to be also rans. 

 

This x 1000

FWIW I think Purslow just wants a sexy new name. 

Anyway, apologies for sounding my depression and anger in here.

 

[Awol]

34 minutes ago, Xela said:

You are right. It is the end of an enjoyable chapter in the clubs history. The Dean and Jack era. 

Fingers crossed the board have a plan. I'd like to think they do! 

It’ll be Purslow’s job next if they haven’t. 

[KentVillan]

This calendar year thing has been exaggerated by a lot of fans.

Our league record January onwards, for last season, was P24 W8 D5 L11 Pts29. (3 of those 8 wins while Grealish was injured.) Not great, but not awful - and with Grealish out for 12 games.

That included losses against Man City (x2), Man Utd (x2), Liverpool, Spurs and West Ham.

I think this has been built up to be some kind of massive year-long decline in form, when in fact it was probably what you'd expect of a mid-table side with one Champions League quality player who dictates the play. I don't think there was any other club in the league so reliant on one player, and let's be honest, if you were in Smith's shoes and had Grealish at your disposal, you would also be building your team around Grealish.

Genuinely think he would have secured a comfortable mid-table finish this season, once he got all the new signings fit and firing.

It's telling that we're now struggling to identify a coach that feels like a genuine step up. I really hope we find someone good who can take us to that next level, and give them the budget they need to deal with the obvious weaknesses in the squad.

 

[Hornso]

Sad to see him go. A lot of good memories under Dean. Very interested to see who his successor is.

[villakram]

Thanks Deano, brought back that great looking fwd to a game feeling that had been utterly destroyed by the previous decade. 

Hard to argue with it coming to an end after losing 5 on the bounce and < 1pt/game and the end to last season, but damn there were some good times, and that your last victorious hurrah was at OT. Happy memories.