Dean Smith

[DCJonah]

21 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

He lies. Players don't earn the shirt on a matchday. Hause earned the shirt and got dropped immediately for Mings. Hourihane earned the shirt and got immediately dropped for Barkley. Nakamba earned the shirt and was dropped for Luiz. El Ghazi earned the shirt and was dropped when Barkley returned from injury. I don't necessarily disagree with his selections, but he has his untouchables like MON did.

Like every manager then? Which manager does't play his best players? 

I'd also disagree you earn the shirt because of one match. The stuff Mings has done and Luiz have done for 12 months plus is what earns the shirt. 

I can count on one hand the amount of top performances Hause and Nakamba have put in. 

[Indigo]

I think our quality on the ball rather than off it has been our main issue in midfield in the past few games. Don't necessarily disagree that we've been "overran" in some games off late but I think it's come from a lack of ability to hold onto the ball ourselves which in turn invites constant pressure upon us. 

I don't agree with anyone talking as if Arsenal didn't deserve to lose to us, but it did strike me that against them, West Ham and Brighton last night that these sides have a composure in playing out from the back and beating the press that we're really struggling to do at the moment. McGinn and Barkley are struggling to show for and retain possession, so we're either losing the ball in dodgy areas of the pitch or being forced to go back to Emi and play against the percentages when being forced to play long. 

Would have no problem with Marvelous being given a go in the same way I haven't any other time Smith has picked him, but I don't necessarily think he aids this issue with his attributes. Can more than see the merit in Sanson coming in for one of the aforementioned two now that he seems a bit more up to speed though.

Ultimately it's been a minor blip in form that has actually largely seen us pick up results, and ones that we wouldn't have managed at all last season when playing this way. Confident Smith can identify what needs doing and implementing it. 

[VillanousOne]

10 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Like every manager then? Which manager does't play his best players? 

I'd also disagree you earn the shirt because of one match. The stuff Mings has done and Luiz have done for 12 months plus is what earns the shirt. 

I can count on one hand the amount of top performances Hause and Nakamba have put in. 

Then by that logic Sanson should never get a game

[TheAuthority]

Everyone has bad days - can you imagine we drew with WBA like Manure just did? Some would be calling for Smith to be sacked!

If we win our game in hand we will be joint 5th. After where we were when Smith took charge that is (David Coleman) quite remarkable! 

[DaveAV1]

1 minute ago, TheAuthority said:

Everyone has bad days - can you imagine we drew with WBA like Manure just did? Some would be calling for Smith to be sacked!

If we win our game in hand we will be joint 5th. After where we were when Smith took charge that is (David Coleman) quite remarkable! 

I’ve given that a like. I’d lie to give it a second like for the David Coleman comment. 
 

Quite remarkable. 

[VillanousOne]

7 minutes ago, TheAuthority said:

Everyone has bad days - can you imagine we drew with WBA like Manure just did? Some would be calling for Smith to be sacked!

If we win our game in hand we will be joint 5th. After where we were when Smith took charge that is (David Coleman) quite remarkable! 

It's great we're picking up points when playing badly, grinding out a few results is character building, but doesn't change the fact our form is poor.

[Rightdm00]

27 minutes ago, VillanousOne said:

Then by that logic Sanson should never get a game

Training. The manager sees him there every day. If he puts in consistent performances he will eventually get his chance to start. 

[MWARLEY2]

17 hours ago, Zatman said:

Ignore the fact we had a serious Covid outbreak and then 6 games in 18 days after it

Nah . Because if we are using COVID as a reason then we would surely expect the defence to be playing really poorly as well. When in fact they are playing really well and have kept 3 out of 4 clean sheets. We also have Deano saying that the players stats are constantly looked at and he is happy they are not overtired. I fully appreciate tiredness as a factor but 50 pervent of the team based on whats been happening seem not to be tired and not out of form.

[VillanousOne]

18 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said:

Training. The manager sees him there every day. If he puts in consistent performances he will eventually get his chance to start. 

That seems to be an excuse being peddled out week in week out for who does or doesn't gets picked, I would argue that what the players do during a match is more important than what they do in training or at least 'equally as important'.

Edited February 14, 2021 by VillanousOne

[The Other Mat]

Why are people saying Arsenal didn't deserve to lose . They had more of the ball, but created only a few half chances, and never looked like scoring. If we had been more clinical, it could have 2 or 3-nil. We've had some poor games but that wasn't one of them. 

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

We were genuinely the better team in nearly every game before our covid downtime.

since then we’ve been outplayed largely by City, Southampton, West Ham & Brighton in 4 of the next 7.

time to get back to those levels we were at before, we’ve dipped and need to find our form. Still picked up a decent number of points without playing great, still keeping plenty of clean sheets which is a positive. But plenty of shots against starting to creep in again whereas we kept those numbers down quite well earlier in the season. 

[The Fun Factory]

Some of these comments are bordering on the embarrassing. Smith watches his players every day and knows his best team.

The reason why Nakamba does not start every game is that he is not really that good despite his work rate,  and I fully expect he will be gone in the summer. Barkley and McGinn are better players even if he they are out of form. Mings is far better player than Hause. They are fine as back up for when players get injured or suspended but so far Smith's team selections have done ok this season surely?

There is a case that we need to have  a better overall squad in the future especially if we ever qualify for Europe but that argument is for another day.

I don't think we have played that well since our covid break but we are still picking up wins and points. We are doing fine. In fact more than fine.

[VillanousOne]

vs Chelsea - a bit lucky to get a draw but still played pretty well
vs Man Utd - very unlucky, should have got a point but screwed by Pogba cheating
vs Man City - didn't play well but defended heroically
vs Newcastle - comfortable win and performance
vs Burnley - played well but got sucker punched.
vs Southampton - very lucky to get three points, didn't play well
vs West Ham - were poor and deserved to get beaten
vs Arsenal - defended well and got the early goal but rode our luck
vs Brighton - defended well but were outplayed and out fought in every department, ground out an undeserved point

I think since that freak Burnley result we have gone steadily down hill. Arsenal was a great result but it was more Arsenal fluffing their lines than us playing well. 

[Dave-R]

I think Brighton are a tough side anyway so yesterdays game we did well to frind a point from for a start. However we gave to much away and many players had flat performances apart from Martinez. Interceptions are a thing we seem to be becoming more and more relaxed on, at the start of the season we were all over teams because of how much we were taking from them and now it's got to the point where were doing way to much backing off and giving teams yards upon yards to attack us, it's not on. Work to do, there sure is in gaining the ball back and not losing it nearly as much as weve done since our covid time. Were looking sloppy to be fair and in places we were looking strong ie midfield mainly, was a zone we had lockdown and run the show from for a good amount of our games, it's not happening as of late. We can throw the blame as a whole at certain players but truth is they are mostly collectively making these mistakes during games and they need to step it back up and these last lot of game do there best to finish each game as strong as they can.

We dont seem to be attacking as much as of late, now not sure if that's a swing in the way Smith wants to run games or if it's just happening due to our players not performing as good. I hope we can step it up again and sort out the bit's that are making us less potent on the pitch. As it stands we have to go into our next game and grab 3 points, not because its expected, it's not. It's because the players are looking abit out of there game recently, the quicker they go and put on a display and win us the game then the quicker they can put recent dry performances behind them.

Despite the dry performances, some of the games recently we can say at least they can still grind a game out for points which is smashing, we just have to learn to grind all 3 points in really tough games.

[VillanousOne]

11 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

Some of these comments are bordering on the embarrassing. Smith watches his players every day and knows his best team.

The reason why Nakamba does not start every game is that he is not really that good despite his work rate,  and I fully expect he will be gone in the summer. Barkley and McGinn are better players even if he they are out of form. Mings is far better player than Hause. They are fine as back up for when players get injured or suspended but so far Smith's team selections have done ok this season surely?

There is a case that we need to have  a better overall squad in the future especially if we ever qualify for Europe but that argument is for another day.

I don't think we have played that well since our covid break but we are still picking up wins and points. We are doing fine. In fact more than fine.

so by that logic Smith should keep playing his 'best players' week in week out even when they are out of form?

I find it embarassing that people can't engage in a healthy debate and be seen to be critical in any way of the manager.

Dean Smith doesn't need people to fight his battles for him. And no one is denying he isn't the best manager we have had in decades, i've every faith he'll turn things round and we'll get back on form but i'm not going to censor my opinions.
 

Edited February 14, 2021 by VillanousOne

[WallisFrizz]

8 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

Some of these comments are bordering on the embarrassing. Smith watches his players every day and knows his best team.

The reason why Nakamba does not start every game is that he is not really that good despite his work rate,  and I fully expect he will be gone in the summer. Barkley and McGinn are better players even if he they are out of form. Mings is far better player than Hause. They are fine as back up for when players get injured or suspended but so far Smith's team selections have done ok this season surely?

There is a case that we need to have  a better overall squad in the future especially if we ever qualify for Europe but that argument is for another day.

I don't think we have played that well since our covid break but we are still picking up wins and points. We are doing fine. In fact more than fine.

I agree that Barkley and McGinn in decent form are better but disagree that they are a better choice than Nakamba when they are in woeful form.

[DCJonah]

1 hour ago, VillanousOne said:

Then by that logic Sanson should never get a game

Well no that's different. He's a new signings. 

My point is that hause and nakamba have played 30 odd games each for us, and managed a handful of good games. Players like that don't win the shirt based on one game. Mings has been a key player for 2 years now. Luiz was vital in us staying up. Those players have earned the shirt. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by DCJonah

[Adam2003]

Let’s get Bielsa in eh... might be available if Arsenal get a couple more here

[DCJonah]

1 hour ago, VillanousOne said:

It's great we're picking up points when playing badly, grinding out a few results is character building, but doesn't change the fact our form is poor.

Form guide usually base it on last 6 games. We've got 10 pts and kept 4 clean sheets. Since when is that considered poor? 

Edited February 14, 2021 by DCJonah

[VillanousOne]

Just now, DCJonah said:

Well no that's different. He's a new signings. 

My point is that hause and nakamba have played 30 off games each for us, and managed a handful of good games. Players like that don't win the shirt based on one game. Mings has been a key player for 2 years now. Luiz was vital in us staying up. Those players have earned the shirt. 

I agree that they have earned their shirts, to be honest I don't think Mings or Luiz should be dropped, yes I think we have better balance with Nakamba in the side, but McGinn and Barkley should be dropped ahead of Luiz.

But also Hause and Nakamba also deserve to be give a chance to prove themselves, last season was Nakamba's first in the Prem there is every chance he is settling in better now and improving I don't think he has more talent than Luiz or McGinn - just we look more balanced with him in the team. It's not always about playing all your best players it's about playing the best team, with players that balance and compliment each other, Barkley in my opinion unbalances the whole team even if I think he has exceptional talent.

Hause also has looked a lot better this season, but he's not better than Mings or Konsa, but no player should be undroppable.