Dean Smith

[Laughable Chimp]

2 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Yes it was Smith fault that he had to build a new squad for the Premier League and his starting centre forward and goalkeeper were then crocked to season ending injuries

 Its not like we were the only team which suffered injuries. Its not like we didn't have more money than almost anyone else to replace our entire squad;

The point is, you can't just stand there and excuse all our bad performances last season as bad luck and him being a victim of circumstances and then turn right around and give all the credit to him when we did play well. Either the performances are as a result of him or they are not.

[tom_avfc]

This thread is turning me off football almost as much as the Super League farce.

Im not sure I can justify the cost of a season ticket to spend 19 matches of football in the company of a fan base that has become so entitled.

I genuinely thought a couple of years in the championship might have humbled us a bit but no we’re now calling for a manager who’s taken us from 14th in the championship to 11th in the premier league in 2 and a bit seasons to go.

[vreitti]

18 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I don't know, maybe Klopp's job security has something to do with dragging Liverpool to their first PL title amongst a host of other incredible achievements.

Some might argue that Smith too, has done incredible achievements. 

[VillaChris]

3 minutes ago, PaulC said:

What if Grealish goes this summer?  He'll be 26 next season and a footballers career is short. 

I think he'll give us one more year. Generally seen enough improvement (when he's been playing with them) and injury will probably mean clubs won't quite pay what we want.

Problem is when he gets to 27 as that was age Barry and I think Young were when they left so really that's when you start to seriously think about things as you've pretty much played half your career at that point, if not more.

Harry Kane will be having the same thoughts tonight btw aswell.

Next season I think we'll have to qualify for europe in some form to keep Jack so pressure will be on from the start of the transfer window.

Edited April 25, 2021 by VillaChris

[Newry_Villan]

20 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I don't know, maybe Klopp's job security has something to do with dragging Liverpool to their first PL title amongst a host of other incredible achievements.

I also doubt some Southampton fans aren't calling for Hassnhuttl's head either. Suffering 9-0 losses and just the horrendous run of form is surely going to turn some heads.

I don't know, maybe Smith should have job security because he dragged us from mid table in the championship to promotion in half a season. Replaced a whole squad and survived in our first season back and now has us comfortable in mid table in our second season. That's seem like pretty good progression to me. 

[villa4europe]

4 minutes ago, PaulC said:

What if Grealish goes this summer?  He'll be 26 next season and a footballers career is short. 

I don't think he will personally, his value to us is too great

Grealish is the "problem" though, realistically you can't set a CL push around how long is left on his contract and if you do you can't then put the manager under pressure to get CL with a squad that is hundreds of millions off CL quality 

Saying Smith has to get us in to a position where grealish doesn't leave in the next 2 years is unrealistic and unfair 

[PaulC]

1 minute ago, VillaChris said:

I think he'll give us one more year. Generally seen enough improvement (when he's been playing with them) and injury will probably mean clubs won't quite pay what we want.

Problem is when he gets to 27 as that was age Barry and I think Young were when they left so really that's when you start to seriously think about things as you've pretty much played half your career at that point, if not more.

Harry Kane will be having the same thoughts tonight btw aswell.

Next season I think we'll have to qualify for europe in some form to keep Jack so pressure will be on from the start of the transfer window.

I'm not sure. This injury will be a wake up call and hes carried Villa for so long and hes that good he should be playing the highest level of football right now. kane at least has got to a champions league final with Spurs and they have been chalenging titles and top 4 so its a bit different. 

[est1874]

I love this club. It's been in my family for a hundred years and is the only thing that still connects me to my mother who is now gone and ny grandfather before her, who is also now gone. This club means pretty much everything to me.

Dean Smith is a nice guy and a decent manager but he does not mean everything to me. Nor does any member of the first team, not even Super Jack who is the closest thing to a messiah that we've had since I was born 36 years ago.

And yet if I come on here and say that I think Smith had a bad game or question the gameplan / decisions, it turns into the same old pissing contest between those that defend everything the manager does and those who "want him gone", Smith out, etc.

He's been great for Aston Villa, but when the time comes that we outgrow him - and I hope to God that's sooner rather than later - we're going to need to have the ambition and spine to make the right decision and say goodbye.

I don't adore individuals, I adore the club. It drives me absolutely batty sometimes, but some days - particularly in the drudgery of lockdown limbo - being able to hope for progress and maybe success some day is the only thing to look forward to. 

It's maddening then to come on here and see it all get twisted into a contest of who's the better supporter, apparently based on one's level of commitment to the current manager in light of the latest result/s, with all the implied recency bias that goes along with that.

It's nonsense. It's possible to support the club and question the manager. Full stop. That also doesn't mean that anyone who questions the manager wants him gone tomorrow. It may just be that some people wonder if he's the right man to take us forward in the long term. And that's a valid question for a supporter to ask.

Okay, that's all. Thank you for reading this far, if indeed you have.

[OutByEaster?]

It's an interesting time for Smith and the team, we've not been at our best, we're not the most fluent and our options are limited.

I don't think he's under any real pressure for his job, and I don't think he should be under any real pressure for his job. He's a talented manager doing a good job and finding a challenge in getting us through this period to wherever we go next. He's got my full confidence in doing that - but it's a big job, it won't always be plain sailing.

 

[Indigo]

12 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

This thread is turning me off football almost as much as the Super League farce.

Im not sure I can justify the cost of a season ticket to spend 19 matches of football in the company of a fan base that has become so entitled.

I genuinely thought a couple of years in the championship might have humbled us a bit but no we’re now calling for a manager who’s taken us from 14th in the championship to 11th in the premier league in 2 and a bit seasons to go.

Yep. I remember when people here would turn their noses up at fans on your more traditional social media, at this point it's absolutely no better on the whole. On both sides of the extreme. Absolutely tiring reading the same stubborn narratives being forced every single week. Heads need wobbling all over.

Edited April 25, 2021 by Indigo

[Dale]

2 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

It's an interesting time for Smith and the team, we've not been at our best, we're not the most fluent and our options are limited.

I don't think he's under any real pressure for his job, and I don't think he should be under any real pressure for his job. He's a talented manager doing a good job and finding a challenge in getting us through this period to wherever we go next. He's got my full confidence in doing that - but it's a big job, it won't always be plain sailing.

 

Yep pretty much this. All I ask is clear development and character in the team, we've had that. A frustrating one tonight, but I still see bits of quality and good play above last seasons iteration... 

[VillaChris]

2 minutes ago, PaulC said:

I'm not sure. This injury will be a wake up call and hes carried Villa for so long and hes that good he should be playing the highest level of football right now. kane at least has got to a champions league final with Spurs and they have been chalenging titles and top 4 so its a bit different. 

I hope not at least. Look how bad our winning record is without him for two months and it also happened in the championship.

We saw how quickly things fell apart when Milner left. And things got really really bad when Young and Downing left the next summer. We fell from 6th to 16th in two years so that's the huge warning especially as we're a way off that currently.

I'd prefer for us to have much more top level quality in the squad before we even think of letting Jack go so a far way to go on that currently.

[foreveryoung]

24 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Totally agree!!

I cannot believe we are even talking about Smith's job. We're going to finish 12th at the worst, which at the beginning of the season no one would've complained about.

We haven't had our captain and best player for nearly 3 months. 

Every season he has improved us, without fail so he is guaranteed most of next season if not all of it barring a ridiculous fall off back into relegation.

Calling for Smith's head is just plain ignorance, people just riled because this is not the season we qualify for Champions League.

If you are going to call for Smith's head, attach a realistic manager you want to replace him with...

I cannot wait for the list....

No at all mate, fans are calling for his head, because we started off entertaining and with a winning mentality, including running riot beating the Champions 7-2. Now we have won 5 in 19, losing against 10 man Sheffield united and struggling to get a point against West Brom.

 

[ender4]

Smith did well today... made the right subs which turned a loss into a draw.

[Danny_Villaman84]

We need stop call Smith's head, I think he is did good job in hard time and hard tasks, he did well in reach this so far.

what i see him in him.

His Tactical normal right most of the time - beside Sub call late or swap wrong sub, and undroppable player like McGinn, he should say sorry lads you been played poor you drop to bench give a player chance to prove and fight place. he should see what mistake like we lost ball and counter attack against we are poor in this and corner, free kick we not enough threat and defend poor. which he should've sort it really.

He need stop play 4-2-3-1 if no Grealish on the pitch as 3 behind forward in this formation normal type who can dribble and pass, long shot, cut in, and hold ball to overlap, sneak into box in centre box or far post.

when he play 4-2-3-1 His Tactical normal work when Grealish played on the pitch, beside other side wrong type for this tactical, since Grealish out.

 He should've have revert to back up as he used be manager for Brentford he play fast-attack counter "good" football - Ideal plan is play 4-3-3; Watkins-Davis-Traore fast-hit counter attack with one CM who can drive to zone 10 i forget his name; he should play this until Grealish back in the XI revert to 4-2-3-1. But he keep neglected this plan B and keep play A with non-premiership level.

Next Season - If we buy Abraham will upgrade Davis, also we need buy Olise for Right side in 4-2-3-1 with Grealish Left side will help balanced better that Traore would provide. so we could have plan A and B or depend the opponent, mix up to suspire them. we likely big upgrade. if we find better play el ghazi or Trezeguet to play left and move Grealish in centre attack we likely massive upgrade this season.

why we go look for other manager when we have good manager in the make and long term, Villa fan manager, got good sense of humour, good coach, good coach team, good youth player to soon rise to first team. like Barry and Chekweka, many more.

Come on stop be choice lazy way and easy to fire him for replacement with other and forget who Smith and what he did to us? cos we desperate to play in Euro Champions Leagues and we desperate to sit 9th so UEFA / FA Ban them so we go easy route to Euro. it is stupid really - only few games to finish season. We better position that last years.

he is one who bring promotion and survives regulation when every years top 2 championship and play-off more favourite or likely go down, Leeds survives as they good team beside dirty players and with very good and respect manager.. and we has same with Smith minus dirty as them.. he one who bring 10th in second years if Grealish play for us we could be in higher in table we has no Grealish for 11 games it is 11-33 points worth still could see us in top 8.. yet we still in health mid table - for sake!

next season would be high that this years... if he still same poor performance early season so we rid him early but we should back him for 5-7 years if not work so give other manager chance.

If we rid him, who replace him? names them? I couldn't think any replace him - maybe Howes - but he is one of our, Smith. we should back him. if howes did Smith you all will feel fool as Smith could do same as him nothing a change who fault?  good job me and you all not chairman so left it to chairman or CEO job.  

tonight it is not Smith fault, it is ref is very rubbish and help wba better team, lucky we draw even we better team without ref support - beside pen award to villa. WBA play very very dirty than leeds and ref still back them we choice blame Smith??

we should have .... BACK SMITH & VILLA NOT MATTER WHAT! WE ARE LIONS, WE ARE VILLA! THE VILLIANS! LET HEAR THE ROARS!  

Danny - Log out for tonight.

 

[M_Afro]

We have been awful for weeks but we weren’t awful tonight. More often than not we would have won that game on the balance of play. We played some nice football at times. We moved the ball well and created some chances. They created very little in return and we were undone by a lucky penalty and an awful own goal where Konsa and Mings both had shockers!

Hopefully that will be the springboard for some better performances and results until the end of the season. As I said before, if it doesn’t then Dean will be under pressure.

[Stratvillan]

19 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

This thread is turning me off football almost as much as the Super League farce.

Im not sure I can justify the cost of a season ticket to spend 19 matches of football in the company of a fan base that has become so entitled.

I genuinely thought a couple of years in the championship might have humbled us a bit but no we’re now calling for a manager who’s taken us from 14th in the championship to 11th in the premier league in 2 and a bit seasons to go.

Spot on.

Spot on.

Spot on.

[OutByEaster?]

I think there's a developing tactical stubbornness - if we lose key players, we look for like for like, even if the quality isn't anything like the same rather than look to change the shape. I'd like to see him add a second method to his game, a plan B.

 

[foreveryoung]

21 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

This thread is turning me off football almost as much as the Super League farce.

Im not sure I can justify the cost of a season ticket to spend 19 matches of football in the company of a fan base that has become so entitled.

I genuinely thought a couple of years in the championship might have humbled us a bit but no we’re now calling for a manager who’s taken us from 14th in the championship to 11th in the premier league in 2 and a bit seasons to go.

Nothing to do with us having Billionaire owners then.

[mykeyb]

6 minutes ago, ender4 said:

Smith did well today... made the right subs which turned a loss into a draw.

Should have made the substitutions 15 minutes earlier in my opinion. To pragmatic today.