Dean Smith

[VillaCas]

7 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

It's not an argument, it's a cold hard FACT. lol

Wesley, Davis and Samatta are all awful. It’s like arguing who is taller Sneezy, Happy or Bashful

[Zatman]

6 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

Wesley, Davis and Samatta are all awful. It’s like arguing who is taller Sneezy, Happy or Bashful

True but sad fact is we were a better attacking team with Wesley. He has faults but he dropped deep which opened space for the midfielders. Our midfield is toothless since he went down

Samata and Davis are too static up front

[VillaCas]

https://www.myoldmansaid.com/as-villa-search-for-another-gear-whats-dean-smiths-future-if-they-cant-find-it/?amp&__twitter_impression=true

Excellent article. My thoughts exactly

[TreeVillan]

7 minutes ago, Zatman said:

True but sad fact is we were a better attacking team with Wesley. He has faults but he dropped deep which opened space for the midfielders. Our midfield is toothless since he went down

Samata and Davis are too static up front

We had a forward with very good movement but for some reason Smith didn't want him.

[villalad21]

11 minutes ago, Zatman said:

True but sad fact is we were a better attacking team with Wesley. He has faults but he dropped deep which opened space for the midfielders. Our midfield is toothless since he went down

Samata and Davis are too static up front

That's too simple for me.

Just as an example. Moving Konsa to RB when Elmo is available who is more of an attacking outlet looks like damage limitation tactics to me.

They really are focusing on the defense and our attacking play is suffering from it as a result. We ain't creating enough and i don't believe Wesley would change that.

What we've seen after the break is not a Dean Smith team at all. He has gone away from his ways and it's so evident by the way we are set up. This same exact thing happened with Lambert, the pressure just take over them and they turn away from their core philosophy..

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by villalad21

[KenjiOgiwara]

12 minutes ago, Zatman said:

True but sad fact is we were a better attacking team with Wesley. He has faults but he dropped deep which opened space for the midfielders. Our midfield is toothless since he went down

Samata and Davis are too static up front

Think the difference was more mental. Before Christmas the team had the spunk and confidence a newly promoted side often has. That disappeared at some point. 

[VillaCas]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

West Ham got a very spirited win against Chelsea to support your claim.

Southampton who are out of danger, just got a fine win against a great Man City team.....We come up with more excuses for our lot than Lennon & McCartney composed  songs.

There is no pressure on our club to do better.

souness said today on sky "I took my son to Villa Park" and he looked around and said "Dad this is a big club" and he said "I know it is son"........its just some of us that don't know it.....We accept second best far too easily.....Souness said" They should be in the Premier League"....we do all know that.

Only when we take a hard nosed attitude to winning and a defiance to losing, right through the club, will we sustain our position in this league....

 

 

This isn’t news, nor is it a remarkable insight

Smith, Terry and the team understand what’s required

Promotion came ahead of expectations - 18 players out and 15 players in, with little experience or PL credentials.

I posted in July 2019 that 17th was my target this year - the season has felt exactly as I expected - frustrating as hell!

If you thought we would be better you were fooling yourself or a bad judge of football

Smith had made many mistakes, I’m sure he would admit so himself, but imo other circumstances have contributed more

If we go down, I favour sticking with Smith - he’s proved he can bring us up and he and us will be better prepared next time

[Zatman]

9 minutes ago, TreeVillan said:

We had a forward with very good movement but for some reason Smith didn't want him.

We did? 

Dont say bloody Hogan or Kodjia who offered nothing this season

[Mjvilla]

17 hours ago, TRO said:

• Firstly that was an exaggerated joke, but yes i was making a point, i guess.
• The manager does deserve support, and when in the ground i do....but the truth deserves to be aired too....i can only say it ,as I see it, i cannot talk for you. If you followed my posts carefully, you would see, despite us losing out on that final, which was disappointing, the 24 wins and the ability to sign effective players like Terry, Abraham and McGinn, made me feel he deserved supporting.....However, the 11 games the next season, was not the same and our journey was looking in danger, the resolute defending was getting breached the attraction was waning....if you read my posts with impariality, you will know, i wanted him gone, when he went, maybe cabbage free, because, i don't want that episode fir any of our managers....You think you can glean a bias from my posts between Smith and Bruce, fine, i am not in control of your interpretation, but I can assure you, its not meant....I will confess to you, i get really miffed and frustrated at poor defending and sloppy goals conceded on a regular basis....I have not got much time for that.
• Dean for me seems like a good man, but in my eyes not tough enough or deliberate enough, his interviews to me seem passive and nebulous, lacking a clear understanding of what he gleans from our games, its all little sound bites and generalisations, no real depth or substance in his assessments.
• I have no doubt Dean is doing his best, that is not in question, I just think he maybe out of his depth, which saddens me, because i really wanted it to work....if like has been mooted that he never got his first choice signings, then he deserves empathy on that, but he must stand stronger, with those that deny him his first choice signings....how can he develop a team based on that...He has to find a way of defending himself better.
• My quote you cling too.....I still stand by ...there is only so much a coach can do, but improvement no matter how small should be acheived....I have seen flaws in players all season....I have seen an unwilligness to get close to opponents all season, thats training ground stuff and a lack of a demanding approach to work.I have seen us constantly losing out on high balls, surrendering initiative to stronger opponents, that should be worked on.
• I cannot just make the same comparisons, to make it easy for you to comprehend....i make them on what i feel and not what YOU think I feel.

I don't give a fiddlers toss which manager we have, where he comes from or what his background is as long as he wins more games than he loses, improves us, no matter how gradual and signs players that have an even chance of making us better.

There is no agenda, with me, no matter how much you look for it and think you have found it....Sure, i make errors and i have been known to change my mind, when i feel it appropriate to do so,my prerogative.

My comments on managers are about what they do, not what they are, well thats how i mean it to be.....if Dean went on a winning run or cured our defensive flaws my comments would change....since Lockdown, defensively we have been better, he just needs to add a few wins.

I'm not trying to catch you out if that's what you think. I think a number of people on here have called into question your support of Bruce and lack of support for Smith. So, when I see it in front of my eyes, I will call it out for what it is. The quotes i mentioned don't follow what you've said in bold. I feel like you're moving the goalposts of support now to suit how you feel. 

You said, not so long ago in this thread, that you supported Bruce, also, because there was a high level of vitriol which was unwarranted. Have you seen the things said about smith? Do you think he deserves support? I've now seen personal attacks at Smith, on this site, and will continue to call them out for what they are. Keyboard warriors. Now, you're not one tro, at all. You try to be fair. 

I suppose the point I'm getting at is, that you came up with a whole host of reasons to support Bruce (deservedly so), but when the same reasons can come up to support smith, you choose to ignore them and actually join in with some of the immature digs. 

I know everything you're saying, with regard to the manager. I get it. I think it sometimes too, but I have to respect him for the promotion and cup final. He deserves that. He's our most successful manager of recent times (not much to go against though). The manager you don't support did what the manager you did support couldn't in 3/4 of a season. I can't get my head round that. 

I think it's all to do with style, you're a well documented 'pull your sleeves up, put your boots on' type of bloke, with a bit of 'love in front of goal' I saw you posted elsewhere. I get that and won't criticise it. I think that's why you supported Bruce. But to flip like you have against Smith, despite doing what Bruce couldn't, is confusing to me. 

I think yesterday, we saw how Smith wants to play, and I liked it. But we don't have the players, consistently good enough to do it. If we stay up (big if), I absolutely think that would be our way. High press, defend well organised, and get men forward on the break. Particularly against the top sides. It's prettier than the way Bruce played and can be just as effective. 

I honestly think that it's gone too far for Smith now, some people's mind is made up and, even if we stay up, there will be calls for his head. I can't do anything to change people's minds, that's absolutely fair. What I can do is call out unfairness, and that's what I've seen from you. 

Edited July 6, 2020 by Mjvilla

[foreveryoung]

1 hour ago, VillaCas said:

This isn’t news, nor is it a remarkable insight

Smith, Terry and the team understand what’s required

Promotion came ahead of expectations - 18 players out and 15 players in, with little experience or PL credentials.

I posted in July 2019 that 17th was my target this year - the season has felt exactly as I expected - frustrating as hell!

If you thought we would be better you were fooling yourself or a bad judge of football

Smith had made many mistakes, I’m sure he would admit so himself, but imo other circumstances have contributed more

If we go down, I favour sticking with Smith - he’s proved he can bring us up and he and us will be better prepared next time

He has proved he can bring us up with by far the best team in the Championship. When we go back down apart from a couple of new signings we will have no Premier League players like we did last time around. Brentford were going no where with Smith, that'll be us next season under Smith if we are relegated.

Like I said before, many managers don't start with a team full of quality, they coach them to be better, Smith has failed to make any player we have better.

[hippo]

12 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

He has proved he can bring us up with by far the best team in the Championship. When we go back down apart from a couple of new signings we will have no Premier League players like we did last time around. Brentford were going no where with Smith, that'll be us next season under Smith if we are relegated.

Like I said before, many managers don't start with a team full of quality, they coach them to be better, Smith has failed to make any player we have better.

And should we get re promoted - I don't see it being much different. Fundamentally we can't defend.

[Dave-R]

Didnt post after the game yesterday because I thought emotions that had made me angry would just be put in front of the reality of the situation.

Smith has to go, do I believe he will bring us back up, no I do not, we wont have that team we had last season and the players we have up front now will not be able to score much in the championship.

Yesterday was a winnable game, Liverpool were slow with no energy and we had so many chances to the point we couldn't put anything away. Eventually you don't capitalise on advantage the other team will and that exactly what the pool did, they made us pay for not driving home tons of chances and we deserved it.

Were going down that's all there is to it, I have no confidence in them or the people in charge of them  Smith wants to rip into them, he needs to do something, they dont deserve to be on the field in those colours if they cant go out there and fight for points, points that were obtainable but they lost the plot. Not every game is winnable but where are the games that were winnable because weve not seen many, disastrous is the word I'd use for our players, Smith's philosophy, Coaching, Signings basically the lot has go tits up hasnt it.

Is there anything against having a female coach cus I swear our female Villa squad coach would probably do a better job than JT, Smith and Kelly and no I am not joking on that, that's how annoyed at I am with them all.

A liverpool game and we could of won it, if we had of had better on the Wings and up front. Even the midfield was actually working the best yesterday but it seems theres always someone in the Villa side screwing up, it's never a collective effort is it.

Im saying it for the last time now, get rid of Ghazi, Trez and get whoever are our best crosses and Wingers from the Youth team and chance because what do we have to bloody lose at this point.

 

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by Dave-R

[hippo]

I think it's getting to the stage where the risky option is to stick with Smith.

[Dave-R]

5 minutes ago, hippo said:

I think it's getting to the stage where the risky option is to stick with Smith.

I'd sooner rather drive myself of a cliff and hope for the best that I survive, Lemmings that's what they call them right? Yeah F'in Lemmings lets fetch a load of them in and put them up front at least they will throw themselves at the ball and might score some for us.

Does Brian Little not want to take over, I would beg the bloke at this point to give it ago..

Edited July 6, 2020 by Dave-R

[sne]

5 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Like I said before, many managers don't start with a team full of quality, they coach them to be better, Smith has failed to make any player we have better.

This is my biggest disappointment with the season. I really have to question our coaching even if the squad is not great.

Very few if any player looks to have improved over the season, and as a team we still make the same mistakes and errors as we did at the start and we do not look more cohesive or in tune with each other than we did at the start of the season.

We do not press as a team, we lack patterns and outlets when we win the ball so we lose possession instantly. Poor movement and players not showing for the ball. Set pieces is a joke both attacking and defending. Throw ins is laughable as always with Villa.  Defending we are worst in the league. Worse than Norwich ffs, if only just.

I'm not too shocked that we are weak in defending but the other stuff I really expected us to be OK at, not great but OK. And we are dreadful at it. For whatever reason Smith and his coaches has not been able to get across to the players how he want's us to play. I'm certain this isn't it. Language barrier might be part of it. 

Results have been disappointing but expected, but the way we have looked and performed has been really disappointing and far worse than I expected. Mentioned it before but I thought we'd look and perform more like what Brighton have looked. Struggling but rather tidy and with at least a visible idea of what they want to do. 

I'm not even sure we've built any foundation of play to build from for next season. And that is a must if we are to continue with the same coach. Otherwise what is the point.

[nick76]

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

That's too simple for me.

Just as an example. Moving Konsa to RB when Elmo is available who is more of an attacking outlet looks like damage limitation tactics to me.

They really are focusing on the defense and our attacking play is suffering from it as a result. We ain't creating enough and i don't believe Wesley would change that.

What we've seen after the break is not a Dean Smith team at all. He has gone away from his ways and it's so evident by the way we are set up. This same exact thing happened with Lambert, the pressure just take over them and they turn away from their core philosophy..

 

True but you criticise him when he's conceding too many shots per game and then when he sort of fixes that you criticise him.  It's showing we dont have the players to do both defensive side and attacking side.  What we know before the lockdown is that we cant outscore teams, leaving ourselves too open trying to score means opposition score because the amount of chances we give.  So now he's tightening up at the back and trying to still score up front but struggling.  I mean, we have had chances to score but dont really have the the strikeforce to score.  Davis couldnt hit the barn yard door, Samatta isnt getting into the game and when we have corners, Hause's heading has been awful attacking wise.  We have looked more solid at the back and maybe against a lesser team we may be able to nick a goal from a Jack special, one of attackers actually hitting the target or a Conor/Luiz freekick. 

But you cant criticise Dean for shutting up shop at the back when you have been complaining all season about shots against.  Putting Elmo in is going to exposure us on the counter.

Also isnt it good that Dean has gone away from his core philosophy for a short period, people have argued against his tactics again for much of the season.  Now he has changed because he can see issues with the players he has at his disposal he's been criticised again.

Just feels people want to criticise him for trying something different when it hasnt been working before.

Our results arent there and you can criticise Dean for that but he's trying to fix it.

I think Wes would've made a huge difference, Davis and Samatta are lost up front, at least, in my mind, Wes was starting to get into it before he got injured and he certainly wouldnt have done any worse than Davis or Samatta.

[The Fun Factory]

I am still in the Smith in camp but if you exclude the ten game winning run, Dean's winning percentage for Villa is about 30% which you have to say is not great.

[foreveryoung]

Big part of the attacking problem is he gives Grealish too much respect. I don't think he is undroppable and I think without him the strikers would be more effective. They hardly get the ball cause Jack is going for goal all the time instead of looking up.

Good question to fans. Who is the worst manager in the Premier League at the moment??

[hippo]

1 minute ago, foreveryoung said:

Big part of the attacking problem is he gives Grealish too much respect. I don't think he is undroppable and I think without him the strikers would be more effective. They hardly get the ball cause Jack is going for goal all the time instead of looking up.

Good question to fans. Who is the worst manager in the Premier League at the moment??

Farke - Smith -Pearson

- none of them have ever cut it in the PL

[villalad21]

15 minutes ago, nick76 said:

True but you criticise him when he's conceding too many shots per game and then when he sort of fixes that you criticise him.  It's showing we dont have the players to do both defensive side and attacking side.  What we know before the lockdown is that we cant outscore teams, leaving ourselves too open trying to score means opposition score because the amount of chances we give.  So now he's tightening up at the back and trying to still score up front but struggling.  I mean, we have had chances to score but dont really have the the strikeforce to score.  Davis couldnt hit the barn yard door, Samatta isnt getting into the game and when we have corners, Hause's heading has been awful attacking wise.  We have looked more solid at the back and maybe against a lesser team we may be able to nick a goal from a Jack special, one of attackers actually hitting the target or a Conor/Luiz freekick. 

But you cant criticise Dean for shutting up shop at the back when you have been complaining all season about shots against.  Putting Elmo in is going to exposure us on the counter.

Also isnt it good that Dean has gone away from his core philosophy for a short period, people have argued against his tactics again for much of the season.  Now he has changed because he can see issues with the players he has at his disposal he's been criticised again.

Just feels people want to criticise him for trying something different when it hasnt been working before.

Our results arent there and you can criticise Dean for that but he's trying to fix it.

I think Wes would've made a huge difference, Davis and Samatta are lost up front, at least, in my mind, Wes was starting to get into it before he got injured and he certainly wouldnt have done any worse than Davis or Samatta.

We still are conceding goals in every game though. Except the SU game.

We have to score goals if we want to stay up. Being better defensively doesn't mean to ignore the attack, you've got to find the right balance between attack and defense.

I want Elmo and Conor in the team. They are attacking outlets and we don't got many of those. It just seem like damage limitation tactics at the moment.