Dean Smith

[Keyblade]

1 minute ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

This is exactly it. Had we spent nothing and kept the lot that brought us up (baring in mind players like Abraham, Mings, Tuanzebe and El Ghazi would have gone) then you've got a squad that would be going down with a record low points total, it was that bad.

So yeah, we had to invest heavily just to give us a fighting chance of staying up. We can of course debate how well that money was spent (Wesley being a real issue for me) but that kind of expenditure was necessary. Hilarious to read posts back in the summer suggesting we have an outside chance of a top half finish.

We still do to be honest. Everyone 8th down are in the same fight imo. We've just went through the worst run of fixtures of any team in the league and we're somehow still not in the relegation zone. That's heartening. I just hope heads haven't gone down. 

[sharkyvilla]

1 minute ago, Davkaus said:

I'm not too worried about the league position. I think we have some very winnable games coming up, and I expect us to finish the season stronger than we started it.

Some aspects of his game management scare the shit out of me though. That first goal was entirely on Smith, it was his hesitance to make subs summed up in a couple of minutes. 

Surely all Smith can do is listen to Mings and the physio and make the call based on whether they reckoned he was able to continue?

[Keyblade]

6 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

The Sheffield Utd comparison is very lazy.

I mentioned this before somewhere, but Sheffield Utd's squad is much more settled - they regularly start about 7 or 8 of the players who started for them in the Championship last season.

All teams take time to gel. 16 games is nothing really. I know we all want quick results, but this is basically the second team Smith has had to build at Villa, and that first team he built took 22 matches to hit their stride.

Fans who are turning on Smith already are a bit of an embarrassment to the club IMO.

Honestly, Villa fans on social media have made me embarrassed to be a Villa fan. We're actually awful. 

[Rodders]

Yep, this has been a tough spell and we've shown inexperience, players and manager, but we now need to focus on the next r7n of fixtures tomb get a few wins again. Managing player fatigue is important. We desperately need some support up top though.

[Davkaus]

1 minute ago, Keyblade said:

Honestly, Villa fans on social media have made me embarrassed to be a Villa fan. We're actually awful. 

That applies to all teams. People say the cream rises to the top, but so do a lot of turds. The extremes draw the eye, but the less divisive opinions don't tend to get thousands of retweets.

[Dr_Pangloss]

4 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

Honestly, Villa fans on social media have made me embarrassed to be a Villa fan. We're actually awful. 

The Facebook groups are unbearable. 

[OutByEaster?]

I think we'll finish above Sheffield United this season.

 

[foreveryoung]

Comon, I like him but have no sentimental ties to him like some. It's obvious he's a very limited manager, no one can dispute that. Will he keep us up an take us to the dizzy heights of midtable in a couple of seasons, i'm unsure.

[Keyblade]

Just now, Dr_Pangloss said:

The Facebook groups are unbearable. 

I haven't been on Facebook since the Championship, and that was only due to streams. But I remember being in them from the Houllier days and they were insufferable back then too. Lots of xenophobic abuse of Houllier as well. Football fans are thick as pig shit.

[ferguson1]

I really like Smith and think he’s been a breath of fresh air since he arrived, but a few things are niggling with me at this point.  He has a real stubbornness, which could be ultimately his and our downfall.  

McGinn has appeared shattered for weeks and his recent displays questionable, but Smith persists starting him every single game and never wants to sub him either. I wonder if this sends out a negative message to the rest of the players, as some seem to have a bad game and are then immediately dropped. 

Wesley?  Think we can all see that any confidence he arrived with is now draining out of him minute by minute.  When he went down injured today, fans and players alike seemed to all think “just get up or get off”.   For the good of Wes, he needs removing from the firing line.  What is the answer though?  Kodjia, El G up top? 

Finally, the attacking intent is a joy, but it feels like every game we play now we’ll give the opposition 15/20 shots at our goal.  Quite simply we won’t keep any clean sheets if we allow this to carry on. We must tighten up and quick.  My only solace this evening is that we’ve just come out of a really challenging run of games and our next 3/4 games should  be games where we can take some points.  

Lets see where we are approaching the New Year.

[Keyblade]

1 minute ago, foreveryoung said:

Comon, I like him but have no sentimental ties to him like some. It's obvious he's a very limited manager, no one can dispute that. Will he keep us up an take us to the dizzy heights of midtable in a couple of seasons, i'm unsure.

You call getting us promoted against all odds sentimental value? He's not in the job because he's a Villa fan. He's in the job because he's the best manager we've had in a decade. Literally performed miracles to get us in this position. But I guess we should sack him and get in Sam Allardyce or something.

[foreveryoung]

Just now, Keyblade said:

You call getting us promoted against all odds sentimental value? He's not in the job because he's a Villa fan. He's in the job because he's the best manager we've had in a decade. Literally performed miracles to get us in this position. But I guess we should sack him and get in Sam Allardyce or something.

Championship manager yes. No experience in this league and trying to play the same Championship tactics. Never said I wanted him sacked, just needs to learn, an quick.

[Tomaszk]

8 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I think we'll finish above Sheffield United this season.

 

Good chance I'd say yes.

Without a new striker, I'm afraid not.

[Keyblade]

1 minute ago, foreveryoung said:

Championship manager yes. No experience in this league and trying to play the same Championship tactics. Never said I wanted him sacked, just needs to learn, an quick.

What does Championship manager even mean? I can't believe we're pining for the old "Premier League experience" canard. We really should know better by now.

[foreveryoung]

1 minute ago, Keyblade said:

What does Championship manager even mean? I can't believe we're pining for the old "Premier League experience" canard. We really should know better by now.

With Smith it means tactically limited. 

[New_Hope]

1 minute ago, foreveryoung said:

With Smith it means tactically limited. 

Surely this means being rolfstomped every game by the opposition no??

Apart from 3 games, we have been competitive and if not for VAR, could have got more than we have!!

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

After that opener at Spurs our defence were organised clearing everything. Looked very efficient under lots of pressure. Concerning how we’ve lost that already, concede so many goals from set pieces and crosses, getting beat in the air should not be an issue for our defence but it is a big one. Positionally been left wanting for a while now.

[brummybloke]

I have every confidence in our manager, I do see why is doesnt haul off wes despite me wanting him to. Hes our only forward at the moment bar kodja who will be off in jan or end if the season.

I wish he would pick a midfield and stuck with it as the chopping and changing cant be good.

He wants villa to do well, he isnt deliberately getting things wrong and with some of our players it's down to themselves.

It's not an easy option dropping McGinn but I think he needs to be dropped.

CH should be starting, hes our top scorer, makes dead ball situations dangerous and has a platt like knack of nipping in to score from midfield.

I would almost be tempted to give hause a spot on the bench as targett keeps getting knocks and keep Elmo on the bench for fred.

Theres a large amount of players but not many you can say should start.

 

Think Smith's hands are tied with wes, drop him and then possibly zero confidence, play him and theres that .1% chance the ball will hit him and go in.

[Brumstopdogs]

 

 

[Tomaszk]

Targett injury might have saved him getting subbed.

Crowd reaction would not have been good. They've started to reflect to feelings of the other players who are sick of him.