Dean Smith

[It's Your Round]

We’re currently sixth with a game in hand. Disappointing as today and last Friday are, we’ve started well and I’ve seen enough to know we are capable of doing alright this season. Mid table is progress and you can’t finish mid table without losing some games. We could do with a win in the next two games just to get the confidence back up. I hope smith can iron out the issues with midfield, I believe he can and I’m patient enough to give him time. He’s earned that from me. 

[villa_shere]

Posted in the match thread but worth putting here 

Too many time’s after a loss we hear about this lack of “plan b” myth. 
 

Before the Leeds game we were 8 games unbeaten in the league including a great escape, winning four in a row and smashing the champions who are now top of the table, but apparently we’ve done all this on “Plan A”.

 

[sharkyvilla]

1 minute ago, villa_shere said:

Posted in the match thread but worth putting here 

Too many time’s after a loss we hear about this lack of “plan b” myth. 
 

Before the Leeds game we were 8 games unbeaten in the league including a great escape, winning four in a row and smashing the champions who are now top of the table, but apparently we’ve done all this on “Plan A”.

 

I can get some of the criticism, plan A has been very good at the start and Dean did manage go tweak it in-game a couple of times to good effect, the problem is teams and good managers in the PL will watch and analyse you and find ways of beating you.  Maybe being more proactive and changing the team or formation up would get you one step ahead of the oppo.  Of course the problem is going 3-5-2 would mean having to bring Hause, Engels or El Mohamady into the back 3 which is a risk in itself.  You could bring Davis in to play up with Watkins but he doesn't score.  Maybe Nakamba can add legs in defensive midfield but again he is risky.  I think Dean has to try to change it up here and there though

[paul514]

3 hours ago, paul514 said:

I wanted to wait a couple of hours before posting so it died down a bit on here with the reactionary posts.

I see the same problem for the past three matches.

Individual errors happen, as do brilliant bits of play against you like three of their goals today....

What I wanted to comment on is our actual play. With the type of players we have and the formation it all goes to plot if the three midfielders in the middle don’t stick rigidly to their jobs. It’s fine for McGinn and Luiz to carry the ball forward but they must stick to their defensive midfield position without the ball unless their flanks full back has gone forward and then they are supposed to fill in for them and not go forward. This allows for over loads whilst keeping defensive solidity. 
it’s supposed to be a team broken into two halves where Luiz, McGinn, Mings and Konsa always stay back unless there is a corner, whilst the full backs go up and down the flanks and the front 4 wait for ball carrying opportunities.

This doesn’t happen with the midfield two currently, the ball doesn’t get won back predictably and therefore Barclay and Grealish keep coming further back to get on the ball taking pressure off the opposition allowing them to commit more men forward.

Fix that situation and we will do a lot better.

I got no reply to this post but there is an exert from Smith talking to the mail earlier today....

"We did change it and put Ross (Barkley) in as a No.10 with the other two (John McGinn and Douglas Luiz) sitting a little bit more. We got more rhythm in the second half but Danny Ings sticks one in the top corner but, again, had it had gone on another five minutes we might have won the game."

This is the issue!

[useless]

Smith saves us from relegation from an almost impossible position, and then as us now eleven points clear of the bottom three after seven games in the new season. Shame on anyone who doubts this brilliant man.

[birdman]

We've had a very decent start to the season despite today's disappointing result. We reduced the goal deficit at least which was important and something to take into the next game against Arsenal. Southampton scored 3 superb goals and that's pretty unfortunate for us so I actually don't feel too bitter about the result. Onwards and upwards

[Wainy316]

I fancy us more against Arsenal than I ever did Southampton.  We just don’t beat them.  The Gunners are nothing to write home about.

[paul514]

34 minutes ago, birdman said:

We've had a very decent start to the season despite today's disappointing result. We reduced the goal deficit at least which was important and something to take into the next game against Arsenal. Southampton scored 3 superb goals and that's pretty unfortunate for us so I actually don't feel too bitter about the result. Onwards and upwards

They only had four legitimate shots on target, we were unlucky on that front but our performance was very disjointed for the reason I posted above regardless, that’s what needs fixing.

[Vive_La_Villa]

He needs to sort this shit out. The way we have been passed through in the last two games makes me scared for the next one. 
 

Come on Smith. Sort them out. Cant handle being humbled by Arsenal. Especially when their fans are so confident they will smash as and they speak about Arteta as if he is the second coming.

[TRO]

4 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

I think we will be more competitive physically against them. Southampton and Leeds are physically so good. 

However I agree with @TRO that we need to improve physically overall but that will come. 

I am not sure if the training ground work will bring it or we need new players with the intrinsic mentality to provide it......but its clear to me right now its missing.

Its not just the physicallity, its the drive and desire to challenge and deny and WIN the initiative in the game.....its the willingness to run and press as a group.....it just simply isn't there.

[Villarocker]

What we really need to do is avoid going on a losing streak. 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, It's Your Round said:

We’re currently sixth with a game in hand. Disappointing as today and last Friday are, we’ve started well and I’ve seen enough to know we are capable of doing alright this season. Mid table is progress and you can’t finish mid table without losing some games. We could do with a win in the next two games just to get the confidence back up. I hope smith can iron out the issues with midfield, I believe he can and I’m patient enough to give him time. He’s earned that from me. 

its not losing games is the issue, I have predicted we will finish half way.....its the manner in which they are lost.

if the season finished now, you would be right, but we have 32 games left......we said all this last season.

We have to look at the game, not the goals, the game and analyse it and then draw honest conclusions.....these last 2 are in total contrast from the first 4......These 2 teams did a job on us and we were unable to stop them.

[villalad21]

16 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

He needs to sort this shit out. The way we have been passed through in the last two games makes me scared for the next one. 
 

Come on Smith. Sort them out. Cant handle being humbled by Arsenal. Especially when their fans are so confident they will smash as and they speak about Arteta as if he is the second coming.

I think he has gone back to his old way of playing.

It does look like that pragmatic change after the covid break was just a survival thing. And just a temporary change, not a permanent change to the system.

Only 2 games i know but it is looking like we are back with the players bombing forward tactics again.

Edited November 1, 2020 by villalad21

[TRO]

3 hours ago, sharkyvilla said:

I can get some of the criticism, plan A has been very good at the start and Dean did manage go tweak it in-game a couple of times to good effect, the problem is teams and good managers in the PL will watch and analyse you and find ways of beating you.  Maybe being more proactive and changing the team or formation up would get you one step ahead of the oppo.  Of course the problem is going 3-5-2 would mean having to bring Hause, Engels or El Mohamady into the back 3 which is a risk in itself.  You could bring Davis in to play up with Watkins but he doesn't score.  Maybe Nakamba can add legs in defensive midfield but again he is risky.  I think Dean has to try to change it up here and there though

I'm not sure where the risk is?.......we have been beaten 3-0 by a vibrant Leeds team and 0-4 down against a durable Southampton team......tell me who deserves to keep their place.?

what incentive is there on the bench ,to get in......what do they have to do to lose their place?

just being devils advocate.

[villalad21]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

I'm not sure where the risk is?.......we have been beaten 3-0 by a vibrant Leeds team and 0-4 down against a durable Southampton team......tell me who deserves to keep their place.?

what incentive is there on the bench ,to get in......what do they have to do to lose their place?

just being devils advocate.

Who would you drop?

[TRO]

23 minutes ago, Villarocker said:

What we really need to do is avoid going on a losing streak. 

but our play, is the barometer for that.......thats what we need to get right

after 9 days post Leeds,I thought we would.

Edited November 1, 2020 by TRO

[Vive_La_Villa]

9 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

I think he has gone back to his old way of playing.

It does look like that pragmatic change after the covid break was just a survival thing. And just a temporary change, not a permanent change to the system.

Only 2 games i know but it is looking like we are back with the players bombing forward tactics again.

I don’t think that.  We’ve just got too many attacking minded players in Barkley, Mcginn and Grealish. Even Luiz is try to get forward too much. They need to start being more disciplined again. 

I think away from home against Arsenal we should be a lot harder to break down. 

[villalad21]

Just now, Vive_La_Villa said:

I don’t think that.  We’ve just got too many attacking minded players in Barkley, Mcginn and Grealish. Even Luiz is try to get forward too much. They need to start being more disciplined again. 

I think away from home against Arsenal we should be a lot harder to break down. 

McGinn and Barkley both bombing forward surely are instructions..

If Dean told McGinn to sit he would.

Just tell Luiz and McGinn to sit deep and we still have Grealish, Barkley, Watkins and Trezeguet to get us goals.

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Who would you drop?

there is too many for me.....and I think more worrying we haven't got the right personnel to make the right changes.

I would start by playing Watkins wide right and bring some physicality in, in the way of Davis to hold the ball up.

I would bring Elmo in at Right back and give Matty Cash a rest.

I don't think we have the midfielders to change the most critical bit ......McGinn & Luiz is not working in the last 2 games.

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

I think he has gone back to his old way of playing.

It does look like that pragmatic change after the covid break was just a survival thing. And just a temporary change, not a permanent change to the system.

Only 2 games i know but it is looking like we are back with the players bombing forward tactics again.

Robbie Savage said during the Leeds game we have too many offensive players, I think he was right.

you could be forgiven for thinking that.