abdulaziz1 Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 7 minutes ago, nick76 said: Maybe he did but we didn’t see it because Jack got praise for it when it was success but Smith got the blame when it was failure, there wasn’t a little balance there. You don’t go on runs like we have or beat Liverpool 7-2 because of one player. Yes Jack was incredible for us and most things went through him and he was a massive catalyst for us but our bad run of form last season started before Jack got injured. Smith is getting some of the credit now he probably also deserved from some quarters last season but back then Jack got all the plaudits. No one can take the credit out of him. It’s just the fact that he couldn’t show the same thing when Grealish isn’t playing. But to be honest we were hard to beat even without Jack, but again we barely win. So something was missing. Now it’s totally different. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macandally Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 3 hours ago, Delphinho123 said: Deano doing the business yet again. I wonder if the Grealish transfer has somehow helped him a little too. He can play different formations and play different systems where everything doesn’t have to go through Jack. Exactly this, financially and tactically we created a monster, now, we are a team where everyone is equal, no superstar egos, just hard working, tactically aware quality all across the pitch. “No I in team” and I think that got lost somewhere with Gresford. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post macandally Posted September 25, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted September 25, 2021 16 minutes ago, abdulaziz1 said: No one can take the credit out of him. It’s just the fact that he couldn’t show the same thing when Grealish isn’t playing. But to be honest we were hard to beat even without Jack, but again we barely win. So something was missing. Now it’s totally different. So it’s Deans fault the squad depth wasn’t there? We had to buy and bed-in a new team on promotion, some of that didn’t or took time to gel. We then added quality second season on top of what we had, this year we lost our “superstar” and built strength in depth. I find the lack of respect appalling, he has dealt with every challenge he has faced. He is absolutely the right fit for this club now and moving forward, they are all learning and developing together. There will be bumps along the way, but he has changed the whole culture across the club, give the man the credit he deserves. 9 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 (edited) For me one of the most impressive things about Smith is that since the beginning of last season, for the very first time as a Villa fan, I've seen us regularly go away to top teams and go toe-to-toe with them. Under all recent previous managers any wins against top teams we got were almost always smash and grabs. We don't always get a result obviously but we genuinely dominate a large majority of games now. We simply never used to do that. Edited September 25, 2021 by Mantis 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulaziz1 Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 15 minutes ago, macandally said: So it’s Deans fault the squad depth wasn’t there? We had to buy and bed-in a new team on promotion, some of that didn’t or took time to gel. We then added quality second season on top of what we had, this year we lost our “superstar” and built strength in depth. I find the lack of respect appalling, he has dealt with every challenge he has faced. He is absolutely the right fit for this club now and moving forward, they are all learning and developing together. There will be bumps along the way, but he has changed the whole culture across the club, give the man the credit he deserves. It was his fault to play Barkley for around games until he realized he isn’t up for it. Yes he had some decisions which he could’ve done better. Some of them such Barkley one he himself approved it. In the Championship it was the same. We were good, Jack out we were bad. Comes back then win again. How can we not doubt that? Now he showed what he can do without Jack. Wether that’s because he’s free in mind and think beyond Jack? Or whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulaziz1 Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 1 minute ago, Mantis said: For me one of the most impressive things about Smith is that since the beginning of last season, for the very first time as a Villa fan, I've seen us regularly go away to top teams and go toe-to-toe with them. Under all recent previous managers any wins against top teams we got were almost always smash and grabs. We don't always get a result obviously but we genuinely dominate a large majority of games now. We simply never used to do that. Add to that the fact we’ve been hard to beat. Even when we’re down such as Southampton last season 4-0, or Watford this season, we somehow get back to the game. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam-AVFC Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 I don't think a single fan thinks he has done everything perfectly since he's been here. What some of us find weird is there's still so much 'constructive criticism' of past seasons getting posted immediately after our 2nd victory against Utd in over 20 years. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 Continues to do a great job. Great team around him as well with Shakey, Danksy, Cuts and Nanny McPhee. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouUnastanFren Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 25 minutes ago, Sam-AVFC said: I don't think a single fan thinks he has done everything perfectly since he's been here. What some of us find weird is there's still so much 'constructive criticism' of past seasons getting posted immediately after our 2nd victory against Utd in over 20 years. For some people there is a stigma attached to changing your mind and admitting an error. Overwhelming evidence that opposes their position leads to a subconscious need to redefine the parameters of the discussion in order for them to be able to tell themselves they are still correct. Smith has been condemned to failure because of one (often imaginary) unconquerable shortfall or another more times than I can count. Each time he has proved the claim wrong. The steadfast inability to change stance will mean this will continue to happen however far he takes us. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 57 minutes ago, abdulaziz1 said: It was his fault to play Barkley for around games until he realized he isn’t up for it. Yes he had some decisions which he could’ve done better. Some of them such Barkley one he himself approved it. In the Championship it was the same. We were good, Jack out we were bad. Comes back then win again. How can we not doubt that? Now he showed what he can do without Jack. Wether that’s because he’s free in mind and think beyond Jack? Or whatever. Quite easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 Can’t fault him right now. Keep making me eat crow Dean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolta Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, abdulaziz1 said: No one can take the credit out of him. It’s just the fact that he couldn’t show the same thing when Grealish isn’t playing. But to be honest we were hard to beat even without Jack, but again we barely win. So something was missing. Now it’s totally different. To be really fair our problems last year began after our covid break when Grealish was still playing. With Grealish we were pretty shit then. That suggests covid was a bigger problem than we realised. Edited September 25, 2021 by Rolta 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stockport_Villain Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 This lad is learning and could get us where we all want to be. Come on Deano! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villastine Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 (edited) As a Villa fan when I go into every game believing we can win then I know we've a very good manager and very good team. But this time I think with these owners, this team and youngsters and Dean himself our ceiling could be higher. I'd love it so much if he can lead us to top 6. I think he can. Edited September 26, 2021 by Villastine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post QldVilla Posted September 26, 2021 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted September 26, 2021 It’s early days into the season, but really excited to see how it unfolds. Villa has now knocked off 8 of the top 10 teams in the PL over the past 18 months which shows we are being consistently competitive and the team now has self belief. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the development of the team over the past 3 years since Smith’s appointment has been outstanding. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Rolta said: To be really fair our problems last year began after our covid break when Grealish was still playing. With Grealish we were pretty shit then. That suggests covid was a bigger problem than we realised. Yeah the problem was lack of squad depth. We were playing poorly then because teams started playing 2 RBs against Jack and we didn't have any personnel to counter that, on the pitch or on the bench. Now we have threats all over the pitch, and on the bench so we're a completely different proposition. Not so predictable anymore. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 Imagine the boost Dean and the lads will have taken from this? How long before he starts taking the piss, and sending us out 4 - 2 - 4 with all the forwards fit? lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Spoony Posted September 26, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted September 26, 2021 If anyone says “smith out” or “subs” another time in 2021, I will go out of my way to make sure that every table they sit at is a little bit wobbly. Not so wobbly that you’ll say to a server “this table is super wobbly can we switch please?” just a little bit wobbly. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfTimePost Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: Hope our fans now realise how good our point v Brentford was considering the circumstances. With all the change we had and them just coming up and off the back of the Arsenal win, I always expected it to be a tough game. I like to think most fans knew it would be tough - the game itself though on the day was winnable. It was frustrating because we stifled Brentford and they didn't look as good as we know they can be. And then we just had nothing either. It was a good point to stifle that team. Dean's gameplan was spot on in the difficult circumstances. The players just didn't have the creativity or cohesion to unlock those killer moments. It was a frustrating point because it could've been 3. Good point though like you say Edited September 26, 2021 by HalfTimePost 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted September 26, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted September 26, 2021 Dean learns season on season. The set piece coach coming in is a superb example of this mindset. Changing his coaching team, ruthless, it seems to be making a difference. He's also flying under the radar, he's everything Ole Gunnar needs to be and isn't. Hes going to be a Villa Legend. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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