hippo Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 18 minutes ago, AndyM3000 said: He will get next season for sure. We put up with Bruce for ages and while it's not going well under Smith he deserves a chance to get some of his own players in. We aren't getting promoted with this squad and the injuries we have had to Grealish & Axel. Our full backs and CMs are shocking and yet we had to prioritise getting a keeper and CB in as those areas were even worse! I don't want Hutton, Whelan, Taylor, Jedinak, Thor, Elmo playing but you look at the other options and you can see why a few of them are in the starting 11 each week. The whole squad needs an overhaul. Only Grealish/McGinn could leave Villa and move to a better team. I dont a actually think we needed a keeper ...Steer and Kallnic look comparable to me. Steer would have done until the seasons end. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 1 minute ago, holteend1982 said: I'd be a lot more concerned if he didn't start off with those performances, without those he'd be on about 3 wins in 20. Expectations were play offs from day one when he came in, there was talk of top 2 after boro game but that soon faded away. The early performances are the only thing that make it seem like there's light at the end of the tunnel, that given time this is what we will eventually be playing like. If we hadn't had them, then I'd probably be firmly in the camp that thinks he isn't up to it. I'm sure we will have an entirely different group of players next season more suited to his original style of play. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 17 minutes ago, KMitch said: When Smith came on board, everyone knew it was going to take a long time to turn this team around... Now it's been 4 months and everyone is starting to turn on the guy after he's only been allowed one permanent signing. What a joke. I'm still sticking by Deano for another 2 transfer windows. Six players in today's starting 11 won't be here next season... If we're still playing this same garbage football a year from now, I'll be having second thoughts. Until then, I'm still supporting Smith, regardless of the results on the pitch. Dont think that will cut it at board level - Smith has to win some games to keep his job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM3000 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Before Axel and Grealish got injured we beat Bolton, Derby, Blues & Boro while drawing to Forest & Baggies. These two with McGinn were our best players in that run. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Just learned McGinn will be out due to suspension as well. It just gets worse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 1 minute ago, AndyM3000 said: Before Axel and Grealish got injured we beat Bolton, Derby, Blues & Boro while drawing to Forest & Baggies. These two with McGinn were our best players in that run. But they did get injured. Grealish missed a large chunk of last season....players will get injured next season. Albion had an injury and suspension hit squad today. . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post markavfc40 Posted February 16, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2019 (edited) I think today was a great example of just what Smith inherited. I was tearing my hair out at the game as Hourihane was spending his time busy doing f all, as he often does, and it was again costing us. What options does Smith have though. Jedinak is the only other fit central midfielder. Next week with McGinn out we will have pretty much no energy and legs in midfield which is something Smiths high press, high energy game is reliant on. It is also reliant on full backs than can work both ways. We again don't have players that can do that. In one window and 4 months he was never going to be able to fix all the deficiencies in our squad that mean we simply aren't able to play the way the manager wants. With Grealish in the side it masked over many of those issues but with him out those issues are glaringly obvious. I've criticised a few of our performances of late as I don't think we had a real go and put a shift in. Today we did but against an Albion side that didn't get out of second gear in the second half we simply didn't have enough about us to hurt them. I am sure the manager is just as frustrated and pissed off as the rest of us the way the season is panning out but unfortunately he can't fix it until the summer. Give him that at least, allow him to build his squad and have a pre season to implement his way of playing and then judge him. Edited February 16, 2019 by markavfc40 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Just now, markavfc40 said: I think today was a great example of just what Smith inherited. I was tearing my hair out at the game as Hourihane was spending his time busy doing f all, as he often does, and it was again costing us. What options does Smith have though. Jedinak is the only other fit central midfielder. Next week with McGinn out we will have pretty much no energy and legs in midfield which is something Smiths high press, high energy game is reliant on. It is also reliant on full backs than can work both ways. We again don't have players that can do that. He was never going to be able to fix all the deficiencies in our squad that mean we simply aren't able to play the way the manager wants. With Grealish in the side it masked over many of those issues but with him out those issues are glaringly obvious. I've criticised a few of our performances of late as I don't think we had a real go and put a shift in. Today we did but against an Albion side that didn't get out of second gear in the second half we simply didn't have enough about us to hurt them. I am sure the manager is just as frustrated and pissed off as the rest of us the way the season is panning out but unfortunately he can't fix it until the summer. Give him that at least, allow him to build his squad and have a pre season to implement his was of playing and then judge him. Nobody told smith to bring an injury prone midfielder (carroll) nobody told smith to loan out O,Hare the defending was like the keystone cops today, falling over, kicking the ball against each other...in terms of organisation it looks worse than ever....thats a smith defence now...and true to form its conceeding 2 goals a game. its organisation not players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 4 minutes ago, markavfc40 said: I think today was a great example of just what Smith inherited. I was tearing my hair out at the game as Hourihane was spending his time busy doing f all, as he often does, and it was again costing us. What options does Smith have though. Jedinak is the only other fit central midfielder. Next week with McGinn out we will have pretty much no energy and legs in midfield which is something Smiths high press, high energy game is reliant on. It is also reliant on full backs than can work both ways. We again don't have players that can do that. In one window and 4 months he was never going to be able to fix all the deficiencies in our squad that mean we simply aren't able to play the way the manager wants. With Grealish in the side it masked over many of those issues but with him out those issues are glaringly obvious. I've criticised a few of our performances of late as I don't think we had a real go and put a shift in. Today we did but against an Albion side that didn't get out of second gear in the second half we simply didn't have enough about us to hurt them. I am sure the manager is just as frustrated and pissed off as the rest of us the way the season is panning out but unfortunately he can't fix it until the summer. Give him that at least, allow him to build his squad and have a pre season to implement his was of playing and then judge him. Fair comments but I think we need to see some sign of improvement in the remainder of the season , we cannot have the next 13 games similar to the last 13 games 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM3000 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 (edited) 9 minutes ago, hippo said: But they did get injured. Grealish missed a large chunk of last season....players will get injured next season. Albion had an injury and suspension hit squad today. . Im not saying we won't get injuries but they were two key players for us. They had two players out and one suspension from what I can see. They have a better squad than us but that's not surprising considering they just got relegated. We have Chester, Axel, Grealish, Carroll & Lansbury all out and at the moment they would walk into this team. You can see how Smith's Brentford play and he made a comment midweek about how much energy they had. He can't turn these old cloggers into a high press/possession team overnight. Id like to see us use some of our youth players and I thought loaning Bree out was madness. Edited February 16, 2019 by AndyM3000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomsub Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 4 minutes ago, hippo said: Nobody told smith to bring an injury prone midfielder (carroll) nobody told smith to loan out O,Hare the defending was like the keystone cops today, falling over, kicking the ball against each other...in terms of organisation it looks worse than ever....thats a smith defence now...and true to form its conceeding 2 goals a game. its organisation not players. I agree on the Carroll point but O'Hare clearly isn't ready and the loan was sensible. We defend as a team and when you've got a powderpuff like Hourihane it's unlikely to be solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kurtsimonw Posted February 16, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted February 16, 2019 32 minutes ago, AshVilla said: Reached the play off final but then didn't turn up? Nobody remembers the losers in a playoff final, we may as well have finished midtable. Absolutely mental. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Just now, AndyM3000 said: Im not saying we won't get injuries but they were two key players for us. They had two players out and one suspension from what I can see. They have a better squad than us but that's not surprising considering they just got relegated. We have Chester, Axel, Grealish, Carroll & Lansbury all out and at the moment they would walk into this team. You can see how Smith's Brentford play and he made a comment midweek about how much energy they had. He can't turn these old cloggers into a high press/possession team overnight. Smiths Brentford get 9th. which we could get Brentfords PR department. jesus wept you would think they were Bayern Munich the way everyone goes on about then. ....the defence at Brentford lost more points from winning positions than any other team in the championship last season. ....and now our defence ...despite a £5m goalie, a £12m rated cb , and another smith recruit is routinley conceeding 2 goals per game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 1 hour ago, mykeyb said: We wanted Bruce out because he had no plan B. I have seen no suggestion that Smith is any better. I can't disagree - but still Bruce has gone tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted February 16, 2019 VT Supporter Share Posted February 16, 2019 25 minutes ago, markavfc40 said: I think today was a great example of just what Smith inherited. I was tearing my hair out at the game as Hourihane was spending his time busy doing f all, as he often does, and it was again costing us. What options does Smith have though. Jedinak is the only other fit central midfielder. Next week with McGinn out we will have pretty much no energy and legs in midfield which is something Smiths high press, high energy game is reliant on. It is also reliant on full backs than can work both ways. We again don't have players that can do that. In one window and 4 months he was never going to be able to fix all the deficiencies in our squad that mean we simply aren't able to play the way the manager wants. With Grealish in the side it masked over many of those issues but with him out those issues are glaringly obvious. I've criticised a few of our performances of late as I don't think we had a real go and put a shift in. Today we did but against an Albion side that didn't get out of second gear in the second half we simply didn't have enough about us to hurt them. I am sure the manager is just as frustrated and pissed off as the rest of us the way the season is panning out but unfortunately he can't fix it until the summer. Give him that at least, allow him to build his squad and have a pre season to implement his was of playing and then judge him. I appreciate what you’re saying Mark and I don’t really disagree, but is there a target for the remainder of the season that you yourself have for Smith or are you just of the mindset that he is the man that needs to lead us into next season regardless. I appreciate I’m asking for something tangible and that’s not really your point. But I think it’s fair to say that *silly example warning* if we lost the next 13 games and finished 20th (say) there wouldn’t be many in the pro Smith camp. Like I say, silly example but you get my point. Is there a final league position which we have to achieve or a minimum amount of wins/performances where you feel comfortable with Smith being the manager next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Smith looked like a deflated man at full time. This run of results are totally unacceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 5 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said: Smith looked like a deflated man at full time. This run of results are totally unacceptable. This is my concern. The pressure at villa will break him imo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 He's abandoned plan a, the high press swashbuckling attack mode which was so enjoyable. Can we have it back please. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 7 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said: Smith looked like a deflated man at full time. This run of results are totally unacceptable. Funny you should say that - Just had a text from my Baggies mate who was at the game, Reckons he saw Smith close to tears, if not in tears after the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Quote We showed commitment, tried to press the ball and win it back high. There wasn't too much in the game if I'm honest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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