Dean Smith

[villalad21]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

Disagree

Steve Bruce often says you're only as good as your centre forwards. I tend to agree with that.

[Stevo985]

2 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Steve Bruce often says you're only as good as your centre forwards. I tend to agree with that.

To put it politely, Steve Bruce, and you, are talking bollocks  

And there's absolutely no reason why, with the money we would have at that level, and the draw we would be at that level, we couldn't sign a very very good centre forward

Edited July 9, 2020 by Stevo985

[villalad21]

Just now, Stevo985 said:

To put it politely, Steve Bruce, and you, are talking bollocks  

No.

Put Tammy Abraham in this team and we would be sitting 14th-15th

[Stevo985]

1 minute ago, villalad21 said:

No.

Put Tammy Abraham in this team and we would be sitting 14th-15th

Firstly, no we wouldn't.

And secondly even if we would, that doesn't prove your point

[foreveryoung]

53 minutes ago, peterw said:

I seriously doubt Mings would leave. I think he'll want to stick it out here now that he's found 'his' club. He'll also be captain next season, too. His England place may be under threat and it depends how much that means to him but I just think it'll be Villa first England second.

He should be captain this season, speaks volumes Smith still has Grealish as captain. Don't think iv'e ever seen him speak to the team during a match. never mind motivating them. Great footballer, crap captain.

Edited July 9, 2020 by foreveryoung

[Zatman]

2 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

He should be captain this season, speaks volumes Smith still has Grealish as captain. Don't think iv'e ever seen him speak to the team during a match. never mind motivating them. Great footballer, crap captain.

Peter Schmeichel was never United captain, didn't stop him shouting and motivating. Captaincy is just a token thing 

[foreveryoung]

7 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Peter Schmeichel was never United captain, didn't stop him shouting and motivating. Captaincy is just a token thing 

Disagree, it's all aggregated marginal gains. A little here a little there, the team would be better with a strong captain who could motivate when there heads are down. We go one goal down and we are finished.

Edited July 9, 2020 by foreveryoung

[TRO]

13 hours ago, cheltenham_villa said:

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. Dean Smith himself had admitted he didn't think we would be in a relegation battle....thats his judgement and he is closer to the thing than us.....I share his view, neither did I, despite the level of recruitment.....The club itself was not expecting a relegation battle, why would they, spending unprecedented amounts of money....Burnley and Sheff Utd have not spent money like that and have shown the durability of there players, is a central factor in them staying up......talent alone, will not keep you in this league.

2. I don't want to be a good loser.....John Gregory once said the fear of losing drives him on.....I see the logic there, being a good loser breeds complacency.

3.we all want to be entertained....but there is a team on the other side trying to stop us and beat us.....its not exhibition football.....its naive to think otherwise.....as the old saying goes " you have to win the right to play football" and in my view that is where we have gone wrong, we are not a naturally equipped combative side....in this league if you are like that, they will unpick you, and they have.

in the early part of the season, moments in the game, saved us.....we have now been slowly worn down and the confidence has evaporated to the point, the goals have now dried up.

The argument of players not being ready for this league are exposed by the fact that we have got worse, not better.....I equally think we have bought the wrong type of players and the format of our recruitment process has contributed to that.....As an example we signed Wes and Jay Rodriguez left Albion for half the Wes fee, far more atuned to this league are more aggressive too.

[TRO]

41 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Disagree, it's all aggregated marginal gains. A little here a little there, the team would be better with a strong captain who could motivate when there heads are down. We go one goal down and we are finished.

We lack leaders everwhere....even behind the scenes.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Eastie said:

Basically a yes man who does as told would you say ? 
maybe so desperate to get the villa job he would take it whatever the Circumstances? 

That is my ultimate fear Eastie......and eventually, that filters through to the pitch..."The team mirrors the manager" or in our case Head coach.

He is too affable for the job as manager, albeit they say Head Coach.

He can be head coach.........We need a manager.

[Dave-R]

The song I will play to Smith when were officially relegated:

 

[TRO]

10 hours ago, VillaCas said:

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 

I am sure you are right, we will carry on like we are, because thats what the owners want.

My personal expectation has waned and our owners personal wealth has not convinced me that it will encourage the team improvement I was hoping for.....furthermore i think the recruitment is designed to minimise losses not so much improve the team.....we have lost so much money in poor recruitment , a damage limitation process is being pursued as opposed to building a good team.....I am simply not convinced by the events I have witnessed so far.

I had far too much hope invested in Purslow, which has now evaporated to a point of doubt.....I feel he wants a man he can manipulate to suit his own ends and in Dean he has found his man.

I would also suspect, even if Dean went and I don't expect him to for the reasons, above.....We would not go after the hard nosed, driving, demanding manager, I crave......it would be much of the same, without the nepotism, on that basis, can't see the point of changing him.

Edited July 9, 2020 by TRO

[DaveAV1]

3 minutes ago, Dave-R said:

The song I will play to Smith when were officially relegated:

 

Will he be popping round to your place then?

[Dave-R]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

I am sure you are right, we will carry on like we are, because thats what the owners want.

My personal expectation has waned and our owners personal wealth has not convinced me that it will encourage the team improvement I was hoping for.....furthermore i think the recruitment is designed to minimise losses not so much improve the team.....we have lost so much money in poor recruitment a damage limitation process is being pusued as opposed to building a good team.....I am simply not convinced by the events I have witnessed so far.

I had far too much hope invested in Purslow, which has now evaporated to a point of doubt.....I feel he wants a man he can manipulate to suit his own ends and in Dean he has found his man.

 

Almost as if we recruited for relegation as well as survival like we went between both leagues making a play for one or the other instead of going all out on survival and signing for survival alone.

[Mjvilla]

3 minutes ago, TRO said:

I am sure you are right, we will carry on like we are, because thats what the owners want.

My personal expectation has waned and our owners personal wealth has not convinced me that it will encourage the team improvement I was hoping for.....furthermore i think the recruitment is designed to minimise losses not so much improve the team.....we have lost so much money in poor recruitment a damage limitation process is being pusued as opposed to building a good team.....I am simply not convinced by the events I have witnessed so far.

I had far too much hope invested in Purslow, which has now evaporated to a point of doubt.....I feel he wants a man he can manipulate to suit his own ends and in Dean he has found his man.

 

Why? 

[Dave-R]

1 minute ago, DaveAV1 said:

Will he be popping round to your place then?

Of course, he will have time once hes sacked because after we are relegated he will be looking for a new job and I have many round my place for him to do

[DaveAV1]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

I had far too much hope invested in Purslow, which has now evaporated to a point of doubt.....I feel he wants a man he can manipulate to suit his own ends and in Dean he has found his man.

Spot on. I believe Purslow is part of the problem rather than the solution. He’s not a real football man and seeks personal attention to up his own profile. He’s like one of those usual suspect PL managers who always seem to get a good job no matter how many times the get sacked. Slippery. 

[Zatman]

People acting like 2 billionaires have allowed Purslow to run riot at Villa to boost his own ego and neglect the football club

Some ridiculous posts in last few weeks but its near the top

[villalad21]

23 minutes ago, TRO said:

I feel he wants a man he can manipulate to suit his own ends and in Dean he has found his man.

Exactly what i am thinking.

[TRO]

13 hours ago, MaVilla said:

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......

I have grave doubts that we would be in a better situation, even with those players not injured.....I accept injuries to anyone, weakens the squad, so injuries are legitimate mitigation.

I believe our position is far more deep rooted.

your reference to the smoke screen of players "taken time to settle "is easily exposed by the pattern of our results.....it has got worse, results wise.

Its clear to me Dean was not totally comfortable with all the signings, despite his reluctance to say so......this situation concerns me.