Dean Smith

[KMitch]

History has shown that teams who park the bus and struggle to score goals throughout the season are more likely to be relegated than those who can freely score, but also concede plenty themselves.  

Statistically, we should be 11th right now and that's where we actually are.  We would be top 8 right now, if VAR/Refs hadn't have fooked us over several times already.  Some need to chill out...  It's only 9 games into the season.

[cheltenham_villa]

I dont care if we go down as long as we try to score goals and play football. Football is about being entertained, I've lost too many hours at villa park watching us desperately defend our goal just to desperately stay in a division. What's the point. 

[Tomaszk]

3 hours ago, cheltenham_villa said:

I dont care if we go down as long as we try to score goals and play football. Football is about being entertained, I've lost too many hours at villa park watching us desperately defend our goal just to desperately stay in a division. What's the point. 

100% with you. This is what I want to see, I love it. The end game is correct. Also, we've been boned enough this season, delighted to pinch a win at the death.

Having said all that...

Against 10 men that was a really poor performance, Brighton had so many chances. No one bar Jack was particularly good, he alone dragged us to that win.

The shape of the midfield was a right mess, even with the extra man. Look at poor Marvelous on the average position map...

The game could have been 3-3 or Brighton could have won 4-3. We were far far too open and Smith must address this. 

Not just a manager or formation thing of course, those average positions can only give you an idea, that could have been a 4-0 win map. Hourihane was very poor throughout and McGinn lost his head a bit last 20/30 I thought, was trying strange passes and getting frustrated.

[PieFacE]

I bloody love Dean Smith. What a year he's had here. To be 11th with a quarter of the season gone is a great achievement. Truth be told, we should be higher. But it is what is is and long may it continue.

[Guest av1]

Midfield is still a bit of a problem for me, Hourihane and McGinn basically play the ACM role leaving too much space between themselves and Nakamba. 

[Villarocker]

13 minutes ago, av1 said:

Midfield is still a bit of a problem for me, Hourihane and McGinn basically play the ACM role leaving too much space between themselves and Nakamba. 

Can't argue with this point. Either one of Hourihane (or whoever else plays) or McGinn needs to stay put when the other bombs forward. 

[MaVilla]

50 minutes ago, av1 said:

Midfield is still a bit of a problem for me, Hourihane and McGinn basically play the ACM role leaving too much space between themselves and Nakamba. 

 

36 minutes ago, Villarocker said:

Can't argue with this point. Either one of Hourihane (or whoever else plays) or McGinn needs to stay put when the other bombs forward. 

I honestly think Luiz would add more balance the the midfield trio, not playing down Conor, I don't like him but he has played ok, I just agree that Mcginn and hourihane leaves the midfield too imbalanced and Nakamba too isolated.

[Vive_La_Villa]

We need to work on set pieces and corners. Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe every goal we’ve scored this season has been from open play? 

[cheltenham_villa]

3 hours ago, MaVilla said:

 

I honestly think Luiz would add more balance the the midfield trio, not playing down Conor, I don't like him but he has played ok, I just agree that Mcginn and hourihane leaves the midfield too imbalanced and Nakamba too isolated.

I agree, expect to see luiz in there at some point but right now Conor has the shirt, tbf he had a goal yesterday wrongly disallowed.

[sharkyvilla]

11 minutes ago, cheltenham_villa said:

I agree, expect to see luiz in there at some point but right now Conor has the shirt, tbf he had a goal yesterday wrongly disallowed.

To put it simply Conor is the best finisher at the club so right now has to play.  Not that Luiz is bad himself but it's good to have both.

[TRO]

On 19/10/2019 at 17:07, villalad21 said:

Man City and Liverpool up next though.

But point wise we can afford a couple of defeats now.

we should never think like that......this game is about momentum.

We need to beat Man city and Liverpool.....just the next back to back wins required.

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

To put it simply Conor is the best finisher at the club so right now has to play.  Not that Luiz is bad himself but it's good to have both.

He is an enigma.....but you are right few players strike the ball so accurately.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

We need to work on set pieces and corners. Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe every goal we’ve scored this season has been from open play? 

as a team our heading ability, is quite poor....its a shame because it could add another dimension to our game.

I thought Engels was good in the air?......not seen any encouragement for that claim yet.

[villalad21]

9 minutes ago, TRO said:

we should never think like that......this game is about momentum.

We need to beat Man city and Liverpool.....just the next back to back wins required.

Love your optimism.

Gotta have the right attitude.

Edited October 20, 2019 by villalad21

[TRO]

7 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Love your optimism.

Gotta have the right attitude.

You can't let doubt creep in to the mind....belief has to be strong 

You have probably just seen Man U ,put some time in to them physically and got a point......Its the approach, it has to be fierce and ferocious to stand a chance.

You have to compete in this league and anything can happen......stand off or play in a passive lethargic manner and you get dumped on your arse.

We have to disrupt their rhythm as best as we can.....and make them rush their work.

We need a lot more players "at it "mind to achieve that.....too many went missing yesterday, despite a good win.

 

Edited October 20, 2019 by TRO

[romavillan]

10 minutes ago, TRO said:

You can't let doubt creep in to the mind....belief has to be strong 

You have probably just seen Man U ,put some time in to them physically and got a point......Its the approach, it has to be fierce and ferocious to stand a chance.

You have to compete in this league and anything can happen......stand off or play in a passive lethargic manner and you get dumped on your arse.

We have to disrupt their rhythm as best as we can.....and make them rush their work.

We need a lot more players "at it "mind to achieve that.....too many went missing yesterday, despite a good win.

 

I woudl love to hear wht Dean is saying to the players in the preperation for these next two. He's been on the David side of the David and Goliath games a lot (Walsall and Brentford) so he must have a few psychological tricks up his sleeve. I don't think he can talk up the consequences of losing though, it has tobe about freedom and playing your own game and seeing what happens for me...

If Dean can manage to have us mid table safely at the end of the season he'll have done an incredible job for my money. Just over a year ago we were mid table in the Championship with a team that mostly played like they'd never met before. 

[Only2McInallys]

10 hours ago, cheltenham_villa said:

I dont care if we go down as long as we try to score goals and play football. Football is about being entertained, I've lost too many hours at villa park watching us desperately defend our goal just to desperately stay in a division. What's the point. 

This is so right.

Over the years there has been some dreadful football played at Villa park.Trying to think of the worst periods Gregory’s team after a couple of years ,Lambert later years etc etc .Smith has us playing some of the best football I have seen at Villa park.Yes we look very open when we lose the ball and we will concede more than most but we play positive football.Even the games we have lost this season I have been entertained by our football at times .Our first goal against Arsenal came after we moved the ball from our defence and crossed sides,something like 25 passes.

I would rather us be involved in entertaining games even if it means relegation.I have watched too much turgid football over the years.

Maybe we could start a discussion about when we had the worst football at Villa park?

Edited October 20, 2019 by Londonastonvilla

[cheltenham_villa]

10 minutes ago, Londonastonvilla said:

This is so right.

Over the years there has been some dreadful football played at Villa park.Trying to think of the worst periods Gregory’s team after a couple of years ,Lambert later years etc etc .Smith has us playing some of the best football I have seen at Villa park.Yes we look very open when we lose the ball and we will concede more than most but we play positive football.Even the games we have lost this season I have been entertained by our football at times .Our first goal against Arsenal came after we moved the ball from our defence and crossed sides,something like 25 passes.

I would rather us be involved in entertaining games even if it means relegation.I have watched too much turgid football over the years.

Maybe we could start a discussion about when we had the worst football at Villa park?

I didnt want to get promoted under bruce, I couldn't bear to watch us desperately stay up with 10 men behind the ball.

My son is now 9, I couldn't take him for a few years as it was just too boring, he even started supporting spurs. 

I've won him back now thanks to dean smith.

[Keyblade]

Next 2 games we need to have Douglas holding with Marvelous. Our midfield has been way too open recently. Brighton just had the freedom of VP to do what they wanted, and they're not even half the team City is. We'd get ripped to pieces if we play like that against City. I know he's been good since coming in, but having Conor play against City would be suicide.

Having Douglas sitting also has the added benefit of freeing up McGinn to basically play as an ACM without much worry. We'll be really dangerous on the break with Jack, John and Trez floating behind Wesley.

[turvontour]

15 hours ago, sir_gary_cahill said:

Like who? I think they’re all of pretty decent standard including the other newly promoted teams 

Every team except for the current top 4. And Leicester and Chelsea are inferior sides to where both were a few years ago. Man city and Liverpool only two teams outside of the garbage category for me.

Seriously though, look at it like this; we've had a mixed start to the season. Positives, we're new to the league and have a new side, and have therefore made a solid start. Negatives, stupid mistakes have cost us lots of points and we haven't had run of the green of VAR. We should really be an absolute minimum of 7th, and thats just adding Lansbury goal v palace, nothing else.

So, the teams below us must be poor, as we haven't been great. And the 6 teams directly above us are literally only above us because we didn't beat them. All would he below us if we had beat them, including Arsenal and Spurs. 

My main observation at the moment is that if we go down this season, it's going to be our own doing. It absolutely isn't going to be down to us being blown away by the quality of the opposition.