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Dean Smith


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Just now, QldVilla said:

If people realistically rated every current player, how many are truly up to compete at the level of a top 6 club?

I come up with 7. IMO our GK, current back 4, Luiz and Grealish.

I’m not convinced yet Watkins is a main striker, be better playing off a main striker or inverted LW.

Can't argue with that.

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31 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I think we are below average squad depth wise and that’s only due to this being our second year back and will improve through more transfer windows.

You missed out centre defence where our back up are Hause and Engels.  Hause should be best our fourth choice and for certain type of games.  Engels... No!

As for Ollie deputy, while you they wouldn’t get any game time, I think they would.  When chasing a game, when Ollie’s having an off day, when we want to throw on a second striker to just to name a few examples.

Guilbert, either Dean doesn’t agree or Guilbert isn’t accepting being back up to Cash and forced a loan move.

When you look at our rivals like Spurs, Everton, Arsenal and West Ham they have far more options in more positions than us when you look through their 25 man squads.  That because they are established.

Hause when called on has been surprisingly good. 

It's a bit harsh to judge Engels when he's not even played this season, a lot of players seem to have been given a second chance after being pretty rubbish, he was by no means our worst player last season either even if he made some howlers. But the less he plays the worst he seems to get? It seems the fact he had a bust up with Dean is the reason he doesn't even get off the bench, or he has a phantom injury that means he's the new Micah Richards. Maybe he is just crap and a dick, i don't know, I back Dean's judgement on this.

Guilbert never wanted to leave, he's said as much many times. Dean wanted to sell him, free up a squad place and have Elmo as a cheaper but reliable alternative (because he has a year left on his contract and there is no one who would have bought Elmo or covered his wages on loan). Guilbert turned down several moves away. I back Dean to get Kesler into the team when Elmo leaves at the end of the season.

Spurs, Arsenal are in the top 4-5 clubs who do have the kind of depth we can only aspire to.

West Ham and Everton have been spending huge amounts of money for years to try and catch up and failed miserably as the players that join them are mostly there for the money as they know they won't win anything. And I still maintain their first 11 is good, better than ours in fact, but they don't have much strength in depth, if they did they wouldn't consistently finish outside of the top 6.

Yes their squads are better than us, you're right in pointing the obvious they are better established and spent a fortune.

You'll end up like most Spurs fans 'we're just one player away from silverware.... just one.... just one more good player... in all positions'

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6 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Don't know where to mention this so I'll mention this here. Just found out we have the youngest squad on average in the league.

That’s why I’m so optimistic about our future. If we can keep our players.

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10 minutes ago, QldVilla said:

If people realistically rated every current player, how many are truly up to compete at the level of a top 6 club?

I come up with 7. IMO our GK, current back 4, Luiz and Grealish.

I’m not convinced yet Watkins is a main striker, be better playing off a main striker or inverted LW.

I think Luiz has a little way to go yet. Potentially he should be. 

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4 hours ago, DCJonah said:

My response wasn't about this game. It was about those that keep doubting him. What he's achieved has shown that those who continually doubted him got it horribly wrong, so I'm not surprised those same people are desperate to ignore his good work in the past. 

I would be very surprised if any Villa fan, sees beyond Dean Smith for the future development of our team.....but Dean will get things wrong from time to time,its inevitable.

I would have picked the same team as Dean last night, but I maybe would have made changes earlier.....We have made incremental progress under Dean, I think we all buy in to that.....but the last game was hugely frustrating.

I think the main things is, we are not quite as good as we think we are when we win and not quite as bad as we think we are when we lose.....consistency is what we pursue.

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2 hours ago, A'Villan said:

Personally I find patience and a considered temperament to be equally as powerful in expressing one's POV, as being visibly and verbally present with animated language. Passionate antics may be appropriate and useful in the heat of the moment to relay urgency, however it is fleeting and momentary in its use, and if it is not received and implemented as intended, then it's not much use. Whereas a measured and thoughtful addressing of any issues so that what is instilled in the players is absorbed allowing for the importance of the message to be received and understood to the point where it's applied as it should be, well I'll take that each and every time over the urgency and immediacy that comes with the 'Pep' style of coaching during play. Even if it means waiting until the game has run its course to relay the message, if the message is thorough and apt then lessons will be learnt. Not sure if I'm making the sense I hope to, but I'm quite familiar with the two styles from my own experiences in sport, as well as spectating it.

Yes, I accept both styles too......Tuchel and Klopp was quite animated tonight.

I liken it to reprimanding a child or a dog....if you don't do it at the point of the misdemeanor, the moment is lost.....if you do it after the game and in most cases thats where it happens, the moment can be lost.

I know, when I was working if the bollocking wasn't coming for days on end, the likelyhood would be it be diluted.

I think both styles have a place....but I do like to see a managers passion, when there is a need to exclaim.

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14 minutes ago, TRO said:

Yes, I accept both styles too......Tuchel and Klopp was quite animated tonight.

I liken it to reprimanding a child or a dog....if you don't do it at the point of the misdemeanor, the moment is lost.....if you do it after the game and in most cases thats where it happens, the moment can be lost.

I know, when I was working if the bollocking wasn't coming for days on end, the likelyhood would be it be diluted.

I think both styles have a place....but I do like to see a managers passion, when there is a need to exclaim.

Well said.

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6 hours ago, TRO said:

Yes, I accept both styles too......Tuchel and Klopp was quite animated tonight.

I liken it to reprimanding a child or a dog....if you don't do it at the point of the misdemeanor, the moment is lost.....if you do it after the game and in most cases thats where it happens, the moment can be lost.

I know, when I was working if the bollocking wasn't coming for days on end, the likelyhood would be it be diluted.

I think both styles have a place....but I do like to see a managers passion, when there is a need to exclaim.

Mmmm, I don't like to see my manager lose it in high pressure situations, it's the last thing I want to see tbh. My experience is that that type of reaction spreads through out my team and often makes situations worse. Don't get me wrong if we have experienced players who aren't pulling their weight then it may help but if we have inexperienced players who are struggling then it could (and in my experience does) make situations worse.

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1 hour ago, tinker said:

Mmmm, I don't like to see my manager lose it in high pressure situations, it's the last thing I want to see tbh. My experience is that that type of reaction spreads through out my team and often makes situations worse. Don't get me wrong if we have experienced players who aren't pulling their weight then it may help but if we have inexperienced players who are struggling then it could (and in my experience does) make situations worse.

This. It's just childish IMO. 

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10 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

After the Chelsea game Dean Smith said that 3/4 more windows are needed for him to mould the squad to how he wants it.

I'm happy enough to give him that time. 

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I think he's done a great job overall and don't put a lot of blame on him for the loss...it's not his fault that McGinn didn't track his man or warn Elmo of the runner behind him, our crossing was Sunday League level, McGinn, Watkins (bar), Traore missed great chances, etc. But, I think his reluctance to ever change attacking shape has made us too predictable. It's always the same with three CMs, two wingers, and a striker. After Sheffield went down to 10 men and we saw whatever we were trying to do wasn't working, that would have been a great opportunity to try something new. In hindsight, I think we could have tried Targett --> Davis for the last sub and have Elmo tuck in as the third CB

Elmo Konsa Mings

Traore Sanson McGinn ElGhazi

..............Barkley..........

Watkins.....Davis

 

Yes, that may have left us vulnerable at the back, but even if we had equalized we still would be camped out in their half trying to get the winner. This way, our wide players could whip in crosses or run at men, and we have two big men in the middle rather than pushing one out wide.

Just conjecture, but the main point being I think sometimes we need to change attacking shape a bit more, especially when chasing a game.

 

Edited by a-k
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11 hours ago, QldVilla said:

If people realistically rated every current player, how many are truly up to compete at the level of a top 6 club?

I come up with 7. IMO our GK, current back 4, Luiz and Grealish.

I’m not convinced yet Watkins is a main striker, be better playing off a main striker or inverted LW.

Luiz isn't at the level of a top 6 club yet, no way.

Has the potential to be, but he's been very inconsistent and average at times this season. 

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Considering how Villa almost got relegated last year, this season was always going to be one of consolidation.

I get worked up after a defeat, but forget about it fairly sharpish.

We are 9th in the league with 39 points. Before the season started, I would have been happy if we weren't in relegation battle and we aren't.

The start with 5 wins in the row seems to have altered expectations. We have to remember that this is Smith's second season in the Premier League and he is learning all the time. 

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1 hour ago, lexicon said:

I'm happy enough to give him that time. 

Me too. There will come a point though where the board start to look a little bit more seriously at league position having given him 100m to spend most transfer windows. I honestly don't think Smith can believe how lucky he has been with Villa. Not in terms of performances/progression, that's the result of hard work and knowing what you're doing. I mean in the sense of getting the job and being backed the way he has. Genuine question, how many other managers are out there that get to manage the club they support, get backed to the hilt with transfers and get the full support of the people above him? Let's be honest, they could easily have got rid of Smith after the Leicester game last season. It's like he's playing Football Manager on cheat mode with the club he loves. 

I really like Smith. If I had it my way, we'd continue to gradually progress over the next 10 years with him in charge. 

UTV

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I appreciate the progress that has been made, and credit to the coaching team for that, but in football I think it's important that you take the opportunities when they are presented to you. 

Take Sheffield United for example, they have a different level of ownership and different ambitions as a club but I don't for a minute think they would be in a relegation battle had they been able to continue their march for Europe last season. They're unlikely to get an opportunity like that ever again.

My concern is that this season fizzles out because we struggle to win the matches we 'should' win and we finish 11th, 12th after a good start to the season. Expectations are then raised, fans come back and the wheels come off.

It doesn't matter what happened last season, you're only as good as your last game. Not too long ago we had games in hand that if we won would take us to 4th.

They're bottling it.

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15 minutes ago, doaflip said:

I appreciate the progress that has been made, and credit to the coaching team for that, but in football I think it's important that you take the opportunities when they are presented to you. 

Take Sheffield United for example, they have a different level of ownership and different ambitions as a club but I don't for a minute think they would be in a relegation battle had they been able to continue their march for Europe last season. They're unlikely to get an opportunity like that ever again.

My concern is that this season fizzles out because we struggle to win the matches we 'should' win and we finish 11th, 12th after a good start to the season. Expectations are then raised, fans come back and the wheels come off.

It doesn't matter what happened last season, you're only as good as your last game. Not too long ago we had games in hand that if we won would take us to 4th.

They're bottling it.

bottling it? Grow up FFS

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As a couple other have hit on. The main weakness for this squad is a severe lack of depth. Midfield is about the only area where we actually have any. Given that fact it shouldn't be surprising that we are failing to maintain our early season form.  In the end those wins all the count the same. In Leicester's title run they had some great offensive performances to start then racked up a bunch 1-0 to secure the title. 

Also, I just want to touch in performances league wide.  We just finished a game week where 17 fixtures were played and only 4 times did a team score more than 1 goal. Goals are down, the compressed fixture list has reared its ugly head. All teams, even the Top 6 clubs with multiple options on the bench are struggling to score. 

For me, given our injury concerns and fatigue, 15 more points from the next 13 and this season will be an amazing success. 

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12 hours ago, QldVilla said:

If people realistically rated every current player, how many are truly up to compete at the level of a top 6 club?

I come up with 7. IMO our GK, current back 4, Luiz and Grealish.

I’m not convinced yet Watkins is a main striker, be better playing off a main striker or inverted LW.

If you include Watkins in there(which I think is very harsh to leave out), that's 8 players capable of competing at a top 6 level at least. And one of them is Grealish who's arguably the best player in the league and another is Martinez who is arguably the best keeper in the league. I'd also replace Luiz with Mcginn who I think is getting underrated on here.

That's still a damn good squad, especially if we consider we have several players who might not currently be at that top 6 level, but are on the cusp of it like Luiz, AEG, and Bertie.

 

 

Edited by Laughable Chimp
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37 minutes ago, Zatman said:

bottling it? Grow up FFS

I'd say so, yeah. There's still time for that to change but Burnley, West Ham, Brighton, Leicester and now Sheffield Utd games we look a shadow of what we did earlier in the season. Like we've lost the courage and conviction we had.

Even the Leeds and Southampton games we didn't really look the better, more confident teams in those matches. 

That's how I define bottling it anyway. Im not sure on the official definition.

Edit:

Looked up the term..maybe saying they are bottling it is harsh. My reasoning, granted, is largely due to frustration.

Edited by doaflip
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