Dean Smith

[Sulberto21]

11 hours ago, Enda said:

That’s funny.

Last year you reckoned Moyes was “such an uninspiring manager” that West Ham would finish 19th (pic attached) and seemingly held that view for some time because in September of the same year (nine months later) you posted (Link) that West Ham’s “board should sack him” immediately... but then six months later (link) you were saying Moyes was doing an “exceptional job” and now they’re far “more balanced” than us.

It’s almost like you’re routinely wrong and have zero consistency.

Now that's dedication.

[Mantis]

I think people are underestimating the impact of missing Watkins has had. He's crucial to how we play and last season was arguably almost as important as Mike Lubb. Worth remembering that even those games when Lubb was out we still had Watkins.

We were pretty average against Brentford but I don't think we looked any worse than we did last season when we were playing with a full-strength team minus Lubb. When you consider how many players were out against Brentford, that gives me reasons to be optimistic.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Mantis

[Sulberto21]

Just now, Mantis said:

I think people are underestimating the impact of missing Watkins has had. He's crucial to how we play and last season was arguably almost as important as Mike Lubb. Worth remembering that even those games when Lubb was out we still had Watkins.

Watkins is our best signing for many years. Warms the ol' cockles when he's on the pitch.

[villalad21]

9 minutes ago, Mantis said:

I think people are underestimating the impact of missing Watkins has had. He's crucial to how we play and last season was arguably almost as important as Mike Lubb. Worth remembering that even those games when Lubb was out we still had Watkins.

We were pretty average against Brentford but I don't think we looked any worse than we did last season when we were playing with a full-strength team minus Lubb. When you consider how many players were out against Brentford, that gives me reasons to be optimistic.

Watkins isn't a creator. Guy need service and we are barely creating chances. 

Can't see him making much of a difference. We just look like Villa without Grealish atm. 

[Rightdm00]

Missing both Traore and Bailey. Buendia still rounding into form. Of course we aren't creating chances. We are missing the majority of our chance creators. 

Look at this chart from last season which shows SCA or shot creating actions from football reference then take a look at our starting lineup from Saturday. 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Rightdm00

[Davkaus]

10 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said:

 

Look at this chart 

 

Could you provide a link or a version with the column headers? Not being snarky, I genuinely have no idea what those numbers mean.

[Rightdm00]

2 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

Could you provide a link or a version with the column headers? Not being snarky, I genuinely have no idea what those numbers mean.

https://fbref.com/en/squads/8602292d/2020-2021/Aston-Villa-Stats

Scroll down to Goal and Shot Creation. 

[Xela]

1 hour ago, PussEKatt said:

In that case why were we flat in the first half V Watford and didnt come to life till way after 60 min V Brentford.Look at he top teams ( Liverpool,ManUre etc etc ) they play like they really want to win right from the start.

Sometimes it just happens? Liverpool lost 7-2 to us last season. Man Ure last 6-1 at home to Spurs.

100% consistency is near impossible

[KentVillan]

1 hour ago, PussEKatt said:

In that case why were we flat in the first half V Watford and didnt come to life till way after 60 min V Brentford.Look at he top teams ( Liverpool,ManUre etc etc ) they play like they really want to win right from the start.

Are people who say stuff like this actually watching the top teams regularly? Man Utd were piss poor against Wolves yesterday.

A sluggish start to a season when you’ve had to make a few signings is pretty common. Happens to loads of clubs, including those with top managers.

As for this idea that Brentford are relegation fodder - they’re unbeaten in 3 games. Assuming they keep Toney fit, they could easily do another Shef Utd - physical, organised football that’s hard to beat. We put out a 17 year old in centre mid and a CB who’s barely played any football for two years, and still merited a point.

I just don’t get all the posturing about us being shit, our manager being shit, various players being shit. It reeks of small man / Gordon Ramsay syndrome, trying to look tough and demanding. It’s just boring.

[Zatman]

1 minute ago, KentVillan said:

Are people who say stuff like this actually watching the top teams regularly? Man Utd were piss poor against Wolves yesterday.

A sluggish start to a season when you’ve had to make a few signings is pretty common. Happens to loads of clubs, including those with top managers.

As for this idea that Brentford are relegation fodder - they’re unbeaten in 3 games. Assuming they keep Toney fit, they could easily do another Shef Utd - physical, organised football that’s hard to beat. We put out a 17 year old in centre mid and a CB who’s barely played any football for two years, and still merited a point.

I just don’t get all the posturing about us being shit, our manager being shit, various players being shit. It reeks of small man / Gordon Ramsay syndrome, trying to look tough and demanding. It’s just boring.

United struggled last 2 games, Liverpool as well against Burnley. City lost the opening game and well Arsenal

[Mantis]

55 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Watkins isn't a creator. Guy need service and we are barely creating chances. 

Can't see him making much of a difference. We just look like Villa without Grealish atm. 

"Can't see him making much of a difference"

Really? REALLY? You honestly believe our top scorer last season and one of our all-round best performers who is vital to how we play "won't make much of a difference"?

May as well just concede the season already.

[KentVillan]

7 minutes ago, Zatman said:

United struggled last 2 games, Liverpool as well against Burnley. City lost the opening game and well Arsenal

Don’t let facts get in the way of a rant!

[villalad21]

6 minutes ago, Mantis said:

"Can't see him making much of a difference"

Really? REALLY? You honestly believe our top scorer last season and one of our all-round best performers who is vital to how we play "won't make much of a difference"?

May as well just concede the season already.

Didn't score as much when Grealish was out though did he? 

As mentioned he need service 

[Risso]

Well he came on and had two good chances against Brentford.

[Laughable Chimp]

1 hour ago, Rightdm00 said:

Missing both Traore and Bailey. Buendia still rounding into form. Of course we aren't creating chances. We are missing the majority of our chance creators. 

Look at this chart from last season which shows SCA or shot creating actions from football reference then take a look at our starting lineup from Saturday. 

A bit misleading if you don't look at in per 90 terms.

Here's the list in per 90 terms. Wesley can be ignored outright due to playing something less than 20 minutes total screwing up the stat.

More tentatively, Davis and Hourihane can be ignored as well due to playing so little. I will say though that looking at previous seasons where they played more, their shot creation stats have always been rather high however. Hourihane gets them because his deadballs end up creating quite a lot of shots for us. In fact, prior to him being shipped out on loan he was doing that pretty well in that category in the very few games he had for us hence why he ranks so high on this list.

Davis is also a good shot creator and its one of the reasons why I like him so much. He might not be the final goalscorer, or even the assister, but when he gets on the pitch in those final 10 minutes there's no denying that he makes things happen and creates chances. Davis got a lot of flack for that time he was starting for us in that season we nearly got relegated but his GCA90 was the highest out of anyone in the squad, even higher than Jack Grealish. Roughly, the stat is basically saying that Davis created the most goals for us per 90 minutes when he was playing. He just does not get them in assists, but he is involved in the action right before the final assist.

Barkley is probably the most controversial one on that list. But his shot creation stats last season even in other categories were genuinely rather high and probably explains why Smith was so insistent in playing him at times. That said, there's also quite some evidence that the team was worse with him on the pitch than without. Its because of this that I think Barkley could perhaps shine better in a team where he does not need to put in the shift defensively. A luxury player if you will.

El Ghazi is another controversial one. But seeing how his SCA90 is basically the same as Traore is one of the reasons why I think him having no assists last season was just due to bad luck more than anything. I don't buy the idea that El Ghazi does not create chances and can only score goals. Historically it has not been a problem for him. 

Not much to say about the other 2. We all know Grealish was our best shot creator and Mcginn is our best shot creator from midfield.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Laughable Chimp

[Zatman]

14 minutes ago, Mantis said:

"Can't see him making much of a difference"

Really? REALLY? You honestly believe our top scorer last season and one of our all-round best performers who is vital to how we play "won't make much of a difference"?

May as well just concede the season already.

Same poster said Watkins would never get injured. Hardly an expert ok anything

[DCJonah]

If you think Watkins on the pitch doesn't add anything then I don't know where to start. 

Imagine the space he will create for Danny Ings. Imagine us on the break with him, Bailey and Buendia storming forward. 

Of course it's going to be better than what we've seen so far. 

[Rightdm00]

40 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

A bit misleading if you don't look at in per 90 terms.

Here's the list in per 90 terms. Wesley can be ignored outright due to playing something less than 20 minutes total screwing up the stat.

More tentatively, Davis and Hourihane can be ignored as well due to playing so little. I will say though that looking at previous seasons where they played more, their shot creation stats have always been rather high however. Hourihane gets them because his deadballs end up creating quite a lot of shots for us. In fact, prior to him being shipped out on loan he was doing that pretty well in that category in the very few games he had for us hence why he ranks so high on this list.

Davis is also a good shot creator and its one of the reasons why I like him so much. He might not be the final goalscorer, or even the assister, but when he gets on the pitch in those final 10 minutes there's no denying that he makes things happen and creates chances. Davis got a lot of flack for that time he was starting for us in that season we nearly got relegated but his GCA90 was the highest out of anyone in the squad, even higher than Jack Grealish. Roughly, the stat is basically saying that Davis created the most goals for us per 90 minutes when he was playing. He just does not get them in assists, but he is involved in the action right before the final assist.

Barkley is probably the most controversial one on that list. But his shot creation stats last season even in other categories were genuinely rather high and probably explains why Smith was so insistent in playing him at times. That said, there's also quite some evidence that the team was worse with him on the pitch than without. Its because of this that I think Barkley could perhaps shine better in a team where he does not need to put in the shift defensively. A luxury player if you will.

El Ghazi is another controversial one. But seeing how his SCA90 is basically the same as Traore is one of the reasons why I think him having no assists last season was just due to bad luck more than anything. I don't buy the idea that El Ghazi does not create chances and can only score goals. Historically it has not been a problem for him. 

Not much to say about the other 2. We all know Grealish was our best shot creator and Mcginn is our best shot creator from midfield.

 

 

Leon Bailey averaged 4.12 SCAs per 90. That would easily put him top for our current sauad.  Our creativity really still hasn't had a chance to round into form given injuries and covid quarantine requirements. 

When you look at our purchases we have more then covered the creative influence of Jack. Just need them to get on the pitch together. 

[WHY]

Fear the worse for Deano if our owners expectations are for a top half finish this season. We will do very well to equal last seasons 11th place finish imo.  

Edited August 30, 2021 by WHY

[MWARLEY2]

I am not slagging Dean off BUT i do have a question. Do you think that another manager might be far more vocal in pressurising the board to bring more players in . Dean says he is happy with the balance of the squad but is that a weakness of his ?  Does his lower league experience and lack of experience fighting at the top of the premier league for European places mean that he is always more likely to bow to the board rather than challenge them . Other managers know exactly what is needed whereas Dean doesnt ?  Which is why he thinks we are 18 months behind a schedule that would have meant we could have kept Mike Lubb ?