Dean Smith

[Zatman 24,765]

3 minutes ago, hippo said:

Can I just where all the angst has come from ?

All I have said is Aston Villa are still a big draw at this 

what on earth are you reading ?

well you rant on about Smith only ever finishing 9th with Brentford then say any Championship manager would take the job

For the record of Championship managers currently only MON, Bruce, Neil, Mowbray, Pulis, Lambert, Adkins and Monk have finished above Smith 9th place. All with bigger budgets than Brentford. Not to mention he finished above both Lee Johnson and Wilder last season

Edited February 23, 2019 by Zatman

[hippo 3,876]

8 minutes ago, Zatman said:

well you rant on about Smith only ever finishing 9th with Brentford then say any Championship manager would take the job

For the record of Championship managers currently only MON, Bruce, Neil, Mowbray, Pulis, Lambert, Adkins and Monk have finished above Smith 9th place. All with bigger budgets than Brentford. Not to mention he finished above both Lee Johnson and Wilder last season

The abilities of Smith and the pulling power of Aston Villa, are separate topics in my opinion.

[Nigel 5,168]

28 minutes ago, hippo said:

I think Barr Chris Wilder, Beisla. Most championship managers would come here if an offer was made in the close season

Aston Villa is a massive pull at this level.

You would laugh if a Forest, Middlesbrough  West Brom or Leeds fan said the same thing, they too believe it!

Surprisingly the great majority get down to the usual suspects when looking for a new manager, exactly as we did when Bruce left!

[hippo 3,876]

3 minutes ago, Nigel said:

You would laugh if a Forest, Middlesbrough  West Brom or Leeds fan said the same thing, they too believe it!

Surprisingly the great majority get down to the usual suspects when looking for a new manager, exactly as we did when Bruce left!

Yes you are probably right. IMO the options narrow drastically when you change managers mid season.

[praisedmambo 1,496]

3 minutes ago, hippo said:

Yes you are probably right. IMO the options narrow drastically when you change managers mid season.

Bit of both surely—Wagner and Jovanovic are both jobless as of now for example.

[Nigel 5,168]

22 minutes ago, hippo said:

Yes you are probably right. IMO the options narrow drastically when you change managers mid season.

The thrill of a new manager chase rarely matches the outcome IMO.

You start with the likes of Fonseca then onto Wagner and end with someone probably inferior to Bruce!

Much rather stick with the gamble we chose!

 

[KHV 3,222]

3 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

I have a feeling that Dean Smith might be exactly the right manager for us in the summer. I wish he could go on holiday until then and we could appoint a caretaker.

As things stand, I'd rate him about 5-1 to make it to the summer - there are already plenty of critics and if we lose the next three or four, which I think is very possible, then I think it'll be vey difficult. We might be about to learn something about our board.

 

If we lose the next few with a whimper like we have been doing and go down lamely at St Andrews in the process I don't think he will make the end of the season.

[OutByEaster? 19,007]

1 minute ago, KHV said:

If we lose the next few with a whimper like we have been doing and go down lamely at St Andrews in the process I don't think he will make the end of the season.

The problem is that right now, the next few are all against teams that are better than us. No matter who manages either side, the sides we're about to play are better than we are. 

From an emotional point of view, that means potentially losing to Martin O'Neill and potentially losing to y'now, them. That's going to create a storm. 

The one to win is today's game.

 

[KHV 3,222]

3 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

The problem is that right now, the next few are all against teams that are better than us. No matter who manages either side, the sides we're about to play are better than we are. 

From an emotional point of view, that means potentially losing to Martin O'Neill and potentially losing to y'now, them. That's going to create a storm. 

The one to win is today's game.

 

I'd reword that as teams that are performing better than us. I am still of the opinion that Smith is not getting anywhere near the maximum out of this squad.

As I have said previously I am not convinced that many in the first team squad are behind him. I think he is flogging a dead horse and I was worried by Smiths comments after Brentford when he said that Brentford played the way he wanted but he can't get us to play the way he wants.

I think he also made a comment along the lines of being frustrated at players not carrying out the things he asked them to do and not listening. 

That to me is quite a worrying sign.

[OutByEaster? 19,007]

1 minute ago, KHV said:

I'd reword that as teams that are performing better than us. I am still of the opinion that Smith is not getting anywhere near the maximum out of this squad.

Nope. Better sides. Better groups of players. We have strengths, but each of the teams we're playing has less weaknesses than we do. 

[TRO 16,034]

17 hours ago, LakotaDakota said:

What has Smith being a fan got to do with anything?

Simple fact is if we were winning games nobody would be on his back, We are absolutely shit so people are... Not rocket science is it.

All this talk of needing to give a manager years is pure nostalgia at best. Clubs, Including the most successful ones change every 2 or 3 years & plenty more often than that.

There are 8 managers in the EFL that have been employed by the same club since before 2016.

51 clubs out of the 72 have a manager employed after Jan 1st 2018

Look, I get your point, but it does eliminate One thing.....He cares as much as we do or more.

so its safe to say, that one thing aimed at other managers, we can hand on heart say "its not that he don't care"

To say we should be winning, is like saying we should have gone up last year.....you don't always get what you THINK you should.

I can't speak for other folk....but what I see and what i saw last season (in lesser ways) tells me we won't do anything until those things are fixed.

He needs time to do that...I don't know if he will do it....but I don't know if anyone else would any quicker, either.

We can't just keep defaulting to change.

Every manager that comes here says the same thing......I didn't know it was as bad as this.

I don't profess to know the answer why, I can suspect like we all can....I think the main problem lies in our recruitment.

Edited February 23, 2019 by TRO

[TRO 16,034]

I thought I would share this humour with those that haven't seen the documentary on the European Cup when English clubs dominated.

It does have a serious point of how managers like Dean/Bruce are criticised for everything.

I thought this was funny and poignant.

Graeme Souness was telling the story of when he signed for Liverpool and he said to Bob Paisley at the last training session before the Saturday game..." Gaffer, I have been here a week now, and No body has really spoken to me, not a problem, but I don't know where you want me to play"

Paisley retorted " Son, I have paid a lot of money, for you and if I have to tell you where to play, you are beginning to worry me"

Now, I know its funny....but the serious side is....Have they really got to tell professional players every god damn thing, not saying this is an ideal thing but Bob obviously did.....I know the game has changed will be rolled out, but there is a serious ring to it about letting players take responsibility and thriving on it, makes them grow up.

I watch our games and I see things that make me shake my head in disbelief and I see successive managers shaking their heads too....so I doubt they are ALWAYS playing to instruction in everything they do.

Edited February 23, 2019 by TRO

[TRO 16,034]

Its not a question of what is right and what is wrong....but if this continues, I can't see him surviving....its so predictable and that is the most concerning element.

The pressures of football are such, that he will be sacrificed....The sensibility of give him time, might just get dismissed.

Its clear, they are not playing for him or unable to play for him....I have sympathy for him.....But,

Edited February 23, 2019 by TRO

[Demitri_C 12,574]

Dean smiths tactics sucks 

[rodders0223 13,812]

Absolutely horrific.

[lexicon 5,531]

I think Smith's problem is motivation. Nothing wrong with his tactics or planning, just doesn't get the players ready to run through walls for him. The mitigating circumstance is that a lot of them won't be here next season anyway and have seemingly checked out, but I don't think DS can motivate well.

[hippo 3,876]

Whatever you're opinion of Smith - I wonder how people pro or anti think Smith will still be here by Christmas ?

[M_Afro 1,557]

Just now, hippo said:

Whatever you're opinion of Smith - I wonder how people pro or anti think Smith will still be here by Christmas ?

I don’t think he’ll be here by Easter 

[villalad21 6,816]

At least we didn't lose, right?

[Sam3773 2,567]

Mixed it up today, albeit forced to with the formation. We looked better in midfield, although we lacked pace. I'm sure Smith was happier with the second half performance today than a few of the others in recent times.