Dean Smith

[Vive_La_Villa]

4 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

We came up as playoff winners with no keeper, defenders or strikers.

But we spent 140 million. When I say favourites I mean with the bookies.

[Tomaszk]

1 minute ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

But we spent 140 million. When I say favourites I mean with the bookies.

Fair. I just mean from my own negative viewpoint.

Felt a really strong league starting last season. No weaklings when Norwich and Blades had just finished above us.

If we don't finish above West Brom and Fulham next season I'll be surprised and disappointed. Their mere presence over a Brentford or pragmatic Forest (before they exploded) is welcome.

[Zatman]

7 hours ago, Mjvilla said:

Like a Bielsa team. 

Never seen one of them fade away at the end of a season..... Oh

Sure it hurts that Smith has done more than Bielsa 2 years in a row

[Dave-R]

5 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

We came up as playoff winners with no keeper, defenders or strikers.

We still had no bloody strikers this season, just passengers for most games, instantly felt like we was 10 men on a pitch.

[KenjiOgiwara]

Pretty nuts that our:

* manager 

* Head coach 

* Captain

All are Villa fans. Not sure I've heard of that before. 

[ozvilla28]

I like his got more experienced team now with Shakespeare coming in his been around the Premier League for years knows it inside out we we're missing that at times last season.

[Guest av1]

I think it says an awful lot about the man that he has the confidence in himself to surround himself with other strong minded individuals like Terry and Shakespeare. 

 

 

[TRO]

I think the mere fact that Dean changed his stance after lockdown, and thank god he did......would suggest by deduction he got it wrong in the earlier parts of the season.

I know many folk are tantalised by the " is it the players or is it the manager".....but it was with the same players Dean managed to stop the bleeding of goals against, sure lockdown, give him that time to work with.

but it makes you wonder.

[alreadyexists]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I think the mere fact that Dean changed his stance after lockdown, and thank god he did......would suggest by deduction he got it wrong in the earlier parts of the season.

I know many folk are tantalised by the " is it the players or is it the manager".....but it was with the same players Dean managed to stop the bleeding of goals against, sure lockdown, give him that time to work with.

but it makes you wonder.

Do you think we need defensive reinforcements @TRO? Or do you think Dean will go with what we had in that department?

[Tomaszk]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I think the mere fact that Dean changed his stance after lockdown, and thank god he did......would suggest by deduction he got it wrong in the earlier parts of the season.

I know many folk are tantalised by the " is it the players or is it the manager".....but it was with the same players Dean managed to stop the bleeding of goals against, sure lockdown, give him that time to work with.

but it makes you wonder.

Would you be happy going into next season with no new players? If not, I think you agree the squad isn't good enough.

• Other teams weren't as bothered 

• We stopped pressing the game and held our positions more at the back 

• Watford and Bournemouth were terrible

Incredible work from the manager and Jack Grealish to keep this team in the Premier League.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I think the mere fact that Dean changed his stance after lockdown, and thank god he did......would suggest by deduction he got it wrong in the earlier parts of the season.

I know many folk are tantalised by the " is it the players or is it the manager".....but it was with the same players Dean managed to stop the bleeding of goals against, sure lockdown, give him that time to work with.

but it makes you wonder.

 Maybe the way we defended in the last 10 games was how he wanted us to defend all season but it took several months for the team to get it right on a consistent basis?

Edited August 9, 2020 by Vive_La_Villa

[Adam2003]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I think the mere fact that Dean changed his stance after lockdown, and thank god he did......would suggest by deduction he got it wrong in the earlier parts of the season.

I know many folk are tantalised by the " is it the players or is it the manager".....but it was with the same players Dean managed to stop the bleeding of goals against, sure lockdown, give him that time to work with.

but it makes you wonder.

Criticising people for making improvements as a sign they didn’t get it right before is asking everyone to be perfect from day one. That doesn’t happen in any career.

TRO if you were a Man United fan by the above logic you’d have celebrated the treble in 1999 by saying “well I’m pleased Sheringham and Solskjaer scored but Fergie started them both on the bench and we were toothless, so that shows he didn’t know what he was doing.”

[Tomaszk]

19 minutes ago, Adam2003 said:

Criticising people for making improvements as a sign they didn’t get it right before is asking everyone to be perfect from day one. That doesn’t happen in any career.

TRO if you were a Man United fan by the above logic you’d have celebrated the treble in 1999 by saying “well I’m pleased Sheringham and Solskjaer scored but Fergie started them both on the bench and we were toothless, so that shows he didn’t know what he was doing.”

He wouldn't if 99 Utd were managed by Steve Bruce

[TRO]

7 hours ago, alreadyexists said:

Do you think we need defensive reinforcements @TRO? Or do you think Dean will go with what we had in that department?

I can only tell you what I would do.

I would sign a powerful Central Defensive Midfielder, who could orchestrate our game......I really like Luiz since lockdown, but I would use him further forward or in a 2 in a 4-2-3-1......we need more power in midfield.

sure the attack needs most attention......but I think the engine room does too.....that player would also help protect the back 4

[The Fun Factory]

15 hours ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

Pretty nuts that our:

* manager 

* Head coach 

* Captain

All are Villa fans. Not sure I've heard of that before. 

I expect that has happened at Athletic Bilbao a few times.

[TRO]

8 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

Would you be happy going into next season with no new players? If not, I think you agree the squad isn't good enough.

• Other teams weren't as bothered 

• We stopped pressing the game and held our positions more at the back 

• Watford and Bournemouth were terrible

Incredible work from the manager and Jack Grealish to keep this team in the Premier League.

Most definately not.....I think we are weak in key areas of the squad.

Jack was phenomenal most of the season.

I thought we would go down, so the manager deserves credit for keeping us up.....I have already stated my opinion pre lockdown, I think he got a lot wrong.

I also think it is predictable some of the players we are being linked with ..... we conceded 67 goals, we also need players to help us trim that figure down for next season.

 

[TRO]

8 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

 Maybe the way we defended in the last 10 games was how he wanted us to defend all season but it took several months for the team to get it right on a consistent basis?

could be...

[TRO]

7 hours ago, Adam2003 said:

Criticising people for making improvements as a sign they didn’t get it right before is asking everyone to be perfect from day one. That doesn’t happen in any career.

TRO if you were a Man United fan by the above logic you’d have celebrated the treble in 1999 by saying “well I’m pleased Sheringham and Solskjaer scored but Fergie started them both on the bench and we were toothless, so that shows he didn’t know what he was doing.”

with respect.....I think your analogy is pants.

Dean changed the way we played.....not picking players, instead of others, where did you pick that from?

Dean got us over the line....exceedingly grateful for that, it was an observation as opposed to a criticism.

[KentVillan]

It's worth looking at the two Arsenal games to realise the scale of the upheaval Smith faced:

Emirates

           Heaton
Guilbert Engels Mings Taylor
           Nakamba
      McGinn    Grealish
Trezeguet            El Ghazi
           Wesley

Villa Park

           Reina
Elmo    Konsa  Mings  Targett
           Luiz
      McGinn  Hourihane
Trezeguet            Grealish
          Samatta

Only Mings, McGinn and Trez (in green) playing the same role in each match. Grealish the only other name in both lineups, but CM in the first game, LW in the second so have marked him in orange.

Smith has basically had to build a team from scratch in the summer, and then build another team from scratch when Heaton, Engels, Wesley and McGinn picked up long-term injuries.

Of course it was going to take time to see improvements. That's why we clicked so late in the season - the team needed time to gel, for Smith to build a relationship with his squad, and understand their strengths and weaknesses. It's not something that happens overnight, even with a great manager. I always point to Klopp's early record at Liverpool - it really wasn't that impressive, it took time.

I'm amazed how many of Smith's critics seem to think this regular squad upheaval is a minor inconvenience for a manager that Sam Allardyce or Tony Pulis would have just breezed through. It's a massive, massive challenge. He has handled it pretty well.

[MotoMkali]

16 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

It's worth looking at the two Arsenal games to realise the scale of the upheaval Smith faced:

Emirates

           Heaton
Guilbert Engels Mings Taylor
           Nakamba
      McGinn    Grealish
Trezeguet            El Ghazi
           Wesley

Villa Park

           Reina
Elmo    Konsa  Mings  Targett
           Luiz
      McGinn  Hourihane
Trezeguet            Grealish
          Samatta

Only Mings, McGinn and Trez (in green) playing the same role in each match. Grealish the only other name in both lineups, but CM in the first game, LW in the second so have marked him in orange.

Smith has basically had to build a team from scratch in the summer, and then build another team from scratch when Heaton, Engels, Wesley and McGinn picked up long-term injuries.

Of course it was going to take time to see improvements. That's why we clicked so late in the season - the team needed time to gel, for Smith to build a relationship with his squad, and understand their strengths and weaknesses. It's not something that happens overnight, even with a great manager. I always point to Klopp's early record at Liverpool - it really wasn't that impressive, it took time.

I'm amazed how many of Smith's critics seem to think this regular squad upheaval is a minor inconvenience for a manager that Sam Allardyce or Tony Pulis would have just breezed through. It's a massive, massive challenge. He has handled it pretty well.

Guilbert played rb from like 22 minutes but it was also only his 2nd game fit after being injured since lockdown began.