Dean Smith

[TRO]

19 minutes ago, Pimlico_Villa said:

It all comes down to attitude and a desire to win. The top clubs have it and install it in their youngsters: Terry has it and you can see it in Tammy’s desire, but it is missing from every other player we have. 

As a Club, we are still rebuilding and next step has to be for us to have that winning attitude. We can have all the technical ability in the world, but we absolutely need that competitive spirit and desire to win. 

You are so spot on,

its untrue....but at the same time its shocking.

In my opinion it should be spoken about much more by Villa fans to get it to change....they have to know its not acceptable.

That's why our youngsters can't step up....They are not ready for the rigours of this league.

That first line is so true.....and so depressing, I would excuse Jack and McGinn, but generally its true about this team....****ing pussies.

Edited January 4, 2019 by TRO

[TRO]

7 minutes ago, hippo said:

I am sure he will sort it with his own players

Hippo, I hope you are right.

maybe a few blankets thrown in front of the ref, might make me feel better....when Hourihane holds the hand of the prospective goal scorer .

[DaveAV1]

1 minute ago, hippo said:

I am sure he will sort it with his own players

You seem to be willing Dean Smith to fail? I’m baffled as to why? He’s our manager in a new and forward looking club set up. Many things have changed for the better since the new owners took over. I can understand scepticism and agree he has come from a much smaller club, and so the job will definitely be a challenge and mistakes will be made. But your mocking tone towards people who show him support is as baffling as it is unjustified. 

I’m sure you will point out that you have repeatedly said that he needs time. Well why not give him some?

[TRO]

11 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

You seem to be willing Dean Smith to fail? I’m baffled as to why? He’s our manager in a new and forward looking club set up. Many things have changed for the better since the new owners took over. I can understand scepticism and agree he has come from a much smaller club, and so the job will definitely be a challenge and mistakes will be made. But your mocking tone towards people who show him support is as baffling as it is unjustified. 

I’m sure you will point out that you have repeatedly said that he needs time. Well why not give him some?

Of course he has to be given time...and the club does too.

The 10 years of demise will not be washed away in 5 minutes......but we have to be crystal clear of what we need and how we are going to repair it.

We need to build from the back.....and go from there.

[hippo]

17 minutes ago, TRO said:

Of course he has to be given time...and the club does too.

The 10 years of demise will not be washed away in 5 minutes......but we have to be crystal clear of what we need and how we are going to repair it.

We need to build from the back.....and go from there.

I think some people are 100% convinced that DS is the right man.

Others are yet to be convinced.

Nothing wrong with either viewpoint. Its the fact that those with the latter opinion are hounded as Bruce loyalists, repeat posting ,  or willing smith to fail that gets me.

Interesting observation is that there are perhaps half a dozen posters in this thread questioning smith. Yet in the post match manager ratings he gets considerably more "poor" ratings rhan that.

Smith is a villa fan, a local guy and seems a very amiable and decent bloke. If ever there was a manager we would like to see suceed smith is it. ...that doesnt mean he is beyond reproach though.

 

 

 

[DaveAV1]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

Of course he has to be given time...and the club does too.

The 10 years of demise will not be washed away in 5 minutes......but we have to be crystal clear of what we need and how we are going to repair it.

We need to build from the back.....and go from there.

Agreed. No matter how much we want to see exciting football, everything starts at the back when building a good team. That doesn’t mean we have to be defensive and slowly get more attacking, but good sides always have a solid defence no matter what they do attacking wise. I can’t remember who it was, but a manager once said, “Strikers for show, defenders for dough”. 

What you say about time is also very true. It’s not just Smith that needs time, the whole club. We will inevitably make mistakes, but we at least now seem to have a plan and people able to carry it out. Lerner allowed the club to become a shambolic mess, Xia turned the shambles into a farce. That’s a lot of mess to sort out and Christian Purslow’s recent comments about promotion this season not being vital seem to recognise this. That’s not to say we won’t be trying. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

Sounds like Smith wants to field a strong team tomorrow.  Can’t remember the last time we played in the 4th round.

[hippo]

32 minutes ago, TRO said:

Of course he has to be given time...and the club does too.

The 10 years of demise will not be washed away in 5 minutes......but we have to be crystal clear of what we need and how we are going to repair it.

We need to build from the back.....and go from there.

I take it @TRO that you were brought up in the Ron Saunders era. !!!

[hippo]

3 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Sounds like Smith wants to field a strong team tomorrow.  Can’t remember the last time we played in the 4th round.

I think he will hold back our better players,

Mcginn, Abraham and in areas where we are short like CB .

 

 

[KMitch]

5 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Sounds like Smith wants to field a strong team tomorrow.  Can’t remember the last time we played in the 4th round.

Yep.  I love that he isn't writing off the cup.  Sounds like Taylor is fit as well.  I'm looking forward to seeing how our new defense will fair.    This will be, on paper, the strongest defense we've sent out all season.  Will be interesting to see how we do.

Kalinic

Bree - Elphick - Chester - Taylor

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 minute ago, KMitch said:

Yep.  I love that he isn't writing off the cup.  Sounds like Taylor is fit as well.  I'm looking forward to seeing how our new defense will fair.    This will be, on paper, the strongest defense we've sent out all season.  Will be interesting to see how we do.

Kalinic

Bree - Elphick - Chester - Taylor

If Chester has been playing with an injury he might be rested but there’s no real alternative.

These games are tricky for coaches. You play a strong team and get injuries or lose the next league game you’re in trouble. Make too many changes you will most likely lose and get also hammered. 

Smith will need to find a balance but I think most wil accept Mcginn, Hourihane and Abraham need to be rested, 

[DaveAV1]

18 minutes ago, hippo said:

I take it @TRO that you were brought up in the Ron Saunders era. !!!

George Ramsay 

Edited January 4, 2019 by DaveAV1

[Dave-R]

I'd field all our youth tomorrow, maybe some mite impress enough, oh and put Lovre in charge of them all and see how he commands them.

Possibly get kodj and Hogan some game time as well see if they can impress because they've been so underwhelming so far this season.

[tinker]

The defence was an obvious weak point before a ball was kicked this season , many posters picked up on this but not many of the villa management team or coaching staff. 

Smith's layed his cards on the table where loan players are concerned , reference Tammy and this  shouldn't be lost when looking at our defencive deficiencies(Terry going ) We need our own players , loan players are all very well but that don't build a future.

[DaveAV1]

9 hours ago, hippo said:

I think some people are 100% convinced that DS is the right man.

Others are yet to be convinced.

Nothing wrong with either viewpoint. Its the fact that those with the latter opinion are hounded as Bruce loyalists, repeat posting ,  or willing smith to fail that gets me.

Interesting observation is that there are perhaps half a dozen posters in this thread questioning smith. Yet in the post match manager ratings he gets considerably more "poor" ratings rhan that.

Smith is a villa fan, a local guy and seems a very amiable and decent bloke. If ever there was a manager we would like to see suceed smith is it. ...that doesnt mean he is beyond reproach though.

 

 

 

I think people often come across as either black or white when debating on forums such as this. It’s hard to really give a true expression of what we feel when it’s just written down, there’s no sense of real intonation etc. 

So people who have more positive views on anything can come across as unquestioning devotees. Conversely those who question or offer criticism can come across as being anti. Hang the unbeliever we cry! The truth as in most things in life,  lies in the grey. But when the subject is football, the extremes tend to get exaggerated and often people become entrenched. 

I’m sure one thing we can be sure about is that we all want our mighty Villa to become mighty again. How we get there will continue to be vigorously debated. 

[Stevo985]

10 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Sounds like Smith wants to field a strong team tomorrow.  Can’t remember the last time we played in the 4th round.

3 years ago

[TRO]

13 hours ago, hippo said:

I think some people are 100% convinced that DS is the right man.

Others are yet to be convinced.

Nothing wrong with either viewpoint. Its the fact that those with the latter opinion are hounded as Bruce loyalists, repeat posting ,  or willing smith to fail that gets me.

Interesting observation is that there are perhaps half a dozen posters in this thread questioning smith. Yet in the post match manager ratings he gets considerably more "poor" ratings rhan that.

Smith is a villa fan, a local guy and seems a very amiable and decent bloke. If ever there was a manager we would like to see suceed smith is it. ...that doesnt mean he is beyond reproach though.

 

 

 

Well one interesting observation seems to me that most of the players Dean is linked with in this window, Steve was linked with them at some point.

Now either the club buy the players with little input from the manager or both managers have a spooky similar view.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

I think people often come across as either black or white when debating on forums such as this. It’s hard to really give a true expression of what we feel when it’s just written down, there’s no sense of real intonation etc. 

So people who have more positive views on anything can come across as unquestioning devotees. Conversely those who question or offer criticism can come across as being anti. Hang the unbeliever we cry! The truth as in most things in life,  lies in the grey. But when the subject is football, the extremes tend to get exaggerated and often people become entrenched. 

I’m sure one thing we can be sure about is that we all want our mighty Villa to become mighty again. How we get there will continue to be vigorously debated. 

Very good post Dave....I have often thought much of that.

[Vive_La_Villa]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

Well one interesting observation seems to me that most of the players Dean is linked with in this window, Steve was linked with them at some point.

Now either the club buy the players with little input from the manager or both managers have a spooky similar view.

Either that or It’s just lazy journalism.

Which players are we linked with that Bruce also wanted?

[TRO]

14 hours ago, hippo said:

I take it @TRO that you were brought up in the Ron Saunders era. !!!

I first went down during the Joe Mercer tenure, however.

I have seen many managers over the years, I particularly reference the Ron Sunders era for a few reasons.

• Buying modest priced players, who were hungry to prove a point.
• watching a team who worked for fun to outwit better players
• Watching a team built with balance.
• probably represent the closest thing to what we want, so why not take the good bits from it.
• I think workrate is going to be our best single piece of criteria( that's missing) to get us up....and he epitomised it.

Edited January 5, 2019 by TRO