Dean Smith

[Jas10]

 

[Davkaus]

6 minutes ago, MWARLEY2 said:

 

They have ploughed a fortune into the club both on and off the field. But if they are hugely ambitious why would that stop now. Have they realised that its a closed shop that even they cannot break into ? are they taking stock and agreeing that no more than 7 players including Carney and Jaden should be integrated into a first team squad in a season ? 

Or are they happy to spend more but not at the new prices being touted due to our Greedish cash? 

 

 

I wonder if they and Smith think this team is good enough to take the next incremental step up to putting up a good fight for Europe, and they think that'll attract us a better class of player next season that'll be a better use of cash within the confines of FFP?

[Davkaus]

Lovely video, that is, I love the spirit in this team. Bit surprised Luiz was speaking through an interpretor though 

[hippo]

21 hours ago, briny_ear said:

I think this discussion is a bit pointless since it’s all speculation. 

But your account of Grealish’s massive improvement onwards from December 2018 seems to miss out a key factor. He himself  has said many times that his potentially life-threatening kidney injury in July 2017 led him to take a much more serious approach to the game, to get fitter and stronger, and to focus more on becoming an excellent footballer.

The impact of this change was seen in 2017-8 as he helped get us to the playoffs, and again, more markedly, in 2018-9. He was obviously a transformed character when he started playing again in December 2017.

Any praise for Dean Smith in “making jack successful” has to be seen in this context. Worth mentioning that he has also many times name-checked John Terry as a particular influence in helping him improve.

Tbf to Dean - I don't think many players have gone backwards under him.

Target/Konsa  were  on the fringes of the England squad last year. Watkins got an England cap.

After a poor start BT put in some good performances last season.

I think DS knows how to coach a player.

[blandy]

PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC.

This is not the NSWE thread, the where will we finish thread or the why can't Douggie speak English thread.

[Dave-R]

I think Dean has made many players at Villa much more better.

Dean will be learning for a good while, I spose it's an ever evolving job in what he does and the main importance is that he continues on upwards. If Villa are to succeed then while Dean is at Villa then Dean himself has to also suceed, same goes with the players success they are all unified.

Smith helped make Jack the player he is no doubt about that, Smith has to see Jack as the beast he merely rode upon for a while.

Smith I am sure will continue to grow, however he will have some downers along the way and it could for all we know this season be his downer season. If we end up going backwards then for me I can accept Smith staying on and not rush him out the door all because he had a crap season. We have to buy into the plan and the plan is getting these new players in and making them successful and in turn have them make the club successful. If by any reason our players can't do a mid table finish, we do have to take into account that its first season back after Covid, that we may struggle to get some away wins where last season we was fairly successful at it.

If we don't get Europe I'll see it as we simply need more work, projects don't happen straight away and we need to be patient. For me I still think we need some stability in terms of finishes. We have become stronger at pulling off a few midtable finishes regular each season before progress can be achieved. Progress will happen over time, we will see that I am sure so long as money is continued to be pump I to the club.

[useless]

Hopefully today's the day that Smith brings in a new assistant

[briny_ear]

1 hour ago, hippo said:

Tbf to Dean - I don't think many players have gone backwards under him.

Target/Konsa  were  on the fringes of the England squad last year. Watkins got an England cap.

After a poor start BT put in some good performances last season.

I think DS knows how to coach a player.

I didn't ever say that Smith can't coach players. I just objected to the absolute statement that Smith made Grealish the player he is. Grealish had got his head sorted and was making step changes in his fitness levels and game focus to enhance his obvious natural ability well before Smith arrived. 

I guess the worry about Smith is if he is able to convert his undoubted potential-spotting and player-coaching abilities into winning football. He was lucky to have an exceptional player like Grealish over the past three seasons. Last season when Grealish was out we played some woeful football. Now we wait to see if he can do it without Jack.

[villalad21]

If you look at all the pl managers would Smith rank in the top 10?

If Smith was sacked or left would any top 10 club be in for him? 

If the answer to those questions is a no then there is a problem. At least for me. 

I want villa to have best in class. Or at least strive to have it. 

Smith is absolutely fine for now but when does the time come when mid table just won't cut it anymore? 

Edited August 18, 2021 by villalad21

[barry'sboots]

I'm not convinced by Smith.

I hope that I am wrong because he is one of our own/he is living the dream and he genuinely seems like a nice bloke.

However, I don't think, from what I have seen, that he is on the same level as Rodgers, Klopp, Bielsa, Conte, Tuchel and a few others and, if we aspire to challenge for Champions League in the next couple of seasons then I think we will need someone who operates at that level.

Smith has time to prove me wrong as he will get this season, I believe, but he needs to deliver.  That doesn't mean European football, for me, BUT it does mean a clarity of vision reflected in evolving performances.  I want to see development across this season; answers found to issues; a consistent style of play but with tactical flex around injuries/rotation/opposition; and a feel that things are coming together without Jack.

I have felt that Smith is a streaky manager and his streaks have tended to revolve around Jack's fitness.  Last season many claimed that was due to the paucity of options in creative areas but I think we have now addressed this to a large extent (although I would still like one more - Damsgaard in/AEG out would be great imho).  Equally, I think our squad was capable of better performances than we put in, irrespective of results, last season.  We struggled without Jack and this continued on Saturday with a shocking first half.  Many on here are saying that he addressed it at half time and deserves credit for that.  I would argue that he wouldn't have needed to address it if he had got it right in the first place: (1) that midfield was always going to be exposed against a typically physical team playing their first home game in the PL and in front of their first crowd in 16 months; (2) AEG has never done anything on the RW (I don't believe he does that much more on the left); and (3) Matt Target has had a poor/disrupted pre-season whilst Ash has been good - we should have started with a team similar to the back 5 and midfield that we finished with with Buendia (RW) and JPB (LW) either side of Ings.  I think many of us would have felt that way and again I am left confused as to why Smith didn't!!

Player recruitment and development has been good over the last couple of years BUT it is not clear to me how much of a part Smith plays in this - he is clearly one component part - and as a consequence it is difficult to give him direct credit for it. 

Let's hope he can prove my doubts wrong and that his management skills progress with the team and carry us in the direction we and the owners want.

[NIVillan]

We seem to accept that players have to adapt and improve when they come from outside the Premier League, whether transfers or promotion.

Well Managers have to learn their trade as well.  In that Dean Smith has shown the ability to learn and tweak his beliefs.  Best example is that when we went into lockdown the team was in big trouble.  He took that time to review and decide on a different plan of action that kept us up.   Again improved of the close season that for most of last season we were a much better team.

 

[barry'sboots]

28 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

If you look at all the pl managers would Smith rank in the top 10?

If Smith was sacked or left would any top 10 club be in for him? 

If the answer to those questions is a no then there is a problem. At least for me. 

I want villa to have best in class. Or at least strive to have it. 

Smith is absolutely fine for now but when does the time come when mid table just won't cut it anymore? 

I agree.  I think if we don't see progression this year - and progression doesn't necessarily mean Europe for me but rather the development of a cohesive style of play with tactical flex and a clear vision on the way forward (all without he who shall not be mentioned!) - then I think his position will be under threat and NSWE would be justified in seeking a different management solution.  Let's hope we don't get there and Dean continues his and the team's development and progression and he, like Konsa, Martinez and Jack before (and hopefully several other players) moves into that elite bracket. 

[villalad21]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

Not this season, I don't think....thats my view, the owners might be different.

I would take mid-table now.

What has come out from the manager and players and I'm sure the owners is progression every season.

Mid table this season wouldn't be progression.

Think it was a big mistake of Smith to come out in the public saying a better finish than last season and aims for Europe is the target. Putting unnecessary pressure on himself.

Had they come out and said this will be a transitional season because of all the new players and Jack leaving, a huge amount of the pressure would be off. But fact is they haven't. So the aims and expectations are actually pretty clear.

I think we have a squad good enough to finish 10th and that's where I'd like for us to finish. 

[TRO]

On 17/08/2021 at 04:43, danceoftheshamen said:

I think we are about to see for sure what DS is truly made of. 

I cannot disagree with some of the posts above that over a considerable number of games without that bloke who used to play for us who left for a scummy 6 team the other week, the performances have been that of relegation candidates. That really is undeniable. However the real test for DS is now. He has lost his right hand man and his big name assistant JT and we got off to an awful start after an atrocious pre season. Some players look unfit & off the pace and even worse just not "at it". 

New players have come in and even yesterday we still had players turning back up after extended breaks (Luiz). Injuries have also disrupted things (Sanson, Watkins & Buendia in Pre season). Other players have not come up to scratch (Wesley).

So this really is where we find out about Dean Smith. He has to try to gel this new team together minus two of his most trusted coaches & with effectively little to no Pre season and a poor opening day result & performance. He also has to try to somehow integrate the youngsters and deliver a European push.

I will watch with great interest and reserve any judgement until the time is right. Pressure is most definately on mind!

 

What we don't know is what is said and what conversations go on behind the scenes......

I undertstand the context of what is put forward by consistent improvement...in terms of league positions, it is. In terms of the play itself I am not so sure.....We still show traits in games that have not improved.

1 Game in is early to be too critical, but the issues in that first half were worrying, basic errors, particularly positional was alarming.....why can't the manager and Captain call these out, what is a CDM doing galavanting up field,leaving the defence exposed.

Dean talks about it, like its nothing to do with him....they are playing to his instructions, and if they are not, he has to let them know during the game, after is too late.

I think it will be a very interesting time for Dean, as you know I am at odds with him over the No6 role, but agree with him on other things,like bringing a striker in,so we will see if he can turn it around, I sincerely hope he gets it right.

Edited August 18, 2021 by TRO

[sheepyvillian]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

What we don't know is what is said and what conversations go on behind the scenes......

I undertstand the context of what is put forward by consistent improvement...in terms of league positions, it is. In terms of the play itself I am not so sure.....We still show traits in games that have not improved.

1 Game in is early to be too critical, but the issues in that first half were worrying, basic errors, particularly positional was alarming.....why can't the manager and Captain call these out, what is a CDM doing galavanting up field,leaving the defence exposed.

Dean talks about it, like its nothing to do with him....they are playing to his instructions, and if they are not, he has to let them know during the game, after is too late.

I think it will be a very interesting time for Dean, as you know I am at odds with him over the No6 role, but agree with him on other things,like bringing a striker in,so we will see if he can turn it around, I sincerely hope he gets it right.

Of course they're playing to his instructions and if they fail to carry out those instructions then that's on the player responsible. I imagine that's why Targett was taken off. Where's the evidence that he doesn't communicate to his players during the game ? You heard Dan Bardell saying that Dean Smith was screaming at Matty Cash to get forward, is that not an instruction ? I also listened to that podcast and Dan at no time mentioned in what context of the game it was when Dean was issuing that instruction to Matty Cash and yet you said it was madness for him to tell Cash to get forward when he was so occupied with whoever he was marking. Well, if I had to guess, I would say it was highly likely at a time when we were attempting to get ourselves back in the game, then it would make perfect sense for him to be telling Cash to get forward. Where has Dean intimated that the players performances are nothing to do with him ? He can only send the players out to play, how they perform is down to them, and if they don't perform to the manager's liking then they will face the consequences, hence Targett and El Ghazi being replaced. 

Turn what around exactly?  As there been some catastrophe that I've missed ? We lost our first game of the season and the players were rightly called out by the manager for a lacklustre first- half display. If our league position is consistently improving then it's stands to reason so must our displays. We are getting where we want to be, yes there's still a way to go, but these things require patience and faith. I'm glad I have both in abundance. 

 

[blandy]

Please use the General club football chat thread for Guardiola/Mourinho/West Brom's game last night etc. discussion and STAY ON TOPIC in here.

[VillanousOne]

So one loss at Watford and a week without signings, JT and another coach leaves and according to many:

The owners have lost their faith in Dean and are setting him up to fail
One of the owners is selling up and pocketing the money from Gresford rather than re-invest
Sanson is actually one of the alien lizards from the TV show  'V' and that is why he is 'perpetually injured , lightweight, not suited to the Prem and rubbish'

Happy days

[Follyfoot]

6 minutes ago, VillanousOne said:

So one loss at Watford and a week without signings, JT and another coach leaves and according to many:

The owners have lost their faith in Dean and are setting him up to fail
One of the owners is selling up and pocketing the money from Gresford rather than re-invest
Sanson is actually one of the alien lizards from the TV show  'V' and that is why he is 'perpetually injured , lightweight, not suited to the Prem and rubbish'

Happy days

In tears, Mrs Follyfoot  just called up to make sure I was okay, almost pissed myself

Diana was the one in V if I recall

Edited August 19, 2021 by Follyfoot

[DCJonah]

25 minutes ago, VillanousOne said:

So one loss at Watford and a week without signings, JT and another coach leaves and according to many:

The owners have lost their faith in Dean and are setting him up to fail
One of the owners is selling up and pocketing the money from Gresford rather than re-invest
Sanson is actually one of the alien lizards from the TV show  'V' and that is why he is 'perpetually injured , lightweight, not suited to the Prem and rubbish'

Happy days

It's absolutely unreal on here at times. 

[leemond2008]

44 minutes ago, VillanousOne said:

Sanson is actually one of the alien lizards from the TV show  'V' and that is why he is 'perpetually injured , lightweight, not suited to the Prem and rubbish'

or......