Dean Smith

[DCJonah]

5 hours ago, Mjvilla said:

The levels you are going to, changing you're argument to pick at Smith is absolutely bewildering to me. 

'Leicester don't panic when they miss key players' - proven how much they struggle without vardy 

'Well then, they must've played harder games' - kind of proven that this wasn't really the case.

'yeah, but we got 1 point against Newcastle and Sheffield united' - Liverpool got 0 points at home to Fulham, Brighton and Burnley. It happens. Certainly when you have such a new squad that's developing and a young squad that is inconsistent. 

Why are you so insistent on picking on the manager? 

 

 

 

 

It's hilarious. I just couldn't imagine working so hard to make out our best season in a decade is something to be so angered about. 

 

[supermon]

Y'all going to debate this all the way to the Fulham game lol? Great debate tbf think we just have to all accept we all have differing views, we all see things differently and it's unlikely you're going to change an opposing view point no matter how hard you try.

Let it be.

[Demitri_C]

42 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

It's hilarious. I just couldn't imagine working so hard to make out our best season in a decade is something to be so angered about. 

 

Who is angry? Sounds like you guys are more angry at us for daring to criticise smith

[Demitri_C]

6 minutes ago, supermon said:

Y'all going to debate this all the way to the Fulham game lol? Great debate tbf think we just have to all accept we all have differing views, we all see things differently and it's unlikely you're going to change an opposing view point no matter how hard you try.

Let it be.

It is a good debate just a shame some are taking it so personally 

[The Fun Factory]

18 minutes ago, supermon said:

Y'all going to debate this all the way to the Fulham game lol? Great debate tbf think we just have to all accept we all have differing views, we all see things differently and it's unlikely you're going to change an opposing view point no matter how hard you try.

Let it be.

Villa Talk debated over whether Ashley Westwood was any good or not for about 4 years mate....

[nick76]

1 hour ago, Demitri_C said:

Yeah we wont agree on eveeything but you raise some valid points nick. I respect disagreeing on subjects where i can see your position.

The world would be very boring if we all agreed 

 

[Zatman]

28 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

Villa Talk debated over whether Ashley Westwood was any good or not for about 4 years mate....

Was he any good?

[nick76]

22 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Was he any good?

[sparrow1988]

27 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Was he any good?

Only now that he doesn't play for us anymore.

[barry'sboots]

3 hours ago, nick76 said:

but when you looked at our creative in the attacking positions, were you confident?  We are in poor form and lacking creativity and that's before we even step on the pitch.  It's not about set up it's about the players we have available.  We dont have a CAM now, we are struggling with our RW and our LW and best player at the club is out injured

Nick, I think we are in agreement that we are in a poor run of form at the minute.

Where we disagree is that I think Smith could do more to try and shake us out of that run of form by being a bit more creative/trying some new things.  You are clearly happy with him keep trying largely the same thing and just waiting for Jack to return and he will shake us out of it, even though the last three or four games with Jack in the side were also poor.

I think we are predictable and devoid of imagination and teams are now able to set up to nullify us, even when Jack is playing.  Whilst I do recognise that our squad is still developing, I would live to see more variation to counter this.  I could not guarantee that every attempt to vary us will work, and some might produce worse displays, but I can guarantee that, at the minute and for the last ten or so games, what he is currently sending out is achieving nothing/very little and we are as bad as almost any team in the PL at the minute.

Spurs were there for the taking at the weekend - low in confidence/recent hammering from everywhere - and we just sent out the same old 4-3-3 with Trez and AEG and it was pathetic.  You might be right - KD might not be the solution up top with Ollie - but AEG and Trez are certainly not the solution either.  Smith's "tweaks" are not enough at the minute, I think we need something a bit more radical to shake us out of the malaise as we trundle towards a very disappointing end of season.

For information - I wasn't expecting Europe, although I did think we had a chance of getting there at one point, but I was expecting better performances than we have seen over the past 10 games following on from a very strong start.  You could put this down to a number of factors potentially, but Smith's inability to flex tactically is certainly one potential reason! 

[nick76]

37 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Nick, I think we are in agreement that we are in a poor run of form at the minute.

Where we disagree is that I think Smith could do more to try and shake us out of that run of form by being a bit more creative/trying some new things.  You are clearly happy with him keep trying largely the same thing and just waiting for Jack to return and he will shake us out of it, even though the last three or four games with Jack in the side were also poor.

I think we are predictable and devoid of imagination and teams are now able to set up to nullify us, even when Jack is playing.  Whilst I do recognise that our squad is still developing, I would live to see more variation to counter this.  I could not guarantee that every attempt to vary us will work, and some might produce worse displays, but I can guarantee that, at the minute and for the last ten or so games, what he is currently sending out is achieving nothing/very little and we are as bad as almost any team in the PL at the minute.

Spurs were there for the taking at the weekend - low in confidence/recent hammering from everywhere - and we just sent out the same old 4-3-3 with Trez and AEG and it was pathetic.  You might be right - KD might not be the solution up top with Ollie - but AEG and Trez are certainly not the solution either.  Smith's "tweaks" are not enough at the minute, I think we need something a bit more radical to shake us out of the malaise as we trundle towards a very disappointing end of season.

For information - I wasn't expecting Europe, although I did think we had a chance of getting there at one point, but I was expecting better performances than we have seen over the past 10 games following on from a very strong start.  You could put this down to a number of factors potentially, but Smith's inability to flex tactically is certainly one potential reason! 

My issue though, is the proposals that have been offer by yourself and others in my opinion make us worse before we’ve even started.

I agree we are poor at the moment, I agree a shake up is needed, I’m willing to try things but my issue that the proposals so being made have been poor.  That’s just my opinion.

Is anything better that what we are doing at the moment?  I think trying different things is very wise.  Doing the same thing is insanity, I agree.  Choosing to things which are really poor is my issue.  Playing kids or some of the weird formations, which players don’t fit that people have said are just farcical and hence why fans aren’t managers/coaches.

I just don’t think we have many options and why I’m willing to try things I think some of the fans ideas are poor.

[barry'sboots]

13 minutes ago, nick76 said:

My issue though, is the proposals that have been offer by yourself and others in my opinion make us worse before we’ve even started.

I agree we are poor at the moment, I agree a shake up is needed, I’m willing to try things but my issue that the proposals so being made have been poor.  That’s just my opinion.

Is anything better that what we are doing at the moment?  I think trying different things is very wise.  Doing the same thing is insanity, I agree.  Choosing to things which are really poor is my issue.  Playing kids or some of the weird formations, which players don’t fit that people have said are just farcical and hence why fans aren’t managers/coaches.

I just don’t think we have many options and why I’m willing to try things I think some of the fans ideas are poor.

You might be right - that they won't work.  But surely it is better to try them than keep doing the same thing and getting poor performances and terrible results.

The one that I am keen to see is Ollie & KD play in a pair with, ideally, Jack off them.  Your objection is that KD is not very good, yet you do not object to watching Trez play!?  Trez, over the last 10 games, has probably been up there with the worst attacking player I have seen in a Villa shirt - it is actually comical watching him.  He is so frustrated and trying so hard BUT he is so poor and lacking in quality.  I've seen enough of Davis to know that he is no worse than Trez has been playing and he may just give Ollie the support that he needs and free up some space. People say that he can't score ... he can do no worse than Trez this season in this respect.  Jack also becomes harder to mark - as he can go anywhere - whilst having three CM'ers behind him to cover.  It also means that Cash and Targett can push up more and provide the width - I think, behind Jack, they are our best crossers.

It might not work but it has to be worth a try given the dross we have dished up for the last 10 or so games??

[TRO]

21 hours ago, YouUnastanFren said:

Eh? Leicester lost to us and Leeds, drew to Wolves, Palace, Everton and 'drew' to arsenal without Vardy. Only managed to beat Fulham. Similar opposition.

By your standards they are a one man team.

we haven't played Everton this season.

[YouUnastanFren]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

we haven't played Everton this season.

How does that relate to the point about Leicester's results without Vardy?

[AvfcRigo82]

20 minutes ago, TRO said:

we haven't played Everton this season.

I think he was explaining Leicester' s run of games here, not ours.

[TRO]

6 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Smith will obviously know it’s not good enough at the moment from an attacking perspective.  I’m pretty sure Jack returning will massively improve that. But in the summer we really need to sort out our reliance on him. I get a top player missing impacting a team. But 45 minutes without an attempt should never happen. 

I think we have all been caught out by the lack of form from Ross Barkley....He was seen as a huge step up in quality for us, but sadly, that has turned in to a myth.

I was "over the moon" when we was linked with him, and was pleasantly surprised when we did sign him, thinking, pinch me.....but He has been a major disappointment and I don't think many of us saw that coming, if we are honest.

Never in my wildest dreams, did I think he could fall to this level of form and in doing so has completely let Dean Smith down....not to mention us.

I think it has set our progress back a bit or just given it a wobble....we was relying on him, to raise the bar, we would have been better looking else where, but as we all know, hindsight is an exact science.

 

Edited March 25, 2021 by TRO

[TRO]

26 minutes ago, YouUnastanFren said:

How does that relate to the point about Leicester's results without Vardy?

sorry, misread your line.

[TRO]

8 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

I think he was explaining Leicester' s run of games here, not ours.

yeah, I get that, I misread it....just apologised.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, DCJonah said:

It's hilarious. I just couldn't imagine working so hard to make out our best season in a decade is something to be so angered about. 

 

your imagination needs a tweak.

Edited March 25, 2021 by TRO

[QldVilla]

27 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think we have all been caught out by the lack of form from Ross Barkley....He was seen as a huge step up in quality for us, but sadly, that has turned in to a myth.

I was "over the moon" when we was linked with him, and was pleasantly surprised when we did sign him, thinking, pinch me.....but He has been a major disappointment and I don't think many of us saw that coming, if we are honest.

Never in my wildest dreams, did I think he could fall to this level of form and in doing so has completely let Dean Smith down....not to mention us.

I think it has set our progress back a bit or just given it a wobble....we was relying on him, to raise the bar, we would have been better looking else where, but as we all know, hindsight is an exact science.

 

Never been a fan of Barkley, always thought of him as a front foot player, good when team dominating games, but poor when having to work.
 

But not naive enough to think he wouldn’t improve us and help over the season.