Dean Smith

[meregreen]

The stats on wins and losses are not impressive. But regardless of results, by and large, the majority of our performances this year have been poor. We seemed to be stuck in a rut. This game is, and always has been, driven by success on the pitch. Given our form recently, there was an inevitability that the tenure of Deano would be terminated. That’s the way this game works.

[KentVillan]

Just now, StefanAVFC said:

This is the most damning thing.

Throughout even the highs of Smith's reign, we were consistently terrible without Jack. It's obvious that teams should struggle without their star man, but we were completely awful without him. We never developed a plan B for life without him. This is what's killed Deano. Even with him going to City, and with a arguably better squad at his disposal, we looked atrocious.

I think this is harsh.

You come into a club, and you have a squad with one player who is significantly more talented than all of his teammates, by some margin.

Previous managers have not worked out how to use him.

You then find a system that gets him involved constantly, sets you on an unprecedented run of wins and gets you promoted.

You then have to do the same thing in the Premier League, shifting him around until you find something that works.

His form keeps you up, and then the following season sets you off competing for Europe.

The club never signs anyone who comes remotely close to him ability wise, throughout your tenure.

What do you do? Don’t you think the logical thing was always to build around Grealish?

[KentVillan]

4 minutes ago, Ingram85 said:

Family

Friends

AVFC

 

 

 

Everything else in life

 

 

 

 

Dean Smith.

I’m sad it didn’t turn out as we hoped but this is all getting a bit silly. We haven’t been good for a long time following on from the last third of last season. The performances are terrible, we aren’t improving. There’s barely any signs of us turning it around anytime soon. The Club is simply more important than one man. He will always be rightly welcomed back with open arms as he has given us some great memories but let’s not go overboard with the gushing. 

People are concerned because they’re not convinced this was the right move for AVFC, not because they want Smith to live happily ever after.

Purslow pulls out a great manager, and all is well. I think that would have been easier in the summer.

[bobzy]

4 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

This is the most damning thing.

Throughout even the highs of Smith's reign, we were consistently terrible without Jack. It's obvious that teams should struggle without their star man, but we were completely awful without him. We never developed a plan B for life without him. This is what's killed Deano. Even with him going to City, and with a arguably better squad at his disposal, we looked atrocious.

We haven't looked atrocious.  We have in certain games (and, to be honest, I think that's only really the Watford game and the Arsenal game - though, full disclosure, I didn't watch West Ham as was out) but that is the same for literally every club in the World. 

In any case, Grealish is an incredibly special player and one who would "do anything" for the club when on the pitch.  Replacing him with lesser players, having those players largely unavailable and then also having to hit the ground running (which basically never happens) is a huge ask.

[bobzy]

Just now, KentVillan said:

People are concerned because they’re not convinced this was the right move for AVFC, not because they want Smith to live happily ever after.

Purslow pulls out a great manager, and all is well. I think that would have been easier in the summer.

To be honest, part of it for me is the football-romance side of having a Villa fan as manager.  The club is bigger than one man, but I liked having that man as our man.

[tinker]

Well theres going to be some banners up at the next home match with fans making it perfectly clear their thoughts on Smith, I can't help feel that letting him go is a massive mistake. On his record , didn't half the squad catch COVID early in 2021? 

[StefanAVFC]

1 minute ago, bobzy said:

We haven't looked atrocious.  We have in certain games (and, to be honest, I think that's only really the Watford game and the Arsenal game

Sheffield United away - played a lot of the game against 10
Wolves home - toothless
Spurs home
Baggies home

Palace away and Everton at home, both dour with Jack only coming on as a sub

This season:

Watford
West Ham
Arsenal
Southampton
Spurs

Even Brentford and Newcastle were poor on the whole. Everton was a bit better but still a 6/10 performance max.

[KentVillan]

Just now, StefanAVFC said:

Sheffield United away - played a lot of the game against 10
Wolves home - toothless
Spurs home
Baggies home

Palace away and Everton at home, both dour with Jack only coming on as a sub

This season:

Watford
West Ham
Arsenal
Southampton
Spurs

Even Brentford and Newcastle were poor on the whole. Everton was a bit better but still a 6/10 performance max.

Agree there’s been lots of poor performances, but it’s the same caveat as the results - lots of key players out.

[StefanAVFC]

1 minute ago, KentVillan said:

Agree there’s been lots of poor performances, but it’s the same caveat as the results - lots of key players out.

This is what a squad is for. We objectively have a stronger squad than last season. The back 5 has been undisturbed but has been awful. And I don't think the injuries can excuse the complete ineptitude of some of the performances. I was at Arsenal and the first half was one of the worst things in football I've ever seen. 

[villaglint]

I’m disappointed but these things have a momentum and certain inevitability to them after a while. Crazy how fast things change because after the Everton game you’d have thought he was a million miles away from the sack. 

I dearly love the man but nobody can argue that he struggled to get a tune out the team without Jack. Even in the Championship we were garbage without him. Chelsea, Man Utd, Everton this season you thought maybe there was green shoots of a new beginning but got mixed in with a lot of faeces. Ultimately it was just a torrent of faeces and it’s tough to do anything positive when you are covered in faeces.

I always find when a manager is about to get sacked a team starts to take on a weird shape and odd players start playing in odd positions.

Watching at St Mary’s and we are desperate for a goal with 20min to go, zero chances being created and he brings on Archer and Davis upfront with Ollie on left wing. I was left feeling that was classic last game stuff.

Still I’m sad to see him go, I wanted him to turn it around. Proud to have this guy as our manager and warmed to him more than any other manager we’ve had in my life time. 

Edited November 8, 2021 by villaglint

[John]

Pity to see Dean in "other football" now. He will always be one of us though.

I doubt he will be out of a job for long, his record with Brentford, getting promotion with us and keeping us up in that first season, will look very good to other clubs on his CV. Norwich would seem a fit, if they have not made a decision yet or possibly Cardiff. He's going to be in the running for future vacancies at clubs in the PL with relegation worries and at Championship clubs with PL ambitions. His heart will always be at Villa Park though and I look forward to giving him a warm reception when he returns one day as a manager of another club, and a HEAAC (Holte Ender At Another Club). 

Edited November 8, 2021 by John

[bobzy]

21 minutes ago, villaglint said:

I’m disappointed but these things have a momentum and certain inevitability to them after a while. Crazy how fast things change because after the Everton game you’d have thought he was a million miles away from the sack. 

I'd extend from the Everton game to winning away at Man Utd for what I think is only the second time in my life

[gwi1890]

25 minutes ago, John said:

Pity to see Dean in "other football" now. He will always be one of us though.

I doubt he will be out of a job for long, his record with Brentford, getting promotion with us and keeping us up in that first season, will look very good to other clubs on his CV. Norwich would seem a fit, if they have not made a decision yet or possibly Cardiff. He's going to be in the running for future vacancies at clubs in the PL with relegation worries and at Championship clubs with PL ambitions. His heart will always be at Villa Park though and I look forward to giving him a warm reception when he returns one day as a manager of another club, and a HEAAC (Holte Ender At Another Club). 

I hope he takes on a progressive championship club that he can build and stay up once promoted rather than a up and down guaranteed relegation team. He’s to good of a bloke to end up like Lambert 

[villa4europe]

14 minutes ago, gwi1890 said:

I hope he takes on a progressive championship club that he can build and stay up once promoted rather than a up and down guaranteed relegation team. He’s to good of a bloke to end up like Lambert 

had a quick look at the rangers message boards to gauge the reaction to the gerrard rumours, was actually a bit shocked as to how sensible the majority of them seemed 

a few of them were talking about being happy with those ships passing in the night

i hope he doesnt take the norwich job

[Wainy316]

I'd like us to get him back at VP so the fans could give him a proper send off.

[villa4europe]

2 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

I'd like us to get him back at VP so the fans could give him a proper send off.

it would be nuts to see him in 2 or 3 years in the villa fans end at a cup final or something

i think even those who wanted him to go dont feel any animosity towards him, i'd guess the vast majority wanted him to succeed, he's not bruce or lambert or even MON, he's john gregory and brian little

[VillaFaninLondon]

As much as I wanted a change of manager, I do feel sorry for Smith and wish him the best. There's no denying he's one of the most likeable managers we've had in a long time and on the face of it he has helped stabilise the club and last season was the first time in a decade we had a genuine decent season (even though 11th place was a bit of a disappointing finish in the end). The fact he grew up watching us on the terraces and clearly cared deeply for the club means it feels quite raw especially with Grealish going in the summer too. It's a shame it had to end with him being sacked but at least he wasn't jeered out like Bruce was.

 

Having said that, I think it was inevitable and coming. Never mind losing 5 games in a row (an appalling record for any PL team let alone one that wants to push for top 8), our form in this calendar year has been poor. I felt he was somewhat fortunate to survive so long, given the dire run in the Champ when Grealish was out and it's pretty well known that COVID saved him in March 2020. 

 

The team has its deficiencies and clearly 1 or 2 players need upgrading (huge mistake not to buy a CM in the summer, Targett now needs replacing with better), but to be frank this squad should not be 16th and on less than 1 point a game. Teams like Southampton, Brentford, Brighton, Leeds and Palace are above us and that means the squad is underperforming because we have a better squad than all those teams. For me it's our best squad in a decade and surely a new manager will get more out of it. Key things to improve are the defence and to find a way of getting the best out of Bailey, Buendia and Ings/Watkins. 

[beachboys1]

although i thought it was right deicision i wanted it to work out he can be proud of what his done next manager got his work cut out

[Guest av1]

Still gutted. 

[ReasonforRevolution]

10 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

Key things to improve are the defence and to find a way of getting the best out of Bailey, Buendia and Ings/Watkins. 

The signings bought in to replace Jack (Bailey, Buendia and Ings) have been on the pitch together for a total of 35 minutes. Regarding last season, I'm convinced we'd of got Europe if Jack would've stayed fit. Sure, some may say we were too reliant on him but Liverpool would miss Salah. It's nothing new building a team around a spine or your best player. Not to mention the Covid outbreak the same season. I don't think these challenges were Smith's fault.

I do concede the defence has been woeful at times this season. The backroom staff shuffle has obviously affected us here. The Terry depature is going to be a loss in this department and from what I'm led to believe the wasn't Smiths doing either. So again out of his hands.

We'll never know if he could've turned it around. But considering all the adversities, I think he's done enough to earn the chance to give it a go and with a full squad and new backroom staff.