Dean Smith

[Sgl]

2 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I give Deano shite when it's deserved, however, i'm pretty surprised by some of the over the top reactions in here.

First game of the season, after a pretty soul ripping departure and a set of new players.

He probably got it wrong to start off with, but at least tried to rectify, relatively quickly.

Way too early to be calling for Deanos head.

I do suspect, he will be under immense pressure this season though.

If we don't try to address our midfield I might start to worry.

This.

 

One game and people calling for his head?  Madness IMO.

 

Crappy preseason, away to a newly promoted team with fans back in stadiums for the first time this year, a Villa team that hasn’t really played together, and a lot of upheaval in the last ten days between player and coaches exiting - none of this excuses a shocking performance and a really disappointing loss but one game is exactly that, one game. If a pattern emerges, fair enough the pressure will be on and rightly so, but we should be able to be disappointed at a losing a game in a poor manner without the needless over reaction of calling for the managers head less than 24 hours after the season has started. 

[briny_ear]

21 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

It’s madness. One game!!  

I know! 

And against Watford. Who most teams will expect to lose to this season!

Can see our owners just pumping in more and more money just to keep Smith as manager this season, whatever the results.

Edited August 14, 2021 by briny_ear

[DCJonah]

2 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

I know! 

And against Watford. Who most teams will expect to lose to this season!

Can see our owners just pumping in more and more money just to keep Smith as manager this season, whatever the results.

It's been said every season and yet he's still here and bringing in new coaches to work with. 

Doesn't strike me as a situation that the owners are looking to rip up and start again any time soon, regardless of how a small group on here hope for it. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by DCJonah

[Vive_La_Villa]

2 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

I know! 

And against Watford. Who most teams will expect to lose to this season!

Can see our owners just pumping in more and more money just to keep Smith as manager this season, whatever the results.

Nah if it continues he’ll get sacked. You don’t have to resort to sarcasm mate. 

[hippo]

10 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

It's been said every season and yet he's still here and bringing in new coaches to work with. 

Doesn't strike me as a situation that the owners are looking to rip up and start again any time soon, regardless of how a small group on here hope for it. 

Don't know there's been a 50% turnover in coaching staff since last season.

As I said earlier the muted idea of a coaching team was continuity -thats gone.

[burchy]

I want him to succeed as he comes across as a really nice bloke. The interview today you could tell he was pissed off and he didn’t paint over anything, he was honest and I respect that. 

I’m patiently waiting for his Brentford styled Villa, where we tear teams apart, similar to the Liverpool game. When we played his Brentford team they tore us apart. You can see bits here and there but hoping it all clicks into place sooner rather than later.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Nah the place will be rocking. If it resorts to moans and groans on game one I’m selling my season ticket. 

easy to sell apparently.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, burchy said:

I want him to succeed as he comes across as a really nice bloke. The interview today you could tell he was pissed off and he didn’t paint over anything, he was honest and I respect that. 

I’m patiently waiting for his Brentford styled Villa, where we tear teams apart, similar to the Liverpool game. When we played his Brentford team they tore us apart. You can see bits here and there but hoping it all clicks into place sooner rather than later.

It will be interesting to see us play his old club pretty soon....I fancy it will be a tough game.

[KentVillan]

Something I think has been lost in all this fall out from the Watford game is that really we threw it all away in a fairly short spell in the first half - which included a *really* flukey second goal for Watford.

The match stats are 62% possession for Villa. 11 shots on goal, vs 13 by Watford.

It was bad, no doubt, but second half we were clearly the better side by some margin.

You can rightly criticise the starting lineup, and the way some of our players performed.

But what I can’t understand is this idea that Smith is just clueless, when he literally fixed what was wrong as the game progressed. That doesn’t seem to me to indicate a manager who’s run out of ideas or doesn’t know how to set his team up!?

Edited August 14, 2021 by KentVillan

[ChicagoVillan1983]

7 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

Something I think has been lost in all this fall out from the Watford game is that really we threw it all away in a fairly short spell in the first half - which included a *really* flukey second goal for Watford.

The match stats are 62% possession for Villa. 11 shots on goal, vs 13 by Watford.

It was bad, no doubt, but second half we were clearly the better side by some margin.

You can rightly criticise the starting lineup, and the way some of our players performed.

But what I can’t understand is this idea that Smith is just clueless, when he literally fixed what was wrong as the game progressed. That doesn’t seem to me to indicate a manager who’s run out of ideas or doesn’t know how to set his team up!?

This! We underestimated Sarr. Targett 100% outmatched.

Deano changed it up and honestly with 10 more minutes we might have grabbed a draw. It’s not all doom. Our pre season sucked. We’re underprepared.

Let’s give it 5 games before we even think about making any conclusions.

[nepal_villan]

Seems Smith just did not prepare the team for Watford. The side was clearly not ready for their counter.  First game of the season, newly promoted side, away match - we should have been much more resolute at the back at the start of the match. 

Have expressed this before, my big worry this season is that Smith will choose our best 11 players and not our best formation.  Furthermore, I really hope he does not continue to play favorites with the likes of McGinn and Cash who at times need rotating.

[WHY]

5 minutes ago, ChicagoVillan1983 said:

This! We underestimated Sarr. Targett 100% outmatched.

Deano changed it up and honestly with 10 more minutes we might have grabbed a draw. It’s not all doom. Our pre season sucked. We’re underprepared.

Let’s give it 5 games before we even think about making any conclusions.

Did we underestimate Sarr or did a Targett just have a bad game? Personally think it was the later. It was easily his worst game for us defensively. Sarr was decent but Targett’s positional sense and defending was all over the place today which contributed massively towards Sarr’s performance. He was non existent in the second half once Young went to left back.

Edited August 15, 2021 by WHY

[Dave-R]

1 hour ago, burchy said:

I want him to succeed as he comes across as a really nice bloke. The interview today you could tell he was pissed off and he didn’t paint over anything, he was honest and I respect that. 

I’m patiently waiting for his Brentford styled Villa, where we tear teams apart, similar to the Liverpool game. When we played his Brentford team they tore us apart. You can see bits here and there but hoping it all clicks into place sooner rather than later.

I feel it will happen but Smith is still getting his team sorted and I don't believe it's near completion.

I still reckon next season it will be the Midfield that will get most of the Love.

Thing is while there are some that reckon Europe is a must or they be shouting Smith out, I myself understand with other and realise that our squad is going to have these teething problems.

Sure Smith got first half wrong and team selection but he almost brought back the game level pegging. I also think if we'd took our chances earlier then maybe, just maybe Watford wouldn't of been as impactful and as rowdy as they were.

The heart the team showed in the second half when I thought we were done for, was actually impressive, it certainly showed they'd got it I them to make a comeback. I think it's obvious what the team selection is for next game and it's clear that some of the starters who were starting against the Watford team should not be starting point blank. In fact one lost soul should be resigned permanently to the bench.

We got so much right in the second half that we were unlucky I think to lose all together but we probably deserved to given the big screw up first half.

[TRO]

14 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

Something I think has been lost in all this fall out from the Watford game is that really we threw it all away in a fairly short spell in the first half - which included a *really* flukey second goal for Watford.

The match stats are 62% possession for Villa. 11 shots on goal, vs 13 by Watford.

It was bad, no doubt, but second half we were clearly the better side by some margin.

You can rightly criticise the starting lineup, and the way some of our players performed.

But what I can’t understand is this idea that Smith is just clueless, when he literally fixed what was wrong as the game progressed. That doesn’t seem to me to indicate a manager who’s run out of ideas or doesn’t know how to set his team up!?

No, you are right....its more like a team ill prepared for a competitive game...He said himself the first half was like a friendly.......Dean has to own that. its his team.

A team mirrors their manager, Deans words too....I would guess Dean would not feel comfortable with that lot refelecting on him.

They had 2 fortunate deflections one off Mings and one off Konsa and a speculative shot, that was well executed, by a  player back off loan......but if you give opponents that much space and don't get touch tight, thats what can happen....we lost our man too often in the game.

We have to approach games much better defensively prepared than that.....Our Prep was pants.

[jacketspuds]

I’m sure Smith has come out and said he’s happy with the squad so as to stop teams rinsing us.

However, if we don’t sign anyone else because he genuinely believes it then I have a sneaking suspicion that he won’t be here come the end of the season.

We have some good midfielders, but they are all squad players as opposed to nailed on let’s push for Top 6 central midfielders.

[QldVilla]

The club has been distracted for the past two weeks, our preparation has been poor through cancelled friendlies, key players getting knocks etc..

If Smith is at fault, he has misread the dressing room on the impact on the players of Grealish moving on. He has spoken about leadership the last few days, I didn't see any of that during the game. Players getting knocked off the ball because they are distracted and being passive is the fault of the players.

Hopefully the loss has been a wake up call.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

I know some always try their best to polish a turd.

But I refuse to believe that the combo of

- Jack pissing off

_ Terry leaving

_ ROK leaving

All in the space of a couple of weeks/days hasn't somewhat unsettled us.

Not giving Dean excuses, but I kind of feel for the bloke.

[zab6359]

First game loss......Smith out!

[andyjsg]

He gets a pass from me, didn’t have too many options and half the team that did start didnt look fit to me. I’m not sure that is “on” anyone, I think we have been unfortunate in the pre-season/build up to this game. Hopefully another week and some of the players will be improved but I still think we are a couple of weeks away from being in full flow unfortunately.

[AvfcRigo82]

5 hours ago, QldVilla said:

The club has been distracted for the past two weeks, our preparation has been poor through cancelled friendlies, key players getting knocks etc..

If Smith is at fault, he has misread the dressing room on the impact on the players of Grealish moving on. He has spoken about leadership the last few days, I didn't see any of that during the game. Players getting knocked off the ball because they are distracted and being passive is the fault of the players.

Hopefully the loss has been a wake up call.

There's bound to be a bit of unrest.

I echo what @JAMAICAN-VILLAN rightly states in his recent post.

For many parts last season the team struggled when Grealish got injured.

So far this season we've now lost Grealish altogether. Add to that, we've also seen RO'K and JT leave the staff. That is going to have an impact for sure.

It' a huge blow but It's down to Dean now to do his best to try and get through this and weather the storm.