Dean Smith

[HKP90]

8 hours ago, Phil Silvers said:

 

Indeed.

[VillaChris]

18 hours ago, Xela said:

What I love about the team now is that they all seem to really get on with each other. No conflicts or egos in there at all from what we can see. We've had bad eggs in the squad going back a few years, now everyone just seems to be mates and enjoying life at Villa. 

Recruitment is key for that... it's about getting the right characters in. Smith is key to all this. 

Been same at likes of Walsall. I know it's a lower level but he obviously puts the time in really looking at characters of players we want to sign and seen in last decade it's not an easy thing to do.

What I love about someone like Bailey coming in is he has the mentality and swagger of wanting to really win, look at how he was demanding the ball as soon as he came on yesterday. Key is always having a good squad of people and 2-3 players who really lift standards and drive players on so Bailey, Mings and Martinez are three of those and would be good to sign a couple more in next few windows. Not just content to finish 8th-9th but want to play in europe and win trophies.

That will finally be how we push on as a club to the mythical next level.

[TRO]

8 hours ago, hippo said:

I've doubted him from day 1 !!!! - don't know why he always looks like he has hit a ceiling.  That said to knock what he has done for this club would just be plain daft. That first season when we crashed landed in the prem - with very few decent permanent players on the books - to cobble a prem team together in a few short weeks and stay up was a massive achievement. 

Can he pull the rabbit out of the hat and create a decent team without our star player Jack ????? To quote another of our great managers 

"Do you want to bet against us ? " (Or him)!

I think he is a manager, who is still learning, but more importantly, wants to learn.

This is evident in the incremental progress we make....sure there will be dips, but the overall, is steady growth.

It is evident Dean wants Villa to grow, with the actions he makes....The rate of growth is also prudently planned.

I thought yesterday, was one of his best games in terms of tactical awareness.

[Made In Aston]

During his time as manager Ive seen various good aspects but limitations as well. As time has progressed Ive started to see fewer of the latter. He has definitely improved and I believe he will continue to do so. I'm happy keep him and see what journey he can take us on and wouldn't swap him for anybody at this moment in time. 

[Keyblade]

19 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think he is a manager, who is still learning, but more importantly, wants to learn.

This is evident in the incremental progress we make....sure there will be dips, but the overall, is steady growth.

It is evident Dean wants Villa to grow, with the actions he makes....The rate of growth is also prudently planned.

I thought yesterday, was one of his best games in terms of tactical awareness.

I think incremental progress is doing him a disservice. Only Crewe Alexandra have climbed the English football ladder more than Villa since Smith joined. It's been a monumental rise from Championship midtable to PL midtable in 3 years.

[DCJonah]

5 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

I think incremental progress is doing him a disservice. Only Crewe Alexandra have climbed the English football ladder more than Villa since Smith joined. It's been a monumental rise from Championship midtable to PL midtable in 3 years.

Yes. I don't know why this gets downplayed. 

[Spoony]

It’s so nice seeing the same manager all the time. I have so much faith in him that we could be smacked 8-0 and him not being the one wouldn’t cross my mind. Usually we’d have been through 3-4 by now during his tenure but he just is the Villa manager. Hope he can Fergie it and end up with a statue. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

14 minutes ago, Spoony said:

It’s so nice seeing the same manager all the time. I have so much faith in him that we could be smacked 8-0 and him not being the one wouldn’t cross my mind. Usually we’d have been through 3-4 by now during his tenure but he just is the Villa manager. Hope he can Fergie it and end up with a statue. 

I'm a bit bored to be honest, playing progress isn't enough, he needs to improve in all facets.

I'm hoping next season he buys a custom Gilet he can toss around every now and then.

Possibly an AVFC branded bucket he can sit on, at the sidelines from time to time and the occasional bag or bottle kicking wouldn't go amiss.

[Xela]

Another thing I like about the team, and I'm trying not to sound 'Farage' like, but Its the fact the core of the team is mainly British and is complimented with some top quality overseas talent, like Martinez, Luiz, Bailey, Buendia, etc. Add in the fact we have a local manager and some local young talent coming through like Ramsey, makes me feel like I have more of a connection with the team.

I look at Wolves, and their model, and while it has worked for them, I can't help but feel the players are only there because they have a particular agent and have no real feeling for the club. Whereas I look at the Villa player reactions like Cash yesterday and listening to Mings, McGinn and Martinez, you get the sense they love being here and part of the Villa team. 

Maybe I'm just being an old romantic!

 

[Zatman]

3 hours ago, DCJonah said:

Yes. I don't know why this gets downplayed. 

I know its a cliche at this stage but if he had an exotic name he would be linked with the top jobs. Dean Smith its not really a sexy name but he is the best English manager at the moment 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 hour ago, Xela said:

Another thing I like about the team, and I'm trying not to sound 'Farage' like, but Its the fact the core of the team is mainly British and is complimented with some top quality overseas talent, like Martinez, Luiz, Bailey, Buendia, etc. Add in the fact we have a local manager and some local young talent coming through like Ramsey, makes me feel like I have more of a connection with the team.

I look at Wolves, and their model, and while it has worked for them, I can't help but feel the players are only there because they have a particular agent and have no real feeling for the club. Whereas I look at the Villa player reactions like Cash yesterday and listening to Mings, McGinn and Martinez, you get the sense they love being here and part of the Villa team. 

Maybe I'm just being an old romantic!

 

Nah I'm not even British and I totally get it mate.

For example, I couldn't stand being Arsenal at one point, where you're basically a French team!

You're supposed to be an ENGLISH team after all?!

I like the British core with exotic sprinklings. I reckon Deano and board like this as well, modern old school?

Edited September 19, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

21 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I know its a cliche at this stage but if he had an exotic name he would be linked with the top jobs. Dean Smith its not really a sexy name but he is the best English manager at the moment 

As someone else chimed in a couple days ago, when you need some excitement,  just call him Schmidt, Dean Schmidt. Lol

[Spoony]

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

I know its a cliche at this stage but if he had an exotic name he would be linked with the top jobs. Dean Smith its not really a sexy name but he is the best English manager at the moment 

It’s actually hard to come up with a more boring name. It’s the kind of name you’d use as an offhand example.

”Say there was this guy…I dunno, let’s call him Dean Smith…”

[fruitvilla]

How about something like: The Dean of Villa Park?

[ozvillafan]

43 minutes ago, fruitvilla said:

How about something like: The Dean of Villa Park?

Maybe Doyen Smith?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 hours ago, Spoony said:

It’s actually hard to come up with a more boring name. It’s the kind of name you’d use as an offhand example.

”Say there was this guy…I dunno, let’s call him Dean Smith…”

Welp, I had a proper reason to hate the name the moment he was in the running.

Had a massive fight, with a " friend " at the time, who was trying to shag my girlfriend on the sly, around the same time.

I shit you not, his name was Dean Smith ( South African word removed )

[peterw]

let's not use (Villa fan) Potter as a convenient excuse to not give Smith praise. He out thought Tuchel and out thought Benitez. He said that Everton wouldn't come to use with 3 at the back and I honestly think he doubled bluffed them into playing a system he wanted them to play. They were quite narrow and we just tried to play around them. Pushed higher second-half on the wings and got our rewards. In what other games would you see the wing-backs replaced by wingers (okay 60 mins and 85 mins in, but you get the point)?

[Peter Griffin]

9 hours ago, Zatman said:

I know its a cliche at this stage but if he had an exotic name he would be linked with the top jobs. Dean Smith its not really a sexy name but he is the best English manager at the moment 

I don't believe that for a second. Football clubs appoint managers based on their CV, whether that be playing or as a manager. Smith hasn't got the CV to get him a top job (yet).

[osmark86]

12 hours ago, Keyblade said:

I think incremental progress is doing him a disservice. Only Crewe Alexandra have climbed the English football ladder more than Villa since Smith joined. It's been a monumental rise from Championship midtable to PL midtable in 3 years.

To be fair to Tro "incremental progress" is still a correct way of viewing it as it doesn't consider the rate of progress. But I agree that in DS' case the progress made has been absolutely phenomenal and I cannot fathom how some of us don't see this.

[Peter Griffin]

48 minutes ago, peterw said:

He out thought Tuchel

We lost 3-0, yes we were great in the 1st half but TT changed tactics in the 2nd half and won the game.