Dean Smith

[TRO]

1 hour ago, A'Villan said:

I know what you mean and agree regarding the work of a defender on show. A well timed slide tackle can be as heroic as a precision placed finish, just as an interception that thwarts the oppositions move and forces an error leading to a transition in play can be as visionary as a pass that puts a teammate in behind the last line of defenders and through on goal. A clearance off the goal line as exciting as an opportunistic goal from a striker being at the right place at the right time. You get the picture. The quality of a good defender that I admire most would be their tenacity or combative skills as you say. I think it's as much as an intangible skill as it is winning the contest with physicality and fitness. Take McGinn, you know that he is going to be busting a gut to be in every contest within a 500km radius (I know pitches aren't that big) at every opportunity. "For every principle there's a promise" says everything you need to know about McGinn's tenacity. On principle he gives his all to be at the contest and with that comes the promise that we are giving ourselves a chance of winning it and coming out on top. McGinn isn't even particularly athletic, he's just relentless in approach and backs himself.

Confidence is huge in sport, Grealish didn't just come in to this world dribbling at defenders for fun and weighting lead passes to perfection. He had the confidence in himself to try it out and hone it to the point where he became proficient at it. I personally was shooting 300 3pt shots per day for an extended period of time before my  shot became adequate to play semi professionally in basketball. When I started with football it took me some months but after practicing daily for at least 30-60 minutes purely at playing keep-ups I could lob it over the electrical wires that ran from the street to my house and catch it to continue the keep-ups. I was never any good at football in high school but then I'd never tried it. Once I made that commitment to practicing for so many hours I have become so familiar with the ball and it's weight that I can manipulate it well enough to play Division One futsal despite only really starting to play in my early 20's. Having played basketball since I was 5  helped because I had an idea for the various concepts that make up a team dynamic.

Which brings me (in a roundabout way) back to the topic. Dean Smith as coach and tactician. If I say we're going to counter attack and you, as my team-mate, say sure let's do it, that's our approach for today. I proceed with the plan and play a short push pass on the floor, you are expecting one long incisive pass in the air, my push pass goes to no-one and you've taken off running for a ball that will never come. We are both trying to start a counter but we are coming from different ideas of what that involves. As a result, some bloke in the crowd decides "F*** these two idiots" and starts booing. The situation stinks. Why? Not because Bloke in the crowd is bemused at the showing but because the tactics weren't specific enough to create an understanding and chemistry between us as team-mates. I have read from more than a few sources that Bruce once uttered the words 'I don't really do tactics' and I feel like that was true of his tenure because it's utter bulls***, just like some of the football he served up. Of course he does tactics. Every coach and manager has to. Whether they are any good at instilling the concepts  determines the the teams ability to function as a united whole and play with understanding that will woo the crowds as opposed to being a bunch of bozo's running one way while the ball flies the other.

It's less important a single player understand his individual role than it is the other ten men knowing what he's going to do so they can plan and act accordingly. If a group of players don't have clarity over the tactics and their role in that game-plan then it will amount to nothing and will have been a bunch of hot air thrown around the dressing room and however many hours spent in preparation will of been for nothing.

What is exciting me about Smith is that like we have both expressed, TRO. Smith has an appreciation for the usefulness of various approaches and the necessity that a team has a fundamental understanding of how each approach works so that it can employ effective tactics in accordance to the challenge to be faced.

We have already seen us adapt to the the absence of Grealish by having the midfield 3 against QPR occupy the middle third and direct play to the wide men where a combination of wall passes and overlapping allowed us to penetrate into space that might result in a chance. We also played in more long balls than we normally would due to the absence of Grealish, playing one in every six balls long to a forward or to switch the play. Usually we play less than one in ten long balls but without the skill of Jack centrally, being able to successfully link the midfield and attack or cross the play from one wing to the other required more long balls as we were without the skill to play it on the floor. Unfortunately the quality of delivery and execution in the final third was as poor as I've seen it for some time. That's an individual quality though and not an indictment on the methodology or its intent. If people can recall Bolasie's shot or cross that went out for a throw, that was basically the standard of execution in the final third or when playing in a forward. Poor.

A few small tweaks in formation and build up approach and we still managed to impose ourselves for portions of the game greater than our opponents. Even though we lacked the cutting edge to create more chances, we won nearly every battle or were equal to QPR's efforts in the other areas of the pitch.

I agree we are too vulnerable to conceding via counter attack and from errors when on the ball which afford our opponent possession in territory that allows for the transition in play to be one that leaves them with space and a defense on the back-foot. Ideal for any attacker looking to make an impact. As long as they are incisive in decision making and execute well enough, there is a high probability it will amount to a goal. So yes, this needs to be addressed if we want to gain promotion.

Wow, you have bamboozled me....but interesting.

I used to play darts at a high level in my youth, and what stopped me being great was consistency, maybe concentration.....its what separates the good from the great. you can practice and practice and it surely helps, but you hit a plateau and have to concede, that's as far as i can go.

We have some very good players and others that are dining out off them, they are not bad on their day, but are inconsistent.....when we have too many on an off day, you get what we have been recently seeing.

Of course in football injuries play a crucial part and if a player has an injury that is kept quiet, how are we to know as fans.....we just comment on what we see.

Right now, I am underwhelmed with our lot....not blaming anyone, just an observation and looking forward to better form.

 

[A'Villan]

1 hour ago, srsmithusa said:

We can and should until the first window at least.

Now that we've replaced Nyland our biggest liability is a 29 year old with over 100 Premier League and 40 international appearances.

Not a bad liability to have at this level, as far as I'm concerned.

People can't wait for the window dealings to begin. I can't wait for a tactician that is adequate in taking us to the Premier League.

I think we may have him. He's started better than the last two managers, one was a Champions League winner and the other a record promotion holder.

Go and have a quick google to see what Bielsa did for his position at Leeds. Wrote a bloody thesis analysis on the Championship teams and their tactics.

And so many scoffed at me for saying he would get Leeds promoted.

[srsmithusa]

2 minutes ago, A'Villan said:

Now that we've replaced Nyland our biggest liability is a 29 year old with over 100 Premier League and 40 international appearances.

Not a bad liability to have at this level, as far as I'm concerned.

People can't wait for the window dealings to begin. I can't wait for a tactician that is adequate in taking us to the Premier League.

I think we may have him. He's started better than the last two managers, one was a Champions League winner and the other a record promotion holder.

Go and have a quick google to see what Bielsa did for his position at Leeds. Wrote a bloody thesis analysis on the Championship teams and their tactics.

And so many scoffed at me for saying he would get Leeds promoted.

I didn't doubt you about Bielsa, FWIW.   But who is this 29 y.o. biggest liability you mention?   Whoever he is, Hutton isn't 29, so I think I disagree with you.

 

[A'Villan]

4 minutes ago, srsmithusa said:

I didn't doubt you about Bielsa, FWIW.   But who is this 29 y.o. biggest liability you mention?   Whoever he is, Hutton isn't 29, so I think I disagree with you.

 

I was referring to Taylor. Is Hutton in the dog house for something I've missed?

I watched my first full game against QPR since Stoke, I missed Leeds, Swansea and Preston due to other commitments.

[MaVilla]

1 minute ago, A'Villan said:

I was referring to Taylor. Is Hutton in the dog house for something I've missed?

I watched my first full game against QPR since Stoke, I missed Leeds, Swansea and Preston due to other commitments.

I dont think Taylor is anywhere near our biggest issue, i wouldnt hate the idea of getting someone better in his position (or cover, as we defo need cover as a minimum - preferably someone better), but i dont think he's our biggest problem by any stretch.

[Vive_La_Villa]

12 minutes ago, A'Villan said:

I was referring to Taylor. Is Hutton in the dog house for something I've missed?

I watched my first full game against QPR since Stoke, I missed Leeds, Swansea and Preston due to other commitments.

The VT faithful haven’t been able to blame Taylor for all our problems so they’ve moved on to Hutton.

[srsmithusa]

9 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

The VT faithful haven’t been able to blame Taylor for all our problems so they’ve moved on to Hutton.

largely true, I'm not a Hutton hater, but our LB position has needed to improve for much longer that just the time Hutton has been playing there.   Our RB position has been weak too, but Bree MIGHT be the answer there.  Too soon to tell IMO.

Hutton has some great strengths, attitude and effort being near the top, but his overall positioning and decision making tends to gift opponents 2 or more gilded chances a match.

[Villarocker]

I think we're badly missing Grealish for the way he carries the ball forward away from our danger areas and into the opposition third. As soon as he gets anywhere within 30 yards of the opposition goal he is fouled. That buys us time to reorganize all over the pitch and also gives us chance to attack from a set piece. 

Deano needs to find a way to get someone else carrying out the same role whenever Jack is missing. For me, O'Hare seems the natural successor. 

[bannedfromHandV]

2 minutes ago, villarocker said:

I think we're badly missing Grealish for the way he carries the ball forward away from our danger areas and into the opposition third. As soon as he gets anywhere within 30 yards of the opposition goal he is fouled. That buys us time to reorganize all over the pitch and also gives us chance to attack from a set piece. 

Deano needs to find a way to get someone else carrying out the same role whenever Jack is missing. For me, O'Hare seems the natural successor. 

100%

We've found it tough to transition the ball from defence to attack without going long. 

We seem really spread out as well lately, too much distance between players for me. 

[Risso]

1 minute ago, bannedfromHandV said:

100%

We've found it tough to transition the ball from defence to attack without going long. 

We seem really spread out as well lately, too much distance between players for me. 

Yes, it's really noticeable how we've resorted to lumping the ball out of defence since Jack has been in the team.  

[MaVilla]

8 minutes ago, villarocker said:

I think we're badly missing Grealish for the way he carries the ball forward away from our danger areas and into the opposition third. As soon as he gets anywhere within 30 yards of the opposition goal he is fouled. That buys us time to reorganize all over the pitch and also gives us chance to attack from a set piece. 

Deano needs to find a way to get someone else carrying out the same role whenever Jack is missing. For me, O'Hare seems the natural successor. 

what is everyone's obsession with O'Hare?

I hope he develops as much as the next man, and he looks like he has potential, but he isnt Messi, and if you watch the U23's, he doesnt exactly blow them away, good yes, blow them away?, not really.

I agree we should look over time to give him game time, develop him and expose him to the first team, but citing O'Hare as an immediate natural successor to Grealish is kinda just nuts for me.

I hope im wrong, and he is given a chance and blows us all away, but i would literally bet cash it doesnt happen that way.

Maybe with exposure to the first team this year, with a view to seeing if he is ready next season?, yes quite possibly, but i think the only real way we can have a player to do anything remotely similar to Grealish right now (for the rest of this season), is to buy someone, like Sawyers for example, or a spanish/english gem that our team find?, i dunno.

All im saying is, yes he has potential, but he isnt Grealish as of this moment, and expecting him to be will likely lead to some unnecessary disappointment for anyone who does expect it, and unreasonable expectation put on the lads shoulders.

 

Im sure all supporters of all clubs over inflate the talent of their players sometimes, but we seem to have it down as a fine art

Edited January 2, 2019 by MaVilla

[KMitch]

16 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

what is everyone's obsession with O'Hare?

I hope he develops as much as the next man, and he looks like he has potential, but he isnt Messi, and if you watch the U23's, he doesnt exactly blow them away, good yes, blow them away?, not really.

I agree we should look over time to give him game time, develop him and expose him to the first team, but citing O'Hare as an immediate natural successor to Grealish is kinda just nuts for me.

I hope im wrong, and he is given a chance and blows us all away, but i would literally bet cash it doesnt happen that way.

Maybe with exposure to the first team this year, with a view to seeing if he is ready next season?, yes quite possibly, but i think the only real way we can have a player to do anything remotely similar to Grealish right now (for the rest of this season), is to buy someone, like Sawyers for example, or a spanish/english gem that our team find?, i dunno.

All im saying is, yes he has potential, but he isnt Grealish as of this moment, and expecting him to be will likely lead to some unnecessary disappointment for anyone who does expect it, and unreasonable expectation put on the lads shoulders.

 

Im sure all supporters of all clubs over inflate the talent of their players sometimes, but we seem to have it down as a fine art

I'm going to guess that most of the supporters calling for him to play haven't seen any of his play in the reserves, even highlights.  His hype/reputation is based on the echo chamber of fans talking him up left and right. I remember before Jack went out on loan there were people on here screaming for him to start.  When Jack played most of a season in League One, he looked decent, but obviously not ready for Premier League football, which showed in his first season for us under Lambert/Sherwood.  Throwing kids into the starting lineup without knowing anything about how they're performing in training or taking to things off the pitch isn't the best strategy.  I remember Houllier didn't rate a lot of our first team players and benched them for kids (Albrighton, Bannan, Herd, Hogg, Clark, Baker, Lichaj, etc.).  He was slated by fans left and right for playing players who were out of their depth and not good enough.  Besides Herd, every other player in that group is an established Premier League or Championship player today, which showed that they needed a more time to development than we supporters were willing to give them.

 

 

[Villarocker]

2 hours ago, MaVilla said:

what is everyone's obsession with O'Hare?

I hope he develops as much as the next man, and he looks like he has potential, but he isnt Messi, and if you watch the U23's, he doesnt exactly blow them away, good yes, blow them away?, not really.

I agree we should look over time to give him game time, develop him and expose him to the first team, but citing O'Hare as an immediate natural successor to Grealish is kinda just nuts for me.

I hope im wrong, and he is given a chance and blows us all away, but i would literally bet cash it doesnt happen that way.

Maybe with exposure to the first team this year, with a view to seeing if he is ready next season?, yes quite possibly, but i think the only real way we can have a player to do anything remotely similar to Grealish right now (for the rest of this season), is to buy someone, like Sawyers for example, or a spanish/english gem that our team find?, i dunno.

All im saying is, yes he has potential, but he isnt Grealish as of this moment, and expecting him to be will likely lead to some unnecessary disappointment for anyone who does expect it, and unreasonable expectation put on the lads shoulders.

 

Im sure all supporters of all clubs over inflate the talent of their players sometimes, but we seem to have it down as a fine art

You may well be right about O'Hare - who knows unless he gets a chance? However, saying that, Sawyers may come in and take time to settle too so maybe by the time he's settled one of our own - O'Hare - could have proved to be as good, if not better, with that game time? All ifs and buts. 

Grealish is rated at £25m minimum by our club. It's asking a lot to get an exact replacement for him when he's rated so valuable. All I'm saying is, from what I've seen of O'Hare in the past, he's looked the closest thing to Grealish that we already have and that's why I was suggesting him getting a game whenever Grealish is out. 

[hippo]

Seems to be conflicting info as to whether o'hare is fit or not. JT posted an Instagram showing COH in training - other reports suggest he is injured. 

[AntrimBlack]

49 minutes ago, hippo said:

Seems to be conflicting info as to whether o'hare is fit or not. JT posted an Instagram showing COH in training - other reports suggest he is injured. 

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that Terry picked out O'Hare as the one to watch.

[Jareth]

12 hours ago, MaVilla said:

what is everyone's obsession with O'Hare?

I think it's due to those boyish good looks. He'd also make an excellent ladyboy. 

[Pimlico_Villa]

13 hours ago, srsmithusa said:

largely true, I'm not a Hutton hater, but our LB position has needed to improve for much longer that just the time Hutton has been playing there.   Our RB position has been weak too, but Bree MIGHT be the answer there.  Too soon to tell IMO.

Hutton has some great strengths, attitude and effort being near the top, but his overall positioning and decision making tends to gift opponents 2 or more gilded chances a match.

Not sure Bree offers enough going forward to be honest. Probably sound defensively, but we need full backs that can attack, particularly given our MF likes to sit so incredibly deep and our wingers so wide and high. 

[KenjiOgiwara]

5 minutes ago, Pimlico_Villa said:

Not sure Bree offers enough going forward to be honest. Probably sound defensively, but we need full backs that can attack, particularly given our MF likes to sit so incredibly deep and our wingers so wide and high. 

I've always thought the better tactics is to have fullbacks that can defend and a midfield that's able to create. The reason we're missing Grealish so much is because Hourihane, Lansbury, Whelan, Bjarnason are all pure dog shit going forward. 

[Pimlico_Villa]

For me, Smith is showing a worrying trend that was prevalent under Bruce: identify exactly what went wrong in the post-match interview, but then do absolutely nothing about it. So antagonising to see.

Worried we are being duped by him as for all his talk results, style and performance have been terrible, not to mention League positioning. 

Really beginning to question whether he is all gloss and no substance. 

[praisedmambo]

9 minutes ago, Pimlico_Villa said:

For me, Smith is showing a worrying trend that was prevalent under Bruce: identify exactly what went wrong in the post-match interview, but then do absolutely nothing about it. So antagonising to see.

Worried we are being duped by him as for all his talk results, style and performance have been terrible, not to mention League positioning. 

Really beginning to question whether he is all gloss and no substance. 

Even if you just took the last two games into account this would be hyperbole, but when you consider all his games, it is actually just nonsense.