Dean Smith

[KenjiOgiwara]

What I find funny is that the same people criticised Deano during our winter form prior to the record breaking winning run in 2019. Jack got a leg injury, we struggled. Jack came back and Deano got us 10 wins in 10 matches which had not been done in a century. It culminated in promotion.

We had a rough deal getting promoted, losing the spine of loaned players, replacing a bunch of deadwood. Basically ended up signing a new squad, which all needed integrating. The obvious goal of the season would be securing our top flight status.

We struggled. The same posters quickly got on Dean's back. Until we managed to stay up, whether that was by picking up key points like Arsenal, or luck like hawk-eye, we still stayed up and the goal of the season was reached.

The usual suspects calmed down.

A new season and we start like fireworks. Picking up win after win, looking cert for upper table, possible European football.

Squad is wiped by covid. Jack gets another leg injury and other important squad players like newly signed Sanson and Trez are both injured as well. Form plummets off a cliff.

We still pick up points now and then, but the usual suspects are back and Deano hasn't got a clue.

It's utterly mindboggling you don't learn from overreacting and see what Deano has done here.

All of this is before we adress how much pleasing to the eye our football is now compared to before, or what's happened to youth, football philosophy, squad morale, backroom staff etc. under Deano.

Now I don't mind people pointing out we look lost without Jack. I actually agree. I think Deano needs to work on how to play football without Jack, as what we are doing now isn't good enough. But there's that and it's baby and the bathwater.

Anyway, I need an espresso, cause this thread gives me a headache.

[osmark86]

6 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

I agree but with smith was here for both seasons. You could argue this summers business was better than last seasons so why isnt the squad good enough to be consistent?

It ceetainly ha senough talent there to beating a couple of these sides

It is better than last year's squad imo which I think is progress. Small steps mate. But steps in the right direction nonetheless imo.

Also I agree on there being enough talent to beat a couple of sides. Which we have done too. But not consistantly.

Edited April 27, 2021 by osmark86

[Zatman]

29 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

We’d be in the European Super League!!!

Thats what they call bankruptcy these days

[Zatman]

13 minutes ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

What I find funny is that the same people criticised Deano during our winter form prior to the record breaking winning run in 2019. Jack got a leg injury, we struggled. Jack came back and Deano got us 10 wins in 10 matches which had not been done in a century. It culminated in promotion.

We had a rough deal getting promoted, losing the spine of loaned players, replacing a bunch of deadwood. Basically ended up signing a new squad, which all needed integrating. The obvious goal of the season would be securing our top flight status.

We struggled. The same posters quickly got on Dean's back. Until we managed to stay up, whether that was by picking up key points like Arsenal, or luck like hawk-eye, we still stayed up and the goal of the season was reached.

The usual suspects calmed down.

A new season and we start like fireworks. Picking up win after win, looking cert for upper table, possible European football.

Squad is wiped by covid. Jack gets another leg injury and other important squad players like newly signed Sanson and Trez are both injured as well. Form plummets off a cliff.

We still pick up points now and then, but the usual suspects are back and Deano hasn't got a clue.

It's utterly mindboggling you don't learn from overreacting and see what Deano has done here.

All of this is before we adress how much pleasing to the eye our football is now compared to before, or what's happened to youth, football philosophy, squad morale, backroom staff etc. under Deano.

Now I don't mind people pointing out we look lost without Jack. I actually agree. I think Deano needs to work on how to play football without Jack, as what we are doing now isn't good enough. But there's that and it's baby and the bathwater.

Anyway, I need an espresso, cause this thread gives me a headache.

They were still having quiet digs then the Southampton game they re-emerged with a new agenda, that Smith doesn't make subs and has been negative on here since

We won the Southampton game

[holteend1982]

1 minute ago, Zatman said:

They were still having quiet digs then the Southampton game they re-emerged with a new agenda, that Smith doesn't make subs and has been negative on here since

We won the Southampton game

That Southampton game was so lucky though, Danny Ings offside sleeve saved us from conceding in the 93rd! 

[Zatman]

15 minutes ago, holteend1982 said:

That Southampton game was so lucky though, Danny Ings offside sleeve saved us from conceding in the 93rd! 

Of course we didnt play well that night but its a game last season we lose comfortably. Was no need for people to lose there shit

[osmark86]

21 minutes ago, holteend1982 said:

That Southampton game was so lucky though, Danny Ings offside sleeve saved us from conceding in the 93rd! 

have we only been lucky this season then?

[AvfcRigo82]

41 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

The same you cant get your head around the same why i cabt get my ahead around where people cabt accept any form of criticism directed towards dean smith!

It's incredible. You try and strike debate or dare even say one word wrong about Smith and you just get ousted.

The thread has became insane with a percentage of posters displaying tunnel vision.

[Mjvilla]

54 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

How many clubs in this league have squads that allow them to be consistent? 

When you find the answer, check how long they've been in the league for and the level of constant investment they've had. 

This got me thinking, apart from Mcginn... Who was the last permanent player we bought which was good enough for us long term and to go alongside our hoped progression and succeeded in helping us with our progression? 

This question goes for before Smith. So, before summer 2019. I'd like to know how far people think we need to go back to see how badly managed it was before Smith came in and sorted out the mess.

Edited April 27, 2021 by Mjvilla

[DCJonah]

7 minutes ago, Mjvilla said:

This got me thinking, apart from Mcginn... Who was the last permanent player we bought which was good enough for us long term and to go alongside our hoped progression and succeeded in helping us with our progression? 

This question goes for before Smith. So, before summer 2019. I'd like to know how far people think we need to go back to see how badly managed it was before Smith came in and sorted out the mess.

I think you could even think back to the MON era, his final years and since then have been short term thinking with short term goals. 

First time in a longtime that we've started on a journey.

[Zatman]

8 minutes ago, Mjvilla said:

This got me thinking, apart from Mcginn... Who was the last permanent player we bought which was good enough for us long term and to go alongside our hoped progression and succeeded in helping us with our progression? 

This question goes for before Smith. So, before summer 2019. I'd like to know how far people think we need to go back to see how badly managed it was before Smith came in and sorted out the mess.

Between 2011-2018 we were probably the worst run club in England, we were lucky we didnt end up like Sunderland or Portsmouth so many times but was a shitshow

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, DCJonah said:

How many clubs in this league have squads that allow them to be consistent? 

When you find the answer, check how long they've been in the league for and the level of constant investment they've had. 

Leeds united

[Mjvilla]

3 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I think you could even think back to the MON era, his final years and since then have been short term thinking with short term goals. 

First time in a longtime that we've started on a journey.

Well, summer of 12/13 we signed Benteke and Vlaar so I suppose you'd have to answer my question with that year. But the rot had set in that summer to be honest when you look at the other signings we made. 

It's why this 'weve spent £200m' thing is a null and void for me. £200m doesn't fix 10 years of completely bad signings and bad management. I'd like to know how much the rest of the top 10 has spent in the 10 years we have been completely mismanaged. 

Of course, in these 10 years the other sides will have made bad signings. It's football, it happens. But there will be players that have been at the other clubs in the premier league for years and years. We don't have anyone. Unless you include Grealish, but he was how old when we were relegated.

 

 

[Demitri_C]

19 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

It's incredible. You try and strike debate or dare even say one word wrong about Smith and you just get ousted.

The thread has became insane with a percentage of posters displaying tunnel vision.

Its alot of excuses. He should be criticised for the recent poor form in my opinion

[DCJonah]

3 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Leeds united

Haha good one. 

[osmark86]

3 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Leeds united

they're not consistent imo. but they do have a work ethic that I think we should aspire to emulate. respect to them for that no doubt.

[DCJonah]

3 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Its alot of excuses. He should be criticised for the recent poor form in my opinion

I absolutely love how desperate you are to want to criticise it. It's so funny. 

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, osmark86 said:

It is better than last year's squad imo which I think is progress. Small steps mate. But steps in the right direction nonetheless imo.

Also I agree on there being enough talent to beat a couple of sides. Which we have done too. But not consistantly.

I think had the first part of the season happened now and this end part of the season at the beginning i think i would have felt differently.

I just think smiths given me major concerns that he is incapable of consistently getting results with grealish. As much as i like grealish this is a team game. I want to see the manager showing performances (in some not all)

We have been poor on sp many games now. Poor at set pieces, poor passing poor in final third. Just seems we have stepped back to pre covid again but with a more organised defence

[Demitri_C]

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

Haha good one. 

Great comeback

 

Doing far better than we did in our first season. Facts.

Then we will use the "oh but we had no squad excuse to protect smith there"

Leeds had absolutely zero pl experience when they came up. Bamford i think being only person i might be mistaken

[osmark86]

23 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

It's incredible. You try and strike debate or dare even say one word wrong about Smith and you just get ousted.

The thread has became insane with a percentage of posters displaying tunnel vision.

I don't think so. You might get arguments flung your way from a different perspective but that's just as ok imo.

I have seen, for example, @TRO put forth a couple of really good arguments against DS that I agree with to a certain extent for one. I don't think all pro-DS people are blind to our problems. Just more accepting of them and optimistic about our future with DS at the helm. I believe it boils down to the amount of slack/faith you're willing to put in him as our head coach. I for one have a lot of faith in him still.