Dean Smith

[S-Platt]

4 minutes ago, OxfordVillan said:

As things stand I can’t think of another manager that is available, or realistically obtainable, that could add more to us.

I will start by saying I am happy with Deano but the last few games have been a chore.

Julian Naglesmann is a name I would look at only 33 champions league experience.   

Say we sell Jack and have 200 million to spend on players who would you have?

Money talks and we could sell him a plan I am sure.

Deano has done an amazing job but the next 9 games are important he cannot let the season end on a whimper.

 

[DCJonah]

13 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Depends how ambitious you are.  NSWE have put a lot of money in to our club and, I hope, will keep doing so.  Would you want to give that to someone who has good runs and then bad runs, but doesn't have a clue how to try and reverse the latter and can't play without a player we could lose at any point?

Right now absolutely. He deserves to be the man building this team. 

If, when we have squad capable of finishing top 6 and his bad spells are stopping us then it's a different story. 

He's done everything he needs to and more so far. Until that changes he has my support 100%

[PaulC]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

Yeah but Lingard has been cack for years but suddenly plays well....great in hindsight but not sure many would’ve wanted him in January.

True but hes an England international with a point to prove.  He was never as bad as some made out on here. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

Yeah but Lingard has been cack for years but suddenly plays well....great in hindsight but not sure many would’ve wanted him in January.

We probably expected Barkley to be for us, what he has been to them, to be fair.

Not sure many of us could have foreseen his fall off.

[VillaChris]

2 minutes ago, PaulC said:

If we had signed Lingard instead of West Ham I think we'd be where they are now. 

Thought Lingard would be a total flop at West Ham and in mid January I was still fairly happy with Barkley so not the type we needed back then but shows how a mid season signing can further push on a team doing o.k.

I'd give plenty to see a Giroud type upfront for us, completely baffles me how anyone can look at us at CF and think that's as good as it can get. Our main back up did o.k tonight but he's not trusted to start games and hasn't scored for 4 years in league football.

If that means Ollie has to sulk on the wing for half a season so be it, Jack didn't like moving from number 10 position to out wide but it benefited team in long run.

Same here. We need someone who can come off the bench and get us a goal in games we're losing at least given how awful we are at getting points from losing positions.

[DCJonah]

22 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

If we end finishing 14th it really isn't that much much progress 

Smith spent alot we should br lookin at top 10 with this squad 

Because you say so? 

This squad? Elmo has had to play games. Trezeguet and El Ghazi play all the time. Davis is our only back up striker. 

Show me another team in the top half with squad issues like those? Please. This idea is nonsense based on nothing but impatience to have a moan at the manager. 

[nick76]

1 minute ago, PaulC said:

True but hes an England international with a point to prove.  He was never as bad as some made out on here. 

I put Barkley and Lingard in the same bucket in that regard.  Both have quality, both have been too lazy to show it for years.  It was risk to take either on.

[VillaChris]

5 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Not sure it was possible because of covid, wasn’t Sanson the second biggest signing.  Most didn’t do anything and no real movement.

There was a bit more movement in europe, would've been happy with someone like Milik who moved to Marseille. Scored 3 in his first 7 for them.

[OutByEaster?]

Having Jack out injured has been a test, an opportunity for the players that have played to show they can do it without him and a chance for the manager to show he can find a way for us to win games in other ways.

I think some of the players have failed to the extent that they need to be replaced - our wingers aren't good enough.

For the manager, in my opinion at least, he's mostly picked the right elevens in all of the games we've played, the players seem pretty motivated and they understand their roles, he's been loyal to some who've underperformed and tried at times to manufacture a silk purse with that he'd got. He's definitely fallen short though in terms of finding ways to get something going in games, in terms of our overall play and in particular the chances we've created - I think we're too tied to a system that works well with Jack in it and will work better with better forward players in it - but it doesn't work now and we've not changed it - there's been no plan B, no two up top, no three at the back, no change up or adjustment to help cover for our shortcomings in some areas - instead we've tried really, really hard to make Plan A work without Jack. Having reached the end of this period, I think Dean will be aware of that, I hope he can take a look at the last six games and develop as a result, I think he's got that in him, he's a better thinker about the game than he gets credit for. 

A manager can learn and develop and change, a player can't magic himself better, the wingers will need replacing, Dean can make sure that he doesn't find himself in a similar position.

On his "playing without Jack" test, I'm giving him a C+, must do better.

I think he will.

 

[M_Afro]

I have been behind Dean so far but you have to question whether a better manager would get us playing more consistently. Regardless of Jack playing or not, Fulham will beat us in the next match. It’s sad but almost certainly true. They just look like a much better team than us. In each of his 3 seasons at the club, we have had a sustained run of really poor form. In each case he has done nothing other than a bit of player shuffling to arrest the slide. Is that good football management? I am beginning to think not!

[PaulC]

Just now, nick76 said:

I put Barkley and Lingard in the same bucket in that regard.  Both have quality, both have been too lazy to show it for years.  It was risk to take either on.

With Barkley that injury has been the killer. He started so well for us. 

[nick76]

Just now, VillaChris said:

There was a bit more movement in europe, would've been happy with someone like Milik who moved to Marseille. Scored 3 in his first 7 for them.

Wasn’t that pre-agreed

[VillanousOne]

We were poor even before Grealish got injured and tactically I don't think Smith has done anything that has arrested our horrid slide into relegation form.

If our awful results continue till the end of the season, the owners have to have a think who will take this club forward before they pump in more money for players.

Not sure why Grealish would stick around either.

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by VillanousOne

[Sulberto21]

4 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

Right now absolutely. He deserves to be the man building this team. 

If, when we have squad capable of finishing top 6 and his bad spells are stopping us then it's a different story. 

He's done everything he needs to and more so far. Until that changes he has my support 100%

I don't agree with you often. But I can't disagree with this. After the Chelsea game for.me deano said it fair that he needs at least 3 more windows to mould the squad how he wants it.

[Demitri_C]

Just now, DCJonah said:

Because you say so? 

This squad? Elmo has had to play games. Trezeguet and El Ghazi play all the time. Davis is our only back up striker. 

Show me another team in the top half with squad issues like those? Please. This idea is nonsense based on nothing but impatience to have a moan at the manager. 

Because i am entitled to my opinion.

Elmo played because smith sidnt ahve faith to play kesler who looks good enough to have come in. Trez has been pure ahit this year 

Aeg hit some good form.then was dropped

Whose fault is that?? He didnt think to go for another striker in jan or try traore up front or use a youth player like  Barry?

I think its more blind faith you will defend smith no matter what and you critise anyone who dares criticise him.

If your happy with the last 5 games thats down to you but its been nothing short of garbage.

[M_Afro]

1 minute ago, Sulberto21 said:

I don't agree with you often. But I can't disagree with this. After the Chelsea game for.me deano said it fair that he needs at least 3 more windows to mould the squad how he wants it.

That may be true but he kind of has to do a bit better with what he has to work with now. Otherwise he won’t be here for 3 transfer windows and he currently does not deserve to be.

[Xela]

10 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

So no credit to us then. Gotcha. 

All our wins are lucky

All our defeats are deserved

Remember that  

[VillaJay]

3 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Because i am entitled to my opinion.

Elmo played because smith sidnt ahve faith to play kesler who looks good enough to have come in. Trez has been pure ahit this year 

Aeg hit some good form.then was dropped

Whose fault is that?? He didnt think to go for another striker in jan or try traore up front or use a youth player like  Barry?

I think its more blind faith you will defend smith no matter what and you critise anyone who dares criticise him.

If your happy with the last 5 games thats down to you but its been nothing short of garbage.

Form has been poor, but a couple of untried 17 year olds aren't the answer to making us a top side, we're 10th and inconsistent but that's the level the side is at. Dean has done a great job so far and until we have a team of top 4 level players and sitting in 10th, I find it hard to see what more can be expected.

[NurembergVillan]

9 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

We have got a very good back 5. A brilliant left forward and a hard working centre forward. The rest are just not good enough yet. Luiz and Sanson might get there but they are not there yet. Hopefully Ramsey will get there too, but none of them are good enough to start yet! Dean needs to spend big on centre mid and wide right this summer. If he doesn’t get that right then we are better off without him. I have never known a villa team so reliant on 1 player before. It’s his job to get the best out of what he has got and he is failing miserably at the moment. Sort it out Dean. Not good enough!

I liked your post, but only based on the first bit.

12 months ago we didn't even have the bits in bold, and they weren't all new signings in the summer - Mings, Konsa and Targett have all improved individually and collectively.

We were playing high energy, entertaining football until Covid ripped through our squad and the one player we have who could arguably start for any team in Europe got injured.

You're right about what we need to sign, but FFP and the realities of squad integration have prevented us from doing it already.  Even looking at strikers - we've got a £20m player trying to find his way back. Doesn't help us on the field, but in terms of FFP we couldn't go out to sign another one.

I think people have bought into the press rhetoric about Spurs being shit, when earlier in the season they were looking a good shout for title challengers.

[PieFacE]

8 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Having Jack out injured has been a test, an opportunity for the players that have played to show they can do it without him and a chance for the manager to show he can find a way for us to win games in other ways.

I think some of the players have failed to the extent that they need to be replaced - our wingers aren't good enough.

For the manager, in my opinion at least, he's mostly picked the right elevens in all of the games we've played, the players seem pretty motivated and they understand their roles, he's been loyal to some who've underperformed and tried at times to manufacture a silk purse with that he'd got. He's definitely fallen short though in terms of finding ways to get something going in games, in terms of our overall play and in particular the chances we've created - I think we're too tied to a system that works well with Jack in it and will work better with better forward players in it - but it doesn't work now and we've not changed it - there's been no plan B, no two up top, no three at the back, no change up or adjustment to help cover for our shortcomings in some areas - instead we've tried really, really hard to make Plan A work without Jack. Having reached the end of this period, I think Dean will be aware of that, I hope he can take a look at the last six games and develop as a result, I think he's got that in him, he's a better thinker about the game than he gets credit for. 

A manager can learn and develop and change, a player can't magic himself better, the wingers will need replacing, Dean can make sure that he doesn't find himself in a similar position.

On his "playing without Jack" test, I'm giving him a C+, must do better.

I think he will.

 

Very good summary