Dean Smith

[peterw]

9 minutes ago, Tommo_b said:

He swapped Milan Baros for John Carew... doesn’t get much better than that! 

and effectively swapped Cahill for Zat Knight

[Tommo_b]

6 minutes ago, peterw said:

and effectively swapped Cahill for Zat Knight

Good point.

[Zatman]

16 minutes ago, Risso said:

You were moaning about Martin O'Neill when we were in the top 4!

We knew he would throw it away

[KenjiOgiwara]

46 minutes ago, Risso said:

You were moaning about Martin O'Neill when we were in the top 4!

Can't remember that, but probably correct. Still not the biggest fan, nor impressed by what he achieved. Or him signing Harewood, Knight or dropping out of Europe.

Though saying we were in the top 4 is pushing it. We visited it for a month in one season?

I think he's a great man manager though, but I suspect people would disagree on that.

MON is actually a good comparison cause my main two gripes with MON were;

1) our style of play. It was effective, but would never be good enough to get to the top. Counter-attacking got us plenty results against good teams, but against worse teams we could not pass the ball of create for toffee.

2) the signings were the most unimaginative bullshit ever. From Beye, Young, Shorey, Knight, Harewood to losing Cahill etc. The man was anti football.

Deano is the polar opposite.

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by KenjiOgiwara

[DCJonah]

MON did a good job and he had my full support. Could never get the calls for him to be sacked. Bit like with Smith, expectations of fans were the issue.

But MON didn't achieve something that would positively impact the club long term. Getting us up and keeping us up, has meant Jack might spend his career here and that we now have the opportunity to become a bit of a force in this league.

 

[DCJonah]

11 hours ago, briny_ear said:

When he was floundering a bit last season, of course, many of his apologists were arguing we got promoted "a season too soon" (as if you can determine when you get promoted!). So I assume he wasn't a legend then because he had landed us in a perilous situation? 

Anyway, enough of this. I am aware that there are some who think that Smith is the Messiah and they won't be persuaded otherwise, certainly not by facts or experience. It's not worth taking up the cudgels. 

What will be will be in terms of how his teams progress and I'm pretty certain that, if he doesn't make us more consistent, more resilient, and more capable of achieving and maintaining a challenge to the top 6, then the legend will be looking for a new bag. Don't think the NSWE investment is about creating a team that blows hot and cold, finds it almost impossible to come back from going behind and is so dependant on one phenomenally good player. So we will see.

The discussion about being promoted too early was in terms of the state of the squad. My argument last year was that sacking him was basically punishing him for achieving the miracle promotion the year before.

It was proved to be correct.

Facts or experience? Do you really think these lean more towards those who are constantly critical of him? Facts and experience prove quite clearly he's done a good job since being here. It's why nearly all pundits and neutral fans see it the same. Like I said, it's a handful of people who have never been happy since he's been here. For some strange reason.

[TRO]

12 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

The discussion about being promoted too early was in terms of the state of the squad. My argument last year was that sacking him was basically punishing him for achieving the miracle promotion the year before.

It was proved to be correct.

Facts or experience? Do you really think these lean more towards those who are constantly critical of him? Facts and experience prove quite clearly he's done a good job since being here. It's why nearly all pundits and neutral fans see it the same. Like I said, it's a handful of people who have never been happy since he's been here. For some strange reason.

but it could have been oh so different, if we had not dodged a bullet......Have you ever taken time out to suppose that had we beaten Fulham and it was so close, losing by 1 goal.....It all could have been so different and much worse?

Lucky ole us, hey.

Edited May 4, 2021 by TRO

[Indigo]

Probably worth noting that I don't think the sentiment was necessarily that we got promoted too soon, but "ahead of schedule", and even that wasn't a defence created from thin air by people that are apparently blinded by loyalty to Smith but the words of our own CEO in an interview that summer. Less so an excuse and more so the actual viewpoint of the club itself.

[DCJonah]

53 minutes ago, TRO said:

but it could have been oh so different, if we had not dodged a bullet......Have you ever taken time out to suppose that had we beaten Fulham and it was so close, losing by 1 goal.....It all could have been so different and much worse?

Lucky ole us, hey.

I'm not sure what the point is?

[DCJonah]

43 minutes ago, Indigo said:

Probably worth noting that I don't think the sentiment was necessarily that we got promoted too soon, but "ahead of schedule", and even that wasn't a defence created from thin air by people that are apparently blinded by loyalty to Smith but the words of our own CEO in an interview that summer. Less so an excuse and more so the actual viewpoint of the club itself.

You mean like actual facts and evidence?

Interesting. 

[Raver50032]

Very off topic, but we were 3rd, 9 points clear of Arsenal under MON... After another disastrous March, we finished 6th... and then IIRC, got fingered by the very vocal Rapid Vienna before getting out of the starting blocks in the UEFA Cup. We could... and definitely should have done better. 

But we didn't. And we are where we are, a decent way through another Villa rebuild with Smith. Smith in for me, tvm.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

4 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

I am afraid that as much as i dont like him, he hasnt got to Mon levels yet.

For me it would be little, MON and Gregory/smith

I actually moaned about MON if i'm honest. ( Towards the latter stages )

MON was also heavily backed, signed the most high quality dross possible, and was tactics limited |IMO.

The counter attacking was brilliant when we were on it though

I think I might even put Gregory above MON. I reckon Oleary would have done an even better job ( than MON ) if he had more resources.

Edited May 4, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[Adam2003]

7 minutes ago, Raver50032 said:

Very off topic, but we were 3rd, 9 points clear of Arsenal under MON... After another disastrous March, we finished 6th... and then IIRC, got fingered by the very vocal Rapid Vienna before getting out of the starting blocks in the UEFA Cup. We could... and definitely should have done better. 

 

I’m still bitter though that they let Arsenal sign Arshavin two days after the Jan transfer deadline because of snow in Russia and he tore the league up for four months and fired them past us.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Adam2003

[Mantis]

4 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

I am afraid that as much as i dont like him, he hasnt got to Mon levels yet.

For me it would be little, MON and Gregory/smith

Smith's done far more than O'Neill ever did.

[Demitri_C]

3 hours ago, Zatman said:

Mon got us to one cup final and  bottled 4th spot from an incredible position 

He didnt really achieve anything here noteworthy

He so signed Ashley young one of the best wingers we have had in 20 years.

Dont forget milner and downing too. Ok i accept he signed some shite like harewood beye and shorey.

He also got the best out of gabby. Gabby was excellent under MON probably the best in his career.

Like i said im not a MON after what he did to us but you cant say he did nothing for us. 

[Demitri_C]

5 minutes ago, Mantis said:

Smith's done far more than O'Neill ever did.

Cant really say that as we were not a championship club under o neill.

 

[Zatman]

1 minute ago, Demitri_C said:

Cant really say that as we were not a championship club under o neill.

 

we finished 6th just 2 years before MON came in

[Demitri_C]

1 minute ago, Zatman said:

we finished 6th just 2 years before MON came in

Remind me where we finished under o'leary before he were sacked?

Dismissing MON saying he did nothing but smith has because he git us promoted is a completely different comparison.

Lets not forget MON was robbed by saying poor officiating in the final. Vidic should have been sent off but the ref bottled ut

[Sulberto21]

MON did a good job and should have gotten CL but was held back by his own insistence on buying players that fitted his kick and rush football. Smith is doing a good job but unlike Mon is part of a system that's improved season on season.

I'm very much looking forward to next season to see how we progress. I'd love it if we can continue to beat the sky 6. Unlikely under Mon.

[Mark Albrighton]

It’s a tricky one as you’re obviously comparing different start off points, different achievements. How does a league cup win or three top six finishes stack up against a record breaking promotion win? Up to the individual to decide. 

Tangibly, what Smith has achieved, the improvement, whatever, is better than what Gregory and MON achieved I think. 

If Villa win a cup under Smith, league cup, FA cup, Europa even...I’d happily put him above everyone from Atkinson onwards (my time following the club). In fact, probably above everyone in “recent” history bar Saunders/Barton.