Vive_La_Villa Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 No fans must ease the pressure in some ways too. Villa park would have got nasty by now. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ciggiesnbeer Posted July 8, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 8, 2020 (edited) I am glad he looks relaxed. I have no interest in him being miserable or demonizing the man. He did his best. It just isnt good enough for where we are right now. he may end up being an amazing manager, maybe he already is, but right here right now its not worked out. But I hope to be looking even more foolish than usual tomorrow if we spank ManU! Sadly I dont think we will, but Smith is here for tomorrows game and I want him to do well. If we lose I will be calling for him to go again though Edited July 8, 2020 by ciggiesnbeer 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 14 minutes ago, ciggiesnbeer said: I am glad he looks relaxed. I have no interest in him being miserable or demonizing the man. He did his best. It just isnt good enough for where we are right now. he may end up being an amazing manager, maybe he already is, but right here right now its not worked out. But I hope to be looking even more foolish than usual tomorrow if we spank ManU! Sadly I dont think we will, but Smith is here for tomorrows game and I want him to do well. If we lose I will be calling for him to go again though Agree. In many ways you’d want him to leave before people turned on him. He seems a top bloke that’s done his best. It would be a shame if things ever got nasty the way they did with Bruce. I doubt that will ever happen though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 17 minutes ago, ciggiesnbeer said: I am glad he looks relaxed. I have no interest in him being miserable or demonizing the man. He did his best. It just isnt good enough for where we are right now. he may end up being an amazing manager, maybe he already is, but right here right now its not worked out.But I hope to be looking even more foolish than usual tomorrow if we spank ManU! Sadly I dont think we will, but Smith is here for tomorrows game and I want him to do well. If we lose I will be calling for him to go again though If that actually happens I will take away all my doubts about Smith. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, VillaCas said: It’s not Villa, it’s pretty much every major club In the old days managers were signing one or two players a season, and the spend was comparatively small - now we have squads of 25 or 30 and are spending multi-millions every window Recruitment is global and a whole structure is required to scout players in leagues all over the world As we’ve discussed before, a key issue is that managers often think and sign short term and clubs can end up with ageing players on long contracts with no sell on value - CEOs and DofFs are in place to control the type of player recruited and manage the medium and long term. As an approach it makes sense, it’s just that so far it hasn’t worked for us. Many here will disagree, but I don’t actually think that our approach is that far off. I agree in general with Purslows overall strategy, except I think we needed to recruit a bit more experience and a few less projects. A couple more experienced heads/PL ready and I think we could have had a much more comfortable season Relegation or survival, this close season is hugely important for our future We say that every summer. We should go with what works, not what is in vogue. I wouldn't have thought that Jack Grealish is a backroom recruitment find for Man U....I hear what you say, but I believe plenty of transfers are manager instigated. my observations so far of this modern system is that faceless people with no responsibility fir team results sign players and the manager has to try and mould them in to a team. I don't see much difference in the risk either way.....both have advantages and disadvantages.......I would put my faith and focus in a well reputed manager with decent pedigree and respectable win ratio.....and let him get on with it. I agree with a few more experienced heads in the right positions, but folk like suso want to buy players to develop and sell for a profit, that seems to be the format purslow wants.......I want them to fit in to a team. I would suspect Dean got the job, because he fitted the criteria purslow wanted as he experienced it at Brentford.....it smells to me. I think they have set out to minimise the authority of the manager, i don't like it. but if it don't work and it hasn't......why pursue it. Edited July 8, 2020 by TRO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 (edited) 39 minutes ago, ciggiesnbeer said: I am glad he looks relaxed. I have no interest in him being miserable or demonizing the man. He did his best. It just isnt good enough for where we are right now. he may end up being an amazing manager, maybe he already is, but right here right now its not worked out. But I hope to be looking even more foolish than usual tomorrow if we spank ManU! Sadly I dont think we will, but Smith is here for tomorrows game and I want him to do well. If we lose I will be calling for him to go again though I don't judge him on one game, either way. I agree with you if he is doing his best and trying his hardest and i have no doubt he is.....why get stressed. Edited July 8, 2020 by TRO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheltenham_villa Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 On 07/07/2020 at 20:40, TRO said: So we spent £140 mill and you had doubts at the start about the clubs ability to spend it....did you declare that as a prediction?.....I think most fans were excited at having 2 Brazillians in the side, amongst other things..... you can deal with losing?, you have an advantage over me then, I loathe the very thought of it and detest it when it happens, i am a very poor loser.....and when we can't win, i want us to draw.....i hate losing. We all like attacking football, but when opponents disposses you, turn you over and drive you back, out jump you in the air, defending is the only option.....until the lock down our approach to defending was woeful, in so many aspects.....we have improved and simultaneously lost our offensive capability. Point 1. Yes and if I was better at searching I'd show you. About 70% of this site predicted a finish in the bottom 5. Like many others I was optimistic of 16th or 17th but also realistic. If you're going to finish in the bottom 5, you'll likely spend time in the bottom 3. I was excited but I also know how difficult it is to gel a team, I recall John Mcgjnn talking about his first 6 months at the club and how he didnt have a clue what his midfield partners would do. Magnify that across a new squad and you have a problem. Still I was excited though and optimistic. Point 2, I'm better at dealing with losing, I certainly dont enjoy it. I do love winning. Probably one of the reasons I learnt that I'm really not bothered by the premier league. My hatred of the premier league started 10 years ago though when I realised whatever we did, another club with more money could undo it in a heartbeat. That's probably a football problem but magnified in the premier league. Point 3. I've said before, I'd rather be entertained. At the moment, we are not creating anything, trying to defend with our backs to the wall but ultimately still losing. If were going to lose, I like to go down with a bit of entertainment, maybe a goal or 2 to celebrate. Is that so wrong? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farlz Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Quote Dean Smith has pointed the finger at the club's frantic summer as one of the reasons for Aston Villa's Premier League plight. Villa look to be sinking without a trace and, following Watford's win over Norwich in midweek, find themselves four points adrift at the bottom ahead of Thursday's encounter with in-form Manchester United. Villa, of course, purchased an entire new playing squad last summer after making 12 permanent additions for a combined total of £130 million. A dozen ageing first-team players left, meaning Villa's business had to be busy. However, for the first time this season, Smith has blamed Villa's costly slow start down to new recruits "taking a while" to get up to the required fitness and standard level in the Premier League - and also revealed how he never quite envisaged being in a relegation scrap. Smith was asked what his biggest learning curves have been in his first season as a big-league boss, and said: "The quality of the opposition that you’re playing against week-in, week-out. There are no easy games in this league and you have to be on it every game. "The fitness levels have been a big one as well. I just felt, pre-lockdown, we weren’t as fit as we could have been, or should have been. But a lot of that was down to the fact Douglas (Luiz) came in two days before, (Marvelous) Nakamba took a while, (Matt) Targett took a while. We had a lot of changes during the summer and to get them up to speed has taken time." On being potential relegation candidates, he said: "No, I thought we would have a little bit more if I'm honest. I didn't think we would be a top-six team! I knew it would be tough. "We've also experienced some big injuries during the season as well that have hampered us. To lose Tom Heaton and Wes on New Year's Day was a massive blow. To lose Tyrone Mings against Leicester, to lose John McGinn against Southampton. We lost some of our big players and didn't handle it well enough at the time." Since lockdown was lifted last month, Smith's Villa have improved defensively and concede far fewer chances on their goal. Given what was a shrewd 72-minute game plan at Anfield, the head coach believes he is improving as a manager - despite Villa's nine-game win-less run. "I’d like to think so," Smith told BirminghamLive. "Just the fact we’re 33 games in. My job is to keep improving as a manager, as a person and, also, to improve the staff and players underneath me as well. "Douglas Luiz is someone who probably epitomises that. Somebody who walked in the building two days before our first Premier League start and has had to play catch-up ever since. The period during the lockdown, we’ve done a lot of work with him and I think you can see the fruits of our labour with his performances in the last five games. "I think we’re all getting better and, hopefully, time doesn’t run out for us. We’ve got five games and a belief that we can still stay in this league." Smith added: "It’s definitely crunch time. We’ve only got five games left. But I think everybody can see that home advantage at the moment has disappeared massively. You don’t have your home fans there dragging us through, so you certainly miss that. "You rely then on team spirit and the camaraderie of the squad. I feel we’ve shown we’ve got that but we haven’t got a points tally to go with it. We need scoreboard pressure now. We need to go and get some points." The Villa head coach's current mood is a far cry from how he was feeling 12 months ago after guiding his beloved club back to the big time. Smith, though, is remaining cool - and says his family and friends are finding the pressure tougher than he is. "I'm handling it fine," Smith told us. "I've been in this position before at a different level against different quality opposition. Whichever club I've worked with, I've loved that club when I've been there. "The added pressure I have here is that most of the family are Villa fans so they probably find the pressure tougher than I do." https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dean-smith-villa-man-utd-18563512 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 I could accept the "players took time to settle" argument if we actually improved over the season, if anything we have gotten worse. The injuries to heaton, Wesley and mcginn obviously didn't help at all, three critical players for us tbh, most teams couldn't easily handle losing three critical players, and we could probably handle it less well than most due to our lack of depth. I actually believe that if those 3 pkayers didn't get injured we would be outside the relegation zone, but they did, so its a pointless argument. Obviously we will lose grealish this summer, I just hope we can find a way to keep the rest of our core players, add to them and come straight back up, but who knows, its tough to keep faith with villa sometimes...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbcuk Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Just reading what he’s said it’s embarrassing we have got worse the season has gone on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 18 minutes ago, Farlz said: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dean-smith-villa-man-utd-18563512 Up thread some said Smith didn't sound stressed - I don't agree to be honest. The points he makes above are valid - but it does sound like to me he is trying to save his job. I often remember managers under pressure towards the end of the season ......." Sacked ? Me ? Nah - I'm sitting down with the chairman next week - the plans for next season are already underway " That above seems to be " we always knew it was going to be tough - but it's not on me ".... All imo of course ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 That makes absolutely no sense. We were half decent at the start of the season, we've got worse as we've gelled! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 So he’s blaming things on the fitness of the players at the beginning of the season. What about the second half Dean? What’s your excuse for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 6 hours ago, TreeVillan said: Although I don't believe it's as extreme as he was saying, I do believe our squad is more than capable or being higher up the table than we currently are. Grealish is head and shoulders above everyone else in the bottom 6, Mings is probably the 2nd best cb behind ake, mcginn when fit is among the better players, Guilbert is very good, Heaton was probably the best keeper. El ghazi would get into any of the teams except wet spam and Watford when delefou is fit. We are where we are because of injuries and a lack of confidence which could probably be said about all of the teams around us except Norwich. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 7 hours ago, MotoMkali said: Grealish is head and shoulders above everyone else in the bottom 6, Mings is probably the 2nd best cb behind ake, mcginn when fit is among the better players, Guilbert is very good, Heaton was probably the best keeper. El ghazi would get into any of the teams except wet spam and Watford when delefou is fit. We are where we are because of injuries and a lack of confidence which could probably be said about all of the teams around us except Norwich. Our strikers are the worst which has been our recent problem though Norwich arent much better. I would put Pukki and Wesley similar but shit back up for both 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 8 hours ago, TRO said: We say that every summer. We should go with what works, not what is in vogue. I wouldn't have thought that Jack Grealish is a backroom recruitment find for Man U....I hear what you say, but I believe plenty of transfers are manager instigated. my observations so far of this modern system is that faceless people with no responsibility fir team results sign players and the manager has to try and mould them in to a team. I don't see much difference in the risk either way.....both have advantages and disadvantages.......I would put my faith and focus in a well reputed manager with decent pedigree and respectable win ratio.....and let him get on with it. I agree with a few more experienced heads in the right positions, but folk like suso want to buy players to develop and sell for a profit, that seems to be the format purslow wants.......I want them to fit in to a team. I would suspect Dean got the job, because he fitted the criteria purslow wanted as he experienced it at Brentford.....it smells to me. I think they have set out to minimise the authority of the manager, i don't like it. but if it don't work and it hasn't......why pursue it. It’s not going to change, we have to get used to it and find a way to make it work for us It’s incredibly small margins in the PL, and as I said I don’t believe we are that far off A couple of different players or even better, had the finances been allowable/available, a couple of additional players ( yes I know we spent £140m) and I believe we would have been much more comfortable I think Smith has learnt at lot and with better support on the right recruitment, we will get it right going forward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjvilla Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 9 hours ago, TRO said: We say that every summer. We should go with what works, not what is in vogue. I wouldn't have thought that Jack Grealish is a backroom recruitment find for Man U....I hear what you say, but I believe plenty of transfers are manager instigated. my observations so far of this modern system is that faceless people with no responsibility fir team results sign players and the manager has to try and mould them in to a team. I don't see much difference in the risk either way.....both have advantages and disadvantages.......I would put my faith and focus in a well reputed manager with decent pedigree and respectable win ratio.....and let him get on with it. I agree with a few more experienced heads in the right positions, but folk like suso want to buy players to develop and sell for a profit, that seems to be the format purslow wants.......I want them to fit in to a team. I would suspect Dean got the job, because he fitted the criteria purslow wanted as he experienced it at Brentford.....it smells to me. I think they have set out to minimise the authority of the manager, i don't like it. but if it don't work and it hasn't......why pursue it. Haven't man utd been interested in jack since even before solksjaer? I'm sure there's a long term interest there. Which would suggest that it is board room level and not the manager. I'm sure the manager would like him as a player too, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted July 9, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted July 9, 2020 10 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: The few million pound compensation probably eases the worries a bit. Hopefully on the account already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Smith said before the season he was looking forward to testing himself against the likes of Klopp and Guardiola. 4 losses. 13 goals conceded. 2 goals scored. He might not be looking forward to it if he manage to avoid relegation or is promoted again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted July 9, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted July 9, 2020 Hmm.... Injuries came at a bad time. What, you expected everything to be fine all season? Took a while for fitness to kick in. Are we the only team that bought players late in the window? We didn't expect to be in a relegation scrap. Do you remember where we finished in the table last season? Douglas is looking good since we worked with him after lockdown. I agree - he does. So what did you do with him in the previous 6 months? They say teams mirror their manager: We have dropped so many points this season through naivety. Now I know why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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