Dean Smith

[gwi1890]

2 minutes ago, GENTLEMAN said:

Haha yeah, said he got a smack in the tunnel, as one of the fans had breached that big poly tunnel thing. I suspect his arse dropped as soon as he planted it.

And he said recently had open heart surgery on top of that 

[handsworthvilla]

20 hours ago, TRO said:

Its funny how we all see things.....Graeme Souness shrugs when tactics are mentioned....i think ,he thinks they are over played.

Same with most of the pundits to be honest (Souness, Keane, Shearer, Rio) 

It's a lot easier to trot out the same old lines about "not having enough desire, not working hard enough, players not wanting it enough" than it is to actually do some proper analysis on tactics. I think its less that he thinks they are over-played and more the fact he hasn't got a clue about them so its convenient for him to not talk about them 

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, handsworthvilla said:

Same with most of the pundits to be honest (Souness, Keane, Shearer, Rio) 

It's a lot easier to trot out the same old lines about "not having enough desire, not working hard enough, players not wanting it enough" than it is to actually do some proper analysis on tactics. I think its less that he thinks they are over-played and more the fact he hasn't got a clue about them so its convenient for him to not talk about them 

I don't think so....It would be a brave man to say those 4 don't have a clue, with what they have done and experienced

The next time you watch Man City, switch off for a minute from the talent and the ball skills and just watch the " desire, workrate, belief etc...all the intangibles that come from the great sides.....its not all just natural, it's trained in to them.

Its been said so many times over the years, that is a simple game, made complicated, much like what VAR is doing....it was never designed for this level of deep scrutiny.

I think the empirical view, is far more in synch with the alternatives we have now....blimey, the offside rule alone is a farce, it was to deter from goal hanging, how that has morphed in to a nonsense.....all these formations and overloads, were always there for teams who had nous and football intelligence....The deep lying centre forward goes back to the late 1930's......

Blimey, one of our best strikers, best attributes was Desire.....(Andy Gray).... and he didn't give a centre back a minutes peace, with it..... 2 of our best Midfielders from yesteryear was blessed with it....Cowans and Cropley, and could they scheme, too.

I am not underplaying the role of natural talent in this game, because Man City and us at times, can equally show that.....but look at our last 2 games and tell me the same application was applied.....we had far more desire and will in the last game, because we applied our talent.

When we won the league in 1981, we wasn't the most talented team in the league.......but as Ron's famous words resonated from that team when we was doubted....." are you going to bet against us".......and I think we are showing signs of that team, with 11 clean sheets, you surely wouldn't bet against us, getting there.

[sparrow1988]

37 minutes ago, GENTLEMAN said:

Haha yeah, said he got a smack in the tunnel, as one of the fans had breached that big poly tunnel thing. I suspect his arse dropped as soon as he planted it.

 

34 minutes ago, gwi1890 said:

And he said recently had open heart surgery on top of that

Just for giggles, here you go. He speaks very highly of his time there in general.

 

[sne]

3 minutes ago, sparrow1988 said:

 

Just for giggles, here you go. He speaks very highly of his time there in general.

 

Imagine if this guy had gotten hold of him  

 

 

[Mantis]

Have to say, I do wonder how Smith will do when he eventually takes on another job. Obviously he's doing a fantastic job here and hopefully will be here bringing results for many years to come, but at some point in the future he's going to move on, either because he gets poached by another club, because he's sacked or because he resigns for whatever reason.

We've had so many managers over the years who have gone on and done nothing since leaving us. Smith is arguably our best manager this side of the millennium but we are also a very well run club these days - the two go hand in hand.

[TRO]

20 hours ago, YouUnastanFren said:

But when it comes to the length of individual blades of grass...

He may say some funny things at times......but he knows the game...it would be foolish to think otherwise.

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, Mantis said:

Have to say, I do wonder how Smith will do when he eventually takes on another job. Obviously he's doing a fantastic job here and hopefully will be here bringing results for many years to come, but at some point in the future he's going to move on, either because he gets poached by another club, because he's sacked or because he resigns for whatever reason.

We've had so many managers over the years who have gone on and done nothing since leaving us. Smith is arguably our best manager this side of the millennium but we are also a very well run club these days - the two go hand in hand.

While these owners and CEO are in situe....I see him having a long spell with us.

Its all about steady progress.

We seem to have worked on the clubs achilles Heel, recruitment and while we don't rest on our Laurels and sensible investment is afforded to him....I see a long Association.

I don't think, he wants to be anywhere, else.

He is creating his own name in the Game, is is being trusted with bringing in his own coaches......and when we do have a dipper, he seems to see, what has caused it and deals with it.

Its a very hard job in terms of the balancing act of keeping everyone happy, fans,Players owners.....I think that is Deans Forte......I can't ever rememeber, in my whole lifetime supporting Villa the club being on such a steady footing, in all aspects of running such a huge organisation.....They together have galvanised such a cohesive unit, that if a set back did happen, I get the impression we are robust enough to weather it.

Since these owners, Manager, CEO etc....they really do seem to be all off the same page.....is he going to leave that.

NO.

[Mantis]

23 minutes ago, TRO said:

He may say some funny things at times......but he knows the game...it would be foolish to think otherwise.

He's a dinosaur - the game's moved on.

[El Zen]

24 minutes ago, TRO said:

He may say some funny things at times......but he knows the game...it would be foolish to think otherwise.

He knew the game. He may or may not know the game how it’s played now. Football is an ever evolving sport, and being excellent at playing it 40 years ago doesn’t necessarily make you qualified to talk about it as a so-called expert now. 
 

My issue with a lot of ex-player pundits, (not exclusively Souness) as opposed to certain excellent football journalists who are payed a fraction, is that they genuinely don’t seem to really watch a lot of football. And certainly not analytically in any meaningful way. It’s lazy and dishonest, and as a fan of football and a paying costumer to whom these people ultimately owe their paychecks, I want better. I keep paying for it, though, so I guess I’m the sucker. 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Michelsen

[Zatman]

28 minutes ago, TRO said:

He may say some funny things at times......but he knows the game...it would be foolish to think otherwise.

Ruined Liverpool ruined Newcastle ruined Benfica 

I wont be listening to his opinions thank you 

[TRO]

9 minutes ago, Mantis said:

He's a dinosaur - the game's moved on.

I don't buy that line.

I Think its a cop out.....The game is always moving on...it always has.

If that was the case....The Linekers, The Keane's ,The Wrights, shearers, The Hoddles, The Biesla's, would all  be out of Employment.

Experience is one of the commodities the game puts so much store in to.....blimey Pep and Klopp are in their 50's hardly whipper snappers.

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, Michelsen said:

He knew the game. He may or may not know the game how it’s played now. Football is an ever evolving sport, and being excellent at playing it 40 years ago doesn’t necessarily make you qualified to talk about it as a so-called expert now. 
 

My issue with a lot of ex-player pundits, (not exclusively Souness) as opposed to certain excellent football journalists who are payed a fraction, is that they genuinely don’t seem to really watch a lot of football. And certainly not analytically in any meaningful way. It’s lazy and dishonest, and as a fan of football and a paying costumer to whom these people ultimately owe their paychecks, I want better. I keep paying for it, though, so I guess I’m the sucker. 

 I think there is a difference between what goes on behind the scenes in football.....yes much change......and what happens on the pitch....its still the same size, much the same shape, the grass is still green, the lines are the same, the ball has developed, but much the same.....the attitudes required to win and lose is the same.

They are pundits, they watch the game, like us......some things have changed sure.....but many things that happened, when they were playing ,still does.

The game is faster now and subsequently less time on the ball.....but there is still 2 full backs, 2 centre backs, 2 wingers( maybe)  a midfield and a striker, still 1 goal keeper.

whan you analyse the game there is as many things that still exist as those that have changed.....the biggest change is the amount of money and the implications of it.

[Zatman]

9 minutes ago, TRO said:

I don't buy that line.

I Think its a cop out.....The game is always moving on...it always has.

If that was the case....The Linekers, The Keane's ,The Wrights, shearers, The Hoddles, The Biesla's, would all  be out of Employment.

Experience is one of the commodities the game puts so much store in to.....blimey Pep and Klopp are in their 50's hardly whipper snappers.

they are out of employment, they are pundits and none except Bielsa who has been bizarrely labelled a dinosaur is involved in football. 

Shearer 2009, Keane 2011, Souness 2005 and Hoddle probably 2005 last involved as a football manager and none were successful

[YouUnastanFren]

12 minutes ago, TRO said:

I don't buy that line.

I Think its a cop out.....The game is always moving on...it always has.

If that was the case....The Linekers, The Keane's ,The Wrights, shearers, The Hoddles, The Biesla's, would all  be out of Employment.

5 of these are just talking heads though, their employment is absolutely not performance related whatsoever.

The other is the polar opposite, he is a student of and moves on with the game.

Edited February 8, 2021 by YouUnastanFren

[TRO]

40 minutes ago, Michelsen said:

He knew the game. He may or may not know the game how it’s played now. Football is an ever evolving sport, and being excellent at playing it 40 years ago doesn’t necessarily make you qualified to talk about it as a so-called expert now. 
 

My issue with a lot of ex-player pundits, (not exclusively Souness) as opposed to certain excellent football journalists who are payed a fraction, is that they genuinely don’t seem to really watch a lot of football. And certainly not analytically in any meaningful way. It’s lazy and dishonest, and as a fan of football and a paying costumer to whom these people ultimately owe their paychecks, I want better. I keep paying for it, though, so I guess I’m the sucker. 

So you are saying a big organisation like Sky, with its amazing resource and technological advancements....employ an ex player, who hasn't the ability to keep up with the game he has been involved with all his working life.

who are you kidding.

you might not agree with him or the likes......but don't claim hes doesn't know the game, ludicrous.

Edited February 8, 2021 by TRO

[Zatman]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

So you are saying a big organisation like Sky, with its amazing resource and technological advancements....employ an ex player, who hasn't the ability to keep up with the game he has benn involved with all his working life.

who are you kidding.

you might not agree with him or the likes......but don't claim hes doesn't know the game, ludicrous.

yes. Sky hire Jamie Redknapp for 15 years and if these people were any use they would be involved in football which they arent

I would be appalled if we hired any Sky or BT pundit as a coach or manager because they know **** all

[TRO]

8 minutes ago, YouUnastanFren said:

5 of these are just talking heads though, their employment is absolutely not performance related whatsoever.

The other is the polar opposite, he is a student of and moves on with the game.

Nah, rubbish.

so do you think a old bloke in the stands every game at Old Trafford, is sitting in the cold watching a game, he has lost touch with too.

Poppycock.

[mjmooney]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

So you are saying a big organisation like Sky, with its amazing resource and technological advancements....employ an ex player, who hasn't the ability to keep up with the game he has benn involved with all his working life.

Well I'm absolutely saying it, yes. 

Pundits aren't chosen for their understanding. They're chosen for their image in the public eye, their ability to talk, their likelihood to generate a response - whether that is affection, nostalgia, hatred, controversy, whatever. @Michelsen has it absolutely spot-on. Souness is totally out of his depth - but from a broadcaster's point of view that matters not one jot. 

[YouUnastanFren]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

So you are saying a big organisation like Sky, with its amazing resource and technological advancements....employ an ex player, who hasn't the ability to keep up with the game he has benn involved with all his working life.

who are you kidding.

you might not agree with him or the likes......but don't claim hes doesn't know the game, ludicrous.

You can't be serious. Sky literally use the ineptitude of several of their employed pundits as a marketing gimmick.