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Dean Smith


Demitri_C

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8 hours ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Just an open question for others. Why do you guys think we've been conceding so many goals?

Because we play open attacking football and because the longest tenured regular defender/goalkeeper/defensive midfielder has been at the club for less than a year.

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I've rarely seen a team, where attack is the priority, do well in the Premier league, unless you are a top 4 team, although generally they are good all round. It works in the Championship as it did with us, but I doubt it's gonna gain us many points in this league. Hopefully we will sign a new striker in Jan and then tactically make a change.

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I think we will be in a better position to judge after the next games before Man City on the 12th Jan.

Considering we have just played Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea - who are light years ahead of us in terms of spending / squad,  i think people are being overly harsh on the team and Dean.

If we still manage to lose from winning positions against those around us, then there may be more cause for concern. Until then, i'm still optimistic about our chances of staying up (because let's face it, that's our aim this season, despite hyperbolic posts from morons who think we should be top 10 or some nonsense this season).

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8 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

I've rarely seen a team, where attack is the priority, do well in the Premier league, unless you are a top 4 team

We are worryingly similar to Norwich.

What separates us is Jack. They don't have that kind of talent in their squad.

That's the one hope that keeps me slightly optimistic for survival. But if Jack were to get a long term injury we're in massive trouble.

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10 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

We are worryingly similar to Norwich.

What separates us is Jack. They don't have that kind of talent in their squad.

That's the one hope that keeps me slightly optimistic for survival. But if Jack were to get a long term injury we're in massive trouble.

I'm not sure we would, see how we played against Liverpool. It seems when the team are on their own, there's a bit more movement and the midfield comes alive. It is true when Grealish plays we are much to reliant on him.

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12 hours ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Just an open question for others. Why do you guys think we've been conceding so many goals?

Its  a number of reasons....I don't think most posters are interested in debating it......nobody wants their chips ****ed on.

They just want to watch what they want to watch and to hell with the consequences......We are far too open and if we don't do anything about it, remember this at the end of the season, when its too late......We need a Michael Essien or Oliver Dacourt type in the middle.

I will tell you this......If we ignore this problem and carry on in our own sweet way.....we will go down or be dragged in to a very nail biting finale.

This argument that we have to dismiss the top teams as too good for us and just look for points from the lower teams is absurd......Its the scrappers we struggle against.....Chelsea was at it on Tuesday, because they were on the back of 2 defeats, the top 2 do it all the time, that's why they are where they are.

Arsenal are also in big trouble, they too stand off too much.....soft underbelly.

The top teams do let you play to a degree and that is what we are set up to do......our clear problem is battling, not enough aggression.....We have a soft underbelly and comfortable in standing off, we don't like confrontation or scrapping for the ball. You only have to watch us when a player is in a one on one, how many are just waiting for the champagne pass to get on their way, very noble in some ways, but we have to win the ball first.

These comments are not about all our players, just some, but too many on Tuesday.

 

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17 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

We are worryingly similar to Norwich.

What separates us is Jack. They don't have that kind of talent in their squad.

That's the one hope that keeps me slightly optimistic for survival. But if Jack were to get a long term injury we're in massive trouble.

Spot on.

I feel sorry for him.

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1 hour ago, foreveryoung said:

I've rarely seen a team, where attack is the priority, do well in the Premier league, unless you are a top 4 team, although generally they are good all round. It works in the Championship as it did with us, but I doubt it's gonna gain us many points in this league. Hopefully we will sign a new striker in Jan and then tactically make a change.

There is nothing wrong with attack being the priority, but when called upon, you have to be able to defend....overall we lack aggression in our play, when defending.

maybe some players are just happy, they've made it here.

When we talk about defending, it should be the whole team involved.....its only our back 5 in our case.....If you watch the front 3 and the middle 3 they offer very little in terms of defending.....teams just run right through us.....I just don't think we have the personnel to do it, I think we have once again bought too many lightweights.....we can't even win a headed ball outside the back 4 and they are not really dominant, except Mings when he is in the groove and he isn't right now. (another problem we have)

Away from home we do look very vulnerable.

Edited by TRO
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It was very easy for Chelsea who are clearly drilled to snuff us out and win the ball back quickly. We had no time on the ball at any point the other night. Whereas we stood off them and allowed them all the time in the world. They always had someone on their right with acres. Then for their second Willian has 10 seconds to pick out Abraham with Conor and Targett just standing there scared to press him. We should be more aggressive.

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1 hour ago, Mister_a said:

I think we will be in a better position to judge after the next games before Man City on the 12th Jan.

Considering we have just played Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea - who are light years ahead of us in terms of spending / squad,  i think people are being overly harsh on the team and Dean.

If we still manage to lose from winning positions against those around us, then there may be more cause for concern. Until then, i'm still optimistic about our chances of staying up (because let's face it, that's our aim this season, despite hyperbolic posts from morons who think we should be top 10 or some nonsense this season).

I haven't seen anyone expecting that ( top ten) and this argument is over stated.....I accept that those teams are better than us and are likely to be for some considerable time to come......but answer me this ....why do we fail at some of the most fundamental aspects of play i.e first touch, moving off the ball, failing to win headers, poor positional play?....This stuff is not exclusive to the top 6 teams.....you don't have to be a Brazillian super star to execute the basics.

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6 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

How Smith sets up against Leicester will speak volumes. They are a strong attacking team. so the last thing we want to do is go all out attack.

4-3-3

Smith never changes his system. I see a lot of people asking for 4-2-3-1 but it won't happen.

Edited by villalad21
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I think Chelsea was a pretty good performance v a very good side to be honest. It was better than Brighton which we won.

A good level to aim at.

I think hunger to win the ball back was there as well to be honest. Only moment we didn't was when Targett and Hourihane both became boneheads and watched Willian pick out his cross, that was very very poor. Wouldn't have happened with McGinn out there, he showed a bit of form which was a welcome return.

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2 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

How Smith sets up against Leicester will speak volumes. They are a strong attacking team. so the last thing we want to do is go all out attack.

Unless, we think we can play them at their own game.

Despite Wesley being Pants so far.....goal scoring is not our problem at home.

We concede goals too much, granted.......but when you watch the game, we concede ground, we concede tackles, we concede headers, we concede one on ones, we are out muscled so,so easy........Ultimately, that concedes the initiative and desire......and that is what happens away from home, we wasn't great away in the championship...we have become home birds....we haven't got the players with the GRIT for away from home.

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2 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

4-3-3

Smith never changes his system. I see a lot of people asking for 4-2-3-1 but it won't happen.

We Haven't got the midfield to play 3 in the midddle, particularly away from home.....it doesn't matter what permutation you choose.

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8 minutes ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

It was very easy for Chelsea who are clearly drilled to snuff us out and win the ball back quickly. We had no time on the ball at any point the other night. Whereas we stood off them and allowed them all the time in the world. They always had someone on their right with acres. Then for their second Willian has 10 seconds to pick out Abraham with Conor and Targett just standing there scared to press him. We should be more aggressive.

It saddens me to agree with you....just reassuring that someone else sees it.

Dean needs to sit down and think real hard about his next moves.....both at BMH and the transfer market.

I think a goalscorer will help or even a player who can hold the ball, that was missing the other night......but I do think a serious look at a DM is required too, one who can win the ball in the air as well as defend on the ground, one who is positionally astute.

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9 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

How Smith sets up against Leicester will speak volumes. They are a strong attacking team. so the last thing we want to do is go all out attack.

I assure you we'll be playing 433 and largely playing a possession based attacking game.

I've said we need to show some flexibility with our formation for ages now, it's a weakness for me.

The intention though I don't have an issue with. It's the reason every game is a sellout these days.

We're a pleasure to watch most of the time, gives me great hope for the future. Even if we're to suffer midtable mediocrity or even a relegation over the next few years I enjoy watching us. It's been probably 10 years since I could say that.

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9 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

I assure you we'll be playing 433 and largely playing a possession based attacking game.

I've said we need to show some flexibility with our formation for ages now, it's a weakness for me.

The intention though I don't have an issue with. It's the reason every game is a sellout these days.

We're a pleasure to watch most of the time, gives me great hope for the future. Even if we're to suffer midtable mediocrity or even a relegation over the next few years I enjoy watching us. It's been probably 10 years since I could say that.

True, but in it's all about winning games. If I wanna be entertained i'll go star city and see a rubbish film

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I think we do need to be more pragmatic in relation to our set up and personnel on a game to game basis. But we’re currently hamstrung by lack of personnel up front, and not exactly blessed with game changers in midfield. Perhaps we’ve got to give Grealish a free role in the opposition half to go where he wants to damage the opposition. But I’d be instructing him to operate in and around the opposition back 4, not coming back picking balls up in our own defensive third. If Douglas doesn’t have the engine to make tackles and break up play then we should take a look at McGinn & Nakamba as a sitting 2 in front of the back 4 at certain times, play Douglas a bit further up. McGinn has the ability to win the ball and pick a pass. I’d like to see us try a 4-2-3-1 at certain times. Line up could be;

................Heaton..............

Fred......Engels....Mings.....Targett

...........Nakamba.......McGinn..........

ElGhazi.........Grealish..........Trézéguet 

.....................Wesley..........................
 

Unfortunately the weak point is that we still don’t get enough from Wesley. I honestly don’t think the opposition see him as a serious goal threat, which really has to be a prerequisite for any front man. Perhaps we could look at someone like Trézéguet as a short term option up front? He’s sure be more mobile and quicker than the current occupant. 

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