Dean Smith

[VillanousOne]

In the first quarter of the season I felt something I hadn't felt since we last beat Leeds in the Worthington Cup. Actual belief that we could on our day beat anyone and truly hang with the big boys again.

There have been fleeting moments under MON, Atkinson and even Gregory that I thought we were cementing ourselves as a top 5 club but that never happened.

Now I literally expect us to been turned over by Fulham in our next game as we look so utterly dreadful, the uncomfortable parallels between how we were playing last season cannot be ignored.

We have an incredibly solid defence, but everything from midfield to all areas of attack is hopeless, we weren't very good before Grealish was injured, now we look like a pub team in front of goal. No movement, no ideas.

I like Smith, but I am starting to believe he isn't the man to take us further in this league, happy to be and hope I am very wrong.

 

[mykeyb]

26 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think some of the issues we have as a team have been in evidence when we have won.....but when you win, they are masked over.

As a team, we give the ball away too much and too easily, for us to have lofty ambitions, our passing is sloppy and has deteriorated since the start of the season.

Sure we miss Jack, who wouldn't, but Jack just masks over the shortfalls of this team.....some soul searching needs to be done.

The season as a whole has been great, but that too is camouflaging our inadequecies of late, which have been poor in comparison to the first 13 games.

Spot on TRO, too often we play the ball around and then Ming's launches into the channels for Ollie to chase, only then we have no-one in the middle, or a member of the back four puts their foot behind it and we lose the ball. Why can't our midfield three use the ball instead of us completely bypassing them.

[TRO]

18 hours ago, danceoftheshamen said:

To be honest, that could well be part of the issue. Our performances almost look like that of a bunch of people at work who didn't sleep properly and their concentration / focus is not quite right. Makes you wonder.

He could be right and it could be deemed as a modern thinking Manager......but it can equally be interpreted as the tail wagging the dog.

It must be very, very hard managing young men who are millionaires......but that is the essence of the job....That is what seperates the men from the boys.

If they are more prone to want their X box time, I would question their overall ambition.

Edited March 23, 2021 by TRO

[andym]

49 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

For 10 minutes at the end of the game and with El Ghazi at 10, a player that is only interested in looking for an opportunity to shoot!  There is no point in Ollie making runs when El Ghazi has the ball - he is not interested in getting his head up as he just wants to shift the ball onto his right foot.

I agree that Smith/his coaching team have tightened up the back four - this is not a tactical switch but rather unleashing Konsa's abilities, purchasing the excellent Cash and getting Targett fit and ready for games.

I fail to see any tactical flexibility.

And if you think Smith is at the same level as Brendan Rodgers at the minute then you must be watching different games to me!!  That is not to say he won't get there but he won't if he can't start to come up with tactical plans to get out of a rut or to combat opposition strategies.

I think that is probably a bit harsh to say there has been no tactical switch in improving the defense. Last season we were ridiculously open through the middle, and it got exploited time and time again. 

Since the lockdown break last season we have been much tighter through the middle by generally keeping narrower and more disciplined. Although this means we sacrifice the wider areas more, (hence the amount of crosses we allow), we are playing to Mings and Konsa strengths, which is to win the ball aerially, and for the most part they do. It also keeps attackers to the outside of Cash and Target where they can engage more easily 1 on 1 - they are prone to lose track of runners inside if their positioning is a little wider (magnified by the fact we have a few midfielders/wingers who often fail to track back) .

Agree he needs to switch it up going forward though; the lack of goals is a huge concern at the moment, and its not like we are just missing chances, we are barely getting in the opposition box. Even the games we have won recently we have been dire going forwards for most of them - Leeds we scored in the first few minutes, then spent the rest of the game just kick and rushing forward, losing the ball and immediately having to defend again (which we did very very well tbf).    

 

 

[mykeyb]

19 minutes ago, nick76 said:

But Dean has been honest about this all season but some fans got carried away and now they are angry because we haven’t met what they expected while they got carried away.  

Dean constantly says we are the second season into the squad build, he has said he needs two or three more transfer windows to build a squad.  

We’ve been on this website for months talking about building out the squad and characteristics we need and holes we need to fill over the coming transfer windows and it shows when we are on the pitch.  

Then we play a game, the game re-enforces what we and Dean have been saying and then some fans blow up, exaggerate and talk silly stuff.

It’s just frustrating

Sorry Nick, not picking on your posts intentionally but surely we not asking too much for us to look after the ball better than we did on Sunday. We have international players in midfield and they should be good enough.

[TRO]

22 minutes ago, nick76 said:

But Dean has been honest about this all season but some fans got carried away and now they are angry because we haven’t met what they expected while they got carried away.  

Dean constantly says we are the second season into the squad build, he has said he needs two or three more transfer windows to build a squad.  

We’ve been on this website for months talking about building out the squad and characteristics we need and holes we need to fill over the coming transfer windows and it shows when we are on the pitch.  

Then we play a game, the game re-enforces what we and Dean have been saying and then some fans blow up, exaggerate and talk silly stuff.

It’s just frustrating

Nick, I get all that and it is a legitimate call.....We will just have to see if you are right.......but the other side of the coin is "Jam Tomorrow".....and we have a history of that....sure we have improved overall under Deans stewardship, but right now we have too many first team players short on too many things.

I think some of the most concerning aspects is the "basics" some are struggling with the basics.....There are fundamental things we are finding hard to master right now and that is the hardest thing to accept.

Edited March 22, 2021 by TRO

[turvontour]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

Table of results since the turn of the year

We weren't bad at the start of the year, we won a few. It's the form of the last month and a half that has been really poor, about one win in 7. Must be close to worst form in the league.

[Vive_La_Villa]

I think they are really struggling physically. We seem to be second to balls so often.  We had a great first half of the season but I think the true quality of a lot of the players is starting to show. They overachieved. 
 

Still so much work to be done.

[andym]

14 minutes ago, TRO said:

I am not giving Dean Smith a free ride, but I suspect we haven't got the quality in sufficient numbers, to go where we want to go.

Its one thing telling the players, its another thing getting them to do it.....There is a lack of attributes in this team, for us to be consistent and we are predictable to opposing teams.....we lack Intelligence, aggression, we give the ball away too easily, surrender the initiative too easily, I could go on..

Its mainly the front 6, where the real problem lies.....The 3 wingers, don't beat their man regularly enough, they don't instill fear in the opponent and are not great at crosses, in short they just drift through a game.....In centre midfield, there is no ball retention or domination of the ball and passing becomes panicky and rushed, resulting in giving it away.

We win games, through great moments, you can count on one hand where we dominate the game, through possession.

I think we need to do a Swot analysis on every member of the first team squad and I would suspect that too many have the same strengths and the same Weaknesses.....which means the team is missing vital ingredients.

I have said it before, we have too many players, too samey, to affect any change in tactics.

We can change formations and change personnel, but if the same ingredients enter the pitch, the game remains the same......Dean Smith needs some variation in his playing staff, in order to make significant changes to a game.....lets me give and example....who is a prolific header of the ball, who has blistering pace to reek havoc, who can tackle with aplomb, as opposed to willing blocks, where the ball spins off to an opponent, who has the intelligence to win second balls, who intercepts in transition with any regularity.

We need some of these things to come in to the team in the summer...because at present, too many are falling short.

The wingers in particular are too slow, both in physical speed and thought.

There are also too many at the moment taking the easy option - getting to the final 3rd and instead of looking to work a good chance, just flinging in an aimless cross. 

They are quite happy to take the plaudits when they have Jack laying it on a plate for them, but when he's not there and they have to stand up and take a bit of responsibility themselves, they don't want to know

[TRO]

10 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

Spot on TRO, too often we play the ball around and then Ming's launches into the channels for Ollie to chase, only then we have no-one in the middle, or a member of the back four puts their foot behind it and we lose the ball. Why can't our midfield three use the ball instead of us completely bypassing them.

When we do that, we just play opponents in to the game.....when we play through the middle we just fail to stay on the ball ( Jack exception) hence why we do it.....in short, we just surrender the initiative of the game.

We are a dream right now, for any team wanting to find a bit of confidence....its worrying.

[mykeyb]

4 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I think they are really struggling physically. We seem to be second to balls so often.  We had a great first half of the season but I think the true quality of a lot of the players is starting to show. They overachieved. 
 

Still so much work to be done.

I also have been thinking they are burnt out, lots of posters saying Dean needed to use the squad more than he had and it could well be right.

[nick76]

11 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

Sorry Nick, not picking on your posts intentionally but surely we not asking too much for us to look after the ball better than we did on Sunday. We have international players in midfield and they should be good enough.

Oh I agree with you.  Part of my post was we don’t have a squad that when players are playing poorly we can rotate or sub.  Some of the passes were awful, Smith can’t be at fault for an international player(s) doing so many poor passes.

Spurs were a good example, they drop players when they play poorly, they can even rest players and these are the teams we are competing against.  Alli and Winks dropped for major parts of the season, Ndombele is in and out the team, Bale has been dropped.  Bale and Son didn’t even play against us.  There are more.

We don’t have options really of those levels but teams around us do live Arsenal, Everton, Spurs etc, hence we have dropped a bit.

Edited March 22, 2021 by nick76

[villalad21]

43 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

As I said, his sole tactical flexibility this season has been to shift between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3.  From memory, in the Leeds home game Barkley played which would have meant he was further forward than SJM whereas in the Leeds game we had two 8's with Ramsey/Sanson alongside SJM.

If we can snatch an early goal, as we did against Leeds and Arsenal, then the strong back 5 with the solid 3 in CM means that we have a chance to hold on to a 1-0.  That seems to be our only hope at the minute.

Straight out of Steve Bruce note book. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

2 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

I also have been thinking they are burnt out, lots of posters saying Dean needed to use the squad more than he had and it could well be right.

Maybe. I don’t think he ever had much of a squad to use to be honest.  
 

We’ve also only got one class act game changer in the squad whereas most the teams in the top 10 have more than one they can depend on. Spurs yesterday made so many changes yet they had Kane and Moura who made the difference. Without them it’s a 0-0 really.  There was nothing else between the teams. 
 

 

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

Just now, villalad21 said:

Straight out of Steve Bruce note book. 

Great now the ignore functionality isn’t working either.  If things wernt bad enough I now have to read your rubbish too. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

47 minutes ago, danceoftheshamen said:

To be honest, that could well be part of the issue. Our performances almost look like that of a bunch of people at work who didn't sleep properly and their concentration / focus is not quite right. Makes you wonder.

If they trained earlier, they could also play Xbox earlier, watch Netflix, wank or whatever tickles their fancy. Add social media to that and yes, going to bed is more difficult.

Having said that, could you imagine the local office workers, voting to start later as they play Xbox until late, and the boss approving?

Can't agree with this, they are professional athletes and get paid a shit load for playing the game they love.

Shouldn't be too much to expect them to play less, before training nights, and to their hearts content in their time off.

Farcical to imagine some of them aren't getting enough sleep, and would probably explain some lethargy.

I get the sentiment, but don't agree with it.

Edited March 22, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[TRO]

13 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I think they are really struggling physically. We seem to be second to balls so often.  We had a great first half of the season but I think the true quality of a lot of the players is starting to show. They overachieved. 
 

Still so much work to be done.

I do too....with the odd exception, I think we are a tad lightweight as a team.

[nick76]

15 minutes ago, TRO said:

Nick, I get all that and it is a legitimate call.....We will just have to see if you are right.......but the other side of the coin is "Jam Tomorrow".....and we have a history of that....sure we have improved overall under Deans stewardship, but right now we have too many first team players short on too many things.

I think some of the most concerning aspects is the "basics" some are struggling with the basics.....There are fundamental things we are finding hard to master right now and that is the hardest thing to accept.

I agree! For half a season they did them so well but now they can’t seem to put one foot in front of the other.  They can do it because they showed but they can’t at the moment which points to form.  The issue we have is that we don’t have alternatives/options.

[TRO]

1 minute ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

If they trained earlier, they could also play Xbox earlier, watch Netflix, wank or whatever tickles there fancy. Add social media to that and yes, going to bed is more difficult.

Having said that, could you imagine the local office workers, voting to start later as they play Xbox until late, and the boss approving?

Can't agree with this, they are professional athletes and get paid a shit load for playing the game they love.

Shouldn't be too much to expect them to play less, before training nights, and to their hearts content in their time off.

I get the sentiment, but don't agree with it.

It maybe a generational thing, but I find it a bit questionable.

[barry'sboots]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

But Dean has been honest about this all season but some fans got carried away and now they are angry because we haven’t met what they expected while they got carried away.  

Dean constantly says we are the second season into the squad build, he has said he needs two or three more transfer windows to build a squad.  

We’ve been on this website for months talking about building out the squad and characteristics we need and holes we need to fill over the coming transfer windows and it shows when we are on the pitch.  

Then we play a game, the game re-enforces what we and Dean have been saying and then some fans blow up, exaggerate and talk silly stuff.

It’s just frustrating

Some fans do blow up and expect us to be top 4 after we walloped Liverpool and Arsenal, but I think the majority do not.  Most of us understand that we are in a build phase and we are only two seasons in.  We are all grateful that we have owners in NWSE that want to go for it and have the resources to do so.

However, what frustrates many of us is that we are in a dreadful rut and playing poorly against other teams that are also playing poorly.  Whilst we recognise that our squad has inadequacies that need addressing, we just want to see Smith try things that might give us a spark.  That could be a change in formation - I personally, as you know, would love to see us try two strikers, either in a diamond or a 3-4-1-2, as Leicester have been working with so successfully - or maybe giving JPB or Chuckwuemeka a chance (we are not going down and will not be qualifying for Europe so might as well have a look at the future).  Both of these might not work but they cannot be any worse than the last 5 or 6 games.

El Ghazi and Trez are not the future and I hope that we do not have to endure watching them too many times for the remainder of this season.