Dean Smith

[mikeyjavfc]

3 hours ago, AV82 said:

Pretty confident we've lost the least points from winning positions in the Premiership so far this season. Pretty hilarious when you see people clamouring for subs when we're 'barely holding on' at the end of games.

It would be interesting to look at teams that typically lose points from winning positions and see if they make lots of subs and whether that negatively affects them. There might be something in sticking with the starting 11 for as long as possible when defending a lead as it maintains stability. 

When we are chasing the game though I do think Smith could be quicker with the subs as it’s hard for a sub to impact a game with only 10 mins to go. 

[ciggiesnbeer]

Just love him.
 

[villa4europe]

10 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Zero clean sheets away last season to best in Europe this season! Crazy. 

not enough respect on it, we haven't done it by shutting up shop, going ultra defensive and playing bad football either, we're not spurs... we've done it by being better all over the pitch, pressing higher and with more intensity, better organisation and work rate with then more confidence

we've done it through good signings, coaching and managing 

only 1 0-0 in that, we've won 7 of them

[jimmygreaves]

44 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

not enough respect on it, we haven't done it by shutting up shop, going ultra defensive and playing bad football either, we're not spurs... we've done it by being better all over the pitch, pressing higher and with more intensity, better organisation and work rate with then more confidence

we've done it through good signings, coaching and managing 

only 1 0-0 in that, we've won 7 of them

Without diminishing the efforts of the rest of the team for this turnaround, I think the signing of Martinez goes a long way to explaining this.

I think his signing has proved to be one of the best pieces of business in the league.

[villa4europe]

44 minutes ago, jimmygreaves said:

Without diminishing the efforts of the rest of the team for this turnaround, I think the signing of Martinez goes a long way to explaining this.

I think his signing has proved to be one of the best pieces of business in the league.

see im not sure, martinez has been a quality signing, konsa has progressed, targett has progressed, cash has fit like a glove, mings is leading, the whole unit has confidence, ollie provides more energy up top and presses further up the pitch, pre xmas / corona the midfield were full of beans, we have better out balls meaning its not just coming straight back

i dont think you can have that much of a turn around and it be 1 player, or tbf even one manager or coach, its the whole team and the whole coaching set up has got better, we are a out right better football team

[nick76]

47 minutes ago, jimmygreaves said:

Without diminishing the efforts of the rest of the team for this turnaround, I think the signing of Martinez goes a long way to explaining this.

I think his signing has proved to be one of the best pieces of business in the league.

To be fair it started after the first lockdown for the final games of last season before Emi came in.  

You could see the defensive change then but we didn’t have all the quality and thus Emi and Cash came in and completed that unit of the back five (GK + back four).  

I think Emi deserves huge credit but it’s part of the bigger picture of defensive change that happened from first lockdown and keeps getting better.

[Tommo_b]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

not enough respect on it, we haven't done it by shutting up shop, going ultra defensive and playing bad football either, we're not spurs... we've done it by being better all over the pitch, pressing higher and with more intensity, better organisation and work rate with then more confidence

we've done it through good signings, coaching and managing 

only 1 0-0 in that, we've won 7 of them

That is some turn-around!

[Kiwivillan]

23 hours ago, DCJonah said:

Love Smith but he hasn't eclipsed MON yet. Whilst we didn't make it (and I'll never understand how anyone who saw how much money and how long it took spurs and City to do to could really complain) we did challenge the top 4 consistently for three seasons. 

 

Spurs were in the doldrums when Redknapp took over not long after MON. Lerner wanted to appoint DOF like Levy when he bought club but MON wanted total control and pissed so much money up the wall on crap signings. Look where Spurs are and have been since that period. MON is garbage and gets all the credit for the success that was all Robertson's team coaching as it was

[TRO]

Man city, with all their class and flamboyancy....have improved as a team, by their attention to defensive qualities.

There is no shame, in being good defensively, on the contrary its a massive plus imo.

perhaps, i have just spoken too soon for Man city.....Oops.

but i am happy with our improved defensive work.

[DCJonah]

29 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

Spurs were in the doldrums when Redknapp took over not long after MON. Lerner wanted to appoint DOF like Levy when he bought club but MON wanted total control and pissed so much money up the wall on crap signings. Look where Spurs are and have been since that period. MON is garbage and gets all the credit for the success that was all Robertson's team coaching as it was

Look at the years of consistent investment it took spurs to break the top 4. Same with Man City. Now I'm not saying MON didn't waste money and wasn't flawed, but when you see what it took to get clubs like those into the top 4, I always find it odd that people expected MON to do it in just a few seasons. 

Going really over topic though. I hope Dean gets us up there challenging as well.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Man city, with all their class and flamboyancy....have improved as a team, by their attention to defensive qualities.

There is no shame, in being good defensively, on the contrary its a massive plus imo.

perhaps, i have just spoken too soon for Man city.....Oops.

but i am happy with our improved defensive work.

They went on to blow them away 4 - 1 to be fair.

Also, I want to know how much I have to pay to get a VT Supporter tag like you've now got.

It's making me feel inferior. Lol

[Sulberto21]

13 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

They went on to blow them away 4 - 1 to be fair.

Also, I want to know how much I have to pay to get a VT Supporter tag like you've now got.

It's making me feel inferior. Lol

I feel dirty all of a sudden. 

[Sulberto21]

On 01/03/2021 at 19:28, Zatman said:

what did MON achieve better? 

Spend a lot of money and finished 6th from 3rd with 15 games left. Amazing job. Think ill take Deano line of work more

And he vetoed signing Cavani and Falcao when they would have powered us to the champions League. Instead he wanted Heskey and started crying when he couldn't bring in McGeady. 

 

[Sulberto21]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Man city, with all their class and flamboyancy....have improved as a team, by their attention to defensive qualities.

There is no shame, in being good defensively, on the contrary its a massive plus imo.

perhaps, i have just spoken too soon for Man city.....Oops.

but i am happy with our improved defensive work.

Their fullbacks play an amazing game. They tuck in to the midfield and snuff out danger so quickly. That's the next progression for us. So when we lose the ball Targett and Cash are there to mop up before anything develops.

[TRO]

49 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

They went on to blow them away 4 - 1 to be fair.

Also, I want to know how much I have to pay to get a VT Supporter tag like you've now got.

It's making me feel inferior. Lol

I think its meant too.........just kidding, I have only just noticed it.

paid £5 per month...in the time of need....but hey, to me its worth it.

just call me sir.....

Edited March 3, 2021 by TRO

[Keyblade]

On 01/03/2021 at 16:04, YouUnastanFren said:

Constant gradual improvement in every area of the team's performances. The Smith Effect™

Not even gradual at this point, it is a drastic improvement. If we finish in a European place surely he's a shoo-in for MOTY?

[TRO]

16 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

Their fullbacks play an amazing game. They tuck in to the midfield and snuff out danger so quickly. That's the next progression for us. So when we lose the ball Targett and Cash are there to mop up before anything develops.

Targett for me is most improved player, in the team....Matty C has just stepped up a level.....Emi is simply amazing and has given the defence Belief.....and the 2 centre backs look solid, but are quite different, which is great imo.....Evans & McNaught....not forgeting Kortney Hause, who I actually like too.....worth every bit of the £3 mill.

Jack is Jack.....Ollie is a joy.......if we sort out the midfield, we will be a force....they are good players in there, just need to get the balance right.

just an additional point................Their whole team is aware of their jobs.....Mahrez does not have to track back to get the ball, someone wins it an plays him straight back in.....but Traore, gets grief for it......I judge him on what he does upfront, not tracking back......good front men you want up front doing the damage, we should have midfielders to win the ball and feed it back in.....I'm not saying he should just stand there waiting for a bus, But I don't necessarily judge him on his defensive work, just as I don't judge Nakamba on his attacking prowess....I judge them on their main function.

Edited March 3, 2021 by TRO

[Adam2003]

3 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

Their fullbacks play an amazing game. They tuck in to the midfield and snuff out danger so quickly. That's the next progression for us. So when we lose the ball Targett and Cash are there to mop up before anything develops.

How they are using Cancelo is the next development of formation akin to the shift from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1. Klopp tried it with Trent AA the other night. Everyone will be trying to imitate it.

[Enda]

On 01/03/2021 at 12:37, DCJonah said:

Amazing isn't it, that people not only question his in game management, they believe it holds us back. 

Looking exclusively at our results when we win makes Dean Smith look like a god. Of course it does. Looking only at the wins will give a completely biased view. You need both sides of the coin.

For balance, how have we performed this season when we’ve gone 1-0 down? The answer, using advanced statistical methods, is we’ve been bloody useless.

[Enda]

2 hours ago, Adam2003 said:

How they are using Cancelo is the next development of formation akin to the shift from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1. Klopp tried it with Trent AA the other night. Everyone will be trying to imitate it.

Cancelo Culture.