Dean Smith

[hippo]

9 hours ago, Stuartc445 said:

I go to every game. And I don't who where you sit if you go but it's not as rosy as you are describing on Friday for example I witnessed 6 villa fans in a heated discussion which descended into a fight. 

Mass booing at Wigan (those who were still there) anger at Preston and Reading.

Do you go to games and if you do, do you pay attention to what is going on around you as your post suggests you either don't go or sit there oblivious to what is going on around you. 

Maybe I'm wrong maybe I should accept 1 win in 12 but call me old fashioned but I believe football is about winning games.

I go to all the home games. I would say atm the support for smith is pretty solid.

[Wainy316]

11 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

Transfer window clearly shows we're hamstrung by FFP.  It will take until winding down some ridiculous contracts and offloading some of the Bruce rejects for Smith to be properly judged. It's not like he hasn't given many players a chance. Bree got chance. Not good enough. Shipped off on loan

Not sure how hamstrung we are to be fair.  We bought a keeper and defender for £7m and £4m respectively and had a £12m ish bid accepted for Mepham (apparently).

Maybe we're able to factor in the almost halving of our wage bill that awaits in the summer.

[Delphinho123]

26 minutes ago, hippo said:

I go to all the home games. I would say atm the support for smith is pretty solid.

I think the sensible fans are supporting him.

Most of the booing and the animosity is aimed at the players, the fans understand how poor some of them are.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone like Hourihane booed off if he were subbed during a game.

 

[briny_ear]

19 hours ago, Craigy1874 said:

Must be a pain having to log in and out of threads!

Not half as bad as being damned to talk about Steve Bruce for the rest of your lives, no matter who is actually managing the club.

I feel so sorry for you all. 

[Pimlico_Villa]

13 hours ago, KentVillan said:

Disagree completely:

• There were loads of signs of a distinctive style, until injuries to our most technically gifted midfielder and most technically gifted defender.
• On what planet is "young and willing to learn and work hard" a difficult brief for a new manager? Loads of managers want these kinds of players.
• What makes you think he isn't trying to get the most out of this bunch?
• What makes you think playing Bruceball for half a season will stand us in better stead than starting to develop a more possession-based style in anticipation of next season?
• The "established players who have done it before at other clubs" did it several years ago, and are now in their thirties. They are not the same players who did it at other clubs. The natural process of ageing can hardly be blamed on Dean Smith. Who do you have in mind here anyway?

To take each point in turn:

 - I'm talking about a protracted and sustained devotion to a style and I don't buy into it being dependent upon 1-2 players. If it is dependent on 1 player, then it is not actually a style, it is just getting the most our of one player. That is the whole point in having a style: yes it is optimised when all players are fit, but 1 player should not make such a drastic, wholesale impact to it. What we saw earlier is a glimmer, it does not constitute anything near a style 

 - Not many Managers have the ability or the inclination to work with a squad full of young players as these players need one to one, specific coaching on nearly all aspects of their game - positionally, tactically, technically and psychologically. Doing this across an entire team is almost unprecedented. Smith excels with this type of player profile, but he is a rarity in that regard

 - Because he has stubbornly adhered to formations and tactics that don't work. Best example is playing Hourihane in a defensive/holding role when everyone knows Hourihane is only suited to attacking, which is best evidenced by how deep runners glide past him. Another example would be playing wingers/outside lefts and rights knowing full well that opposition teams cottoned on to that months ago and double, even triple up on our wingers. Why not play 2 up top instead of 2 holding midfielders, particularly at Home when we have 4 at the back?

- I don't. Not for one minute. In fact I despise Bruceball. That's not what I'm calling for though. Possession for possession sake is pointless - i.e. Whelan and Hourihane sprinting 20 yards backwards to pick up a 5 yard pass from a centre half only to play another 5 yard pass backwards to the other centre half. Opposition teams love that as it gives them chance to get back into defensive formation and sit back. What I want is for us to simply pass the ball forwards, not side to side or backwards. With 3 attacking players that should be the default option every time

- Then why were they bought for such material fees and paid so well, if they are as ineffective as you claim? I suspect you will point to Bruce and prior regimes here, which is fair, but these players weren't this bad less than a year ago. I agree that the majority of players are lazy and unfit, but they are not as bad as the happy clappers on here would have people believe. They are still at the level and he should be getting more out of Hourihane, Birkir, Taylor, El Ghazi at a minimum. I'd argue that all those players have regressed. Any one who thinks otherwise is in a bubble

Edited February 13, 2019 by Pimlico_Villa

[villabromsgrove]

How different would things be if we had a RB and LB who were able (or willing?) to defend properly?

We've scored enough goals to have won many of the games that we've ended up drawing, but our full backs have repeatedly cost us.

If we had suitable replacements then Smith would deserve some of the stick he's getting, but who can he currently play in these positions to get the job done? 

The summer transfer window activity has to rectify this situation.

 

[hippo]

7 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

How different would things be if we had a RB and LB who were able (or willing?) to defend properly?

We've scored enough goals to have won many of the games that we've ended up drawing, but our full backs have repeatedly cost us.

If we had suitable replacements then Smith would deserve some of the stick he's getting, but who can he currently play in these positions to get the job done? 

The summer transfer window activity has to rectify this situation.

 

Did he have those at Brentford ? 

[villalad21]

34 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

How different would things be if we had a RB and LB who were able (or willing?) to defend properly?

All DS teams leak alot of goals.

Even with better fullbacks he will tell them to bomb forward which will leave us vulnerable to counter attacks, that's his style. We will most likely concede 50+ goals next season as well whoever is our fullbacks.

Edited February 13, 2019 by villalad21

[sidcow]

Wow this thread has rapidly turned into a carbon copy of the Steve Bruce thread. 

[Merson08]

3 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Wow this thread has rapidly turned into a carbon copy of the Steve Bruce thread. 

Same with almost every manager since O'neill.

All the supporters just want us to win whoever is the manager.

The manager on the other hand doesn't deliver enough of these wins.

In turn every thread about our manager turns into this thread by default of sorts. 

[A'Villan]

Haven't watched a game in full since the home draw to QPR so I'm not exactly in a position to comment on how we look at the moment. I'll chime in anyway..

It was only 10 games ago we were literally league leaders in a number of aspects that determine if results are favourable for a team, at least more often than not.

Things are not going the way Villa supporters would have hoped for, however, we are showing that we're in the contest. Sheffield United game shows we're not out for the count yet.

I can't fathom the cause of our indifferent form due to not witnessing our more recent performances. However, it would seem that we are experiencing some growing pains.

We've gone from open play that involved direct and often lofted passes that bypassed midfield and required opportunistic decisions from our team when going forward under Bruce, to a more coordinated and organised style of play, often trying to play it out from the back, using a short passing game to bring the ball up the pitch and penetrate through the opposition lines under Smith. It's a big transition to make. Players are no longer familiar with each other on account of the change in expectations and methodology, the playing rapport developed previously may not be applicable in a new setting. As we've seen, roles have changed, meaning that players need to be malleable as their responsibilities shift. Same goes for Smith. He's in a new environment and if he wants to establish himself will need to come to terms with the unique set of challenges involved.

We've seen good football under Smith. I'm not going to forget that on account of expectations not being met.

I'd like to be in a position that promises promotion as much as anyone. I'm inclined to think we will see a return of football to get excited about under Smith.

Hopefully that's enough to take us up a division.

 

 

[villalad21]

7 minutes ago, Merson08 said:

Same with almost every manager since O'neill.

All the supporters just want us to win whoever is the manager.

The manager on the other hand doesn't deliver enough of these wins.

In turn every thread about our manager turns into this thread by default of sorts. 

We aren't in the prem mate, we're in the championship.

I fully expect us to win the majority of the games we play considering how much money we've spended.

Listen, i like DS style of play it's entertaining, but you can't have a win percentage at 35 % in this league and with this club. Nowhere near good enough.

He has to show next season that he is something more than a mid table manager.

Edited February 13, 2019 by villalad21

[Merson08]

1 minute ago, villalad21 said:

We aren't in the prem mate, we're in the championship.

I fully expect us to win the majority of the games we play considering how much money we've spended.

Listen, i like DS style of play it's entertaining, but you can't have a win percentage at 35 % in this league and with this club.

He has to show next season that he is something more than a mid table manager.

Doesnt really matter what league were in. The statement of fact is correct no matter if we are in the Premiership, Ligue One, Scottish Premiership or the Conference.

Its no sleight on anyone, its just a massive generalization of the entire fan base.   

[briny_ear]

1 hour ago, villabromsgrove said:

How different would things be if we had a RB and LB who were able (or willing?) to defend properly?

 

 

May be missing something here but haven’t we broadly got the same personnel in these positions as last season? Apart from Bree who Smith sent out on loan and Tuanzebe who is injured but everyone said shouldn’t be playing FB?

We didn’t do too shabby last season so I’m wondering if the problem lies elsewhere?

[villabromsgrove]

Hutton is 34 and appears to have lost the energy and desire to get back and defend after his regular marauding runs. He strolls and points but he never races back and marks his man.

Taylor is a shadow of the player he was a year or two ago. 

What you may be missing Briny is the fact that we sat really deep and didn't attack as much last season, so energy and positional recovery was far less of an issue with them then.

[sne]

2 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

Hutton is 34 and appears to have lost the energy and desire to get back and defend after his regular marauding runs. He strolls and points but he never races back and marks his man.

Taylor is a shadow of the player he was a year or two ago. 

What you may be missing Briny is the fact that we sat really deep and didn't attack as much last season, so energy and positional recovery was far less of an issue with them then.

And add to that we disassembled the center of the defense when Terry (Samba) left and Elphick was loaned out.

And our elderly DCM's Whelan & Jedi got a year older and slower and more broken.

Elmo seem to have mentally packed it in when Bruce left. 

[villalad21]

1 minute ago, sne said:

And add to that we disassembled the center of the defense when Terry (Samba) left and Elphick was loaned out.

And our elderly DCM's Whelan & Jedi got a year older and slower and more broken.

Elmo seem to have mentally packed it in when Bruce left. 

A big part of a modern manager's job is man managment and getting the best out of his players.

I can't really name that many players Smith have improved since he arrived.

[TheStagMan]

3 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Not half as bad as being damned to talk about Steve Bruce for the rest of your lives, no matter who is actually managing the club.

I feel so sorry for you all. 

And yet here you are, bringing him up yet again. Well done!

[Talldarkandransome]

Right then, after a quick read I'm getting that some people want Smith out already. What's the point of doing that? If we continue replacing managers willy nilly then we won't get anywhere. 

If you can't see some improvement then you must be blinkered or just like moaning a lot. Yes we are drawing too many but we're not losing many. Once Grealish and Tuanzebe are back I think that will solve some issues. We are still in touch with the play offs and a few wins should get us in there. 

Lots of points being dropped above us so the chances are there, we have a striker who scores goals and McGinn who would run 500 miles and 500 more. 

And if you fight over football then you need a slap. We all want what's best for Villa, but falling out over it is beyond dumb. 

[Risso]

31 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

May be missing something here but haven’t we broadly got the same personnel in these positions as last season? Apart from Bree who Smith sent out on loan and Tuanzebe who is injured but everyone said shouldn’t be playing FB?

We didn’t do too shabby last season so I’m wondering if the problem lies elsewhere?

We played Hutton at left back for most of the season, and Elmo on the right.  Both of those are a year older and not playing with a good centre partnership of Terry and Chester.  We've also got the woeful Taylor at left back, and in Hourihane a player who is manifestly unsuited for the role he is being asked to do.  

For me, Smith is doing a poor job, with his biggest failure to date being an extremely disappointing transfer window.  Mings looks to be a good addition, but most of our goals conceded have come from weaknesses at full back, and the midfield not giving any protection to the defence.  Smith has done nothing to address those weaknesses, and that's why the play offs are rapidly disappearing over the horizon.