Dean Smith

[tom_avfc]

18 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Sure he was happy with 17th 2 weeks ago

This is the trouble. Expectations rise ridiculously. If we finish mid table we’ve had a very good season. Can’t we just enjoy the good football we’re playing and see where it takes us over the course of the season. We’re very much a work in progress but the core of the side is so much better than last year with the additions we’ve made.

[lapal_fan]

1 minute ago, villalad21 said:

I couldn't predict how much Cash, Martinez and Watkins would transform us.

We're a completely different team, even i will admit to that.

So you're accounting for them to perform at the same level every week? 

You don't think if we see Villa do well for a few weeks, other teams will nullify our strengths, like we just did to Liverpool? 

It's just banal analysis tbh. 

[TrentVilla]

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

I remember Carragher saying it's never as bad as you think.

Liverpool were a mid table side then they bought Suarez and it turned them into a title contender.

I believe our first eleven is good enough to challenge for the top 6. If we get lucky with injuries it could really happen.

When i look at our starting eleven i don't see any clubs outside the traditional top 6 clubs having a better eleven than us.

This is both unrealistic and feels a little like laying the foundations of criticism for Smith if we don’t achieve it.

I've no idea what the traditional top 6 clubs are any more but the following all have stronger teams/squad's than we do.

Liverpool

Man U

Man City

Arsenal

Chelsea

Spurs

Everton

Leicester

So I think its wrong to say our starting eleven is stronger than 13 other clubs in the division (whichever they may be) and us challenging for top 6 is a totally unrealistic expectation.

We are amongst a group of teams that on paper you would I think put between 8th and 15th and I think that bracket or more likely 10th-14th is a realistic aim for us this season obviously on a sliding scale. Anything lower than that I think we will have under performed.

We have significantly improved our side over the summer but expecting to jump from 17th and staying up by a point to challenging for the top 6 is in my opinion grossly over expectant. 

[Delphinho123]

1 minute ago, TrentVilla said:

This is both unrealistic and feels a little like laying the foundations of criticism for Smith if we don’t achieve it.

 

That's exactly what he's doing. Get ready for a season of this. 

[Delphinho123]

Do you stil want Smith gone @villalad21?

[PussEKatt]

IMHO if we do not sign a backup striker we could be in deep trouble.At the moment we only have Wesley and Davis, if Watkins gets injured or suspended who is going to score the goals that we will need ?!

[tomav84]

1 hour ago, TrentVilla said:

We have significantly improved our side over the summer but expecting to jump from 17th and staying up by a point to challenging for the top 6 is in my opinion grossly over expectant. 

precisely, and fortunately i highly doubt the board will share those expectations. leicester went from 14th to champions but required all the so called top teams to have a shocking season to accomplish that (fair doos to them, but chelsea finished 10th ffs)

for us to challenge 6th would need at least one out of liverpool, utd, city, leicester, chelsea or spurs to finish 7th or lower. and also for the likes of wolves or everton to fail to break into that, which they always seem likely to do.

i would guess that the board target for this  season is keeping well clear of relegation for the duration of the season. if we finish a comfortable 13th, 14th, 15th i think they'd be ok with that. and we should be too.

[Laughable Chimp]

I'm expecting anywhere from 16th to 9th. If we're looking at another relegation battle near the end of the season and finishing lower than 16th I think its fair to call for Smith out.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Laughable Chimp

[sne]

Smith potentially out! Or new 4 year contract! Pending on future performances.

[A'Villan]

I share your optimism and enthusiasm for what's to come this season @villalad21, I honestly do.

However unlike you I have been open to it being possible, even suggestive of, that our manager has the knowhow and ability to compete at the levels required of him.

I've supported Smith since late 2018 because I wanted to offer a chance instead of doubt, as I got to know him for myself and see what he brings.

As time has passed, my support for Smith has only solidified. As we enter the beginnings of another season in the PL, with everything as it is, I still feel it's possible.

Early on I identified patterns and trends in our approach and had vision that those elements would in time, be of consequence on the scoreboard, even when odds were unlikely.

That's two seasons running now Smith's managed to rise above and beyond and find the success when we needed it. He really has been a great coach thus far.

I remember just fresh after promotion I asked VT if Smith might be on the radar of other clubs, and the answer was no way, and VT was right. I was still seeing something.

A Champion's League winning manager that toppled perhaps the greatest team of all time, and the promotion guru of the championship, couldn't achieve what Smith did.

Add to that the patterns in play that I'd been seeing throughout as the campaign in the championship progressed under his leadership, safe to say,  I was and still am excited.

I was still impressed as ever with Smith last season, to navigate the difficulties we faced was nothing short of spectacular. He'll get credit for the tail end but it was much more.

Now we've started another season of football in the PL with three solid victories, and have empathically beaten one of the best teams worldwide in recent years.

So again, I wholeheartedly share your enthusiasm about our season, in my mind we are no doubt going to see some great moments of football with this team.

I also agree I don't think there's too many teams in the competition that boast a starting XI as good as ours, and with Smith instructing them, I look forward to what's ahead.

I actually can't believe our starting XI is as good as it is, and only has room for development and improvement still.

Also maybe judge Smith on the qualities that he brings to the table rather than what the inclusion of others add.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by A'Villan

[TRO]

2 hours ago, villalad21 said:

I couldn't predict how much Cash, Martinez and Watkins would transform us.

We're a completely different team, even i will admit to that.

None of us could.....and hey, theres a long way to go yet.

but,For once it looks like a jigsaw puzzle where the bits fit as opposed to being forced in to the wrong slots......its starting to look like a team with balance and purpose, sure the last result would excite any fan, but it has been on show this season and the back end of last.

Every player has a reason for coming and an agenda to fulfill....they all have an objective.

They are all a similar age, and show a bubblyness of a bunch of lads on a stage night, the enjoyment seems infectious.....and that can only creep in to their play.

[TRO]

I hope we don't set ourselves targets for this season other than the obvious, avoid relegation.....and take this free flowing football and new found belief and just enjoy it.....and just see where it takes us without the pressure of a monkey on our backs.

just fill yer boots lads.

[villalad21]

You are misreading my post.

I'm not expecting top 6. I'm saying we have a good enough starting eleven to fight for top 6 if we get lucky with injuries.

I wouldn't be upset with 12th.

[OxfordVillan]

1 hour ago, tomav84 said:

precisely, and fortunately i highly doubt the board will share those expectations. leicester went from 14th to champions but required all the so called top teams to have a shocking season to accomplish that (fair doos to them, but chelsea finished 10th ffs)

for us to challenge 6th would need at least one out of liverpool, utd, city, leicester, chelsea or spurs to finish 7th or lower. and also for the likes of wolves or everton to fail to break into that, which they always seem likely to do.

i would guess that the board target for this  season is keeping well clear of relegation for the duration of the season. if we finish a comfortable 13th, 14th, 15th i think they'd be ok with that. and we should be too.

It’s only opinion of course, but I would imagine  that the board are expecting something a little higher than a comfortable 15th. I would think they’d be targeting somewhere between 8th-12th, without a hint of flirting with the bottom 5 or so places. That’s where I am thinking we could aim for without a major injury crisis. 

[TrentVilla]

52 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

You are misreading my post.

I'm not expecting top 6. I'm saying we have a good enough starting eleven to fight for top 6 if we get lucky with injuries.

I wouldn't be upset with 12th.

Fair enough. I still disagree in terms of your comment re strength of the team relative to top 6 though.

[blandy]

19 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Fair enough. I still disagree in terms of your comment re strength of the team relative to top 6 though.

I think the top 6 this year have a kind of disadvantage - not only is the season compressed, but they have Euro telly games and cup games and perhaps less bias towards them from refs given the absence of crowds, so they are potentially brought closer to "the rest" - We've already seen 3 of the "top 6" clubs get absolutely mullered.  It's ridiculously early days, but I haven't seen anything so far that makes me think "they're miles better than us from any team - Everton have looked excellent, Tottenham good but in terms of team performances so far, Villa have been also good, so I kind of accept @villalad21's point as a fair one at this stage - 12th would be OK for us, but in a hypothetical no injuries situation, our first 11 is not far off whoever will finish 5th.

[Vive_La_Villa]

3 hours ago, TrentVilla said:

This is both unrealistic and feels a little like laying the foundations of criticism for Smith if we don’t achieve it.

Spot on!

[est1874]

Let's be honest here, a midtable finish for Villa this season would be a big deal, and we'd have to consider that huge progress.

Anything beyond that is just dreamland and I'm not about to go there, nor do I think we have the depth to be able to achieve it.

We'd have to be massively fortunate with injuries (which we consistently haven't been for the last few seasons, so there's no basis for believing we'll suddenly get lucky in that area).

We'd also have to continue to get VAR decisions and deflections in our favour this season, and we know that won't happen, particularly with (ahem) certain refs who don't treat fouls against Grealish as real fouls.

My pre-season prediction was 14th and I still believe we'll land somewhere around there. Of course, I think we should be ambitious and aim higher than that, but you have to be realistic all the same.

[Enda]

Reminder that we got 35 points last season.

We’ve made four excellent signings in the window, but let’s not lose the run of ourselves: 12th would be a massive step in one year.

[It's Your Round]

We’ll end up where we end up, if indeed the season even actually finishes. I’m confident we’re a much better team than last season and that we’ll have some brilliant wins along with the inevitable disappointments. Mid table is great progress so whether that’s 8th or 14th, it’s all good. I’m just here to enjoy the ride.