Dean Smith

[Davkaus]

Just now, Davkaus said:

When do you think we were worse other than against Southampton?

We offered absolutely nothing going forward, and we were a Heaton away from being bent over.

Actually, I'd accept 3rd worst game of the season. Leicester was a **** nightmare.

[lexicon]

1 minute ago, Davkaus said:

When do you think we were worse other than against Southampton?

We offered absolutely nothing going forward, and we were a Heaton away from being bent over.

Leicester, for one. Better team but we were disgusting. 

[Sulberto21]

Im not the biggest Smith fan, but he got the tactics spot on today. Our defensive midfield did the job of getting stuck in. He made the full backs narrow so they couldn’t play through us. 
 

El-Ghazi has got to play on the left though as he is much better from this side. 

[mikeyp102]

So happy for him today. 

[sharkyvilla]

7 minutes ago, Farlz said:

Do you never get bored talking utter shit every single day? 

He gets two or three bites on every page, why would he get bored by it when it's all he wants.

[DaveAV1]

8 minutes ago, Farlz said:

Do you never get bored talking utter shit every single day? 

Clearly not! 

[DeepDish]

I think he will be the best manager we can have this season (sacking him, and I am sure we will not improve - just look at how we did after sacking the managers in the 2015/2016 season).

And I think we will stay in the Premiership. He makes mistakes, like most of the managers, but that is something all our 10 last managers have done.

Edited December 26, 2019 by DeepDish

[Dave-R]

5 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Pleased he changed to a 4231.

Loads and loads and loads of work to do on it. 

Wide players utter gash.

Been saying 4-2-3-1 is the way forward, we did enough against a side that are good at possession and playing the ball around. We frustrated and got to them.

We still need to make better use of crosses, they just went no where, way to short, over the top, no one, just no one.

[jacketspuds]

I would have said that the only mistake he made today was not taking Trezeguet off sooner, but it's not as if he has a great deal to choose from on the bench.

Hopefully Smith is pushing the board for as much support as possible next month as we can't go in to the 2nd half of the season as a one man team. Especially with the extremely inconsistent performances from our current front 3.

[MaVilla]

A few points:

Players:

1) Jota cant be any worse than Trez, Jota also has passes in his locker that no-one at the club other than Grealish has, he needs to play (current squad in mind)

2) Trez and El Ghazi just arent good enough, Wesley currently doesnt look good enough. (all 3 are subs bench players at best currently - could they improve? - yes probably - but we dont have time for that, we need to stay up - maybe with sub bench playing time they will be develop and be decent next season, but currently they arent starting 11 quality)

 

January Transfer Window:

1) We need a big, strong DM, a winger and a striker MINIMUM, all of whom are able to go straight in to the starting 11.

2) If we dont get these we will be in big trouble imo. (or at least the DM/winger(s) bought, who can play off Wesley correctly)

 

Relegation fight:

1) If we had beaten Southampton we would be sitting in 14th currently.

2) But, cant make excuses any longer, cant use shoulda, coulda woulda any more, we are 50% in to the season, in the relegation zone and on 18 points, not good enough.

3) Looks like we will need to break the 40 point barrier to guarantee survival this season, so we need 23 points minimum from the second half of the season (currently 18 points - so need to improve in the second half of the season or we are relegated imo).

 

Deano & staff:

1) I still support Deano, but....

2) He needs to be more flexible with his formation, we just dont seem to have the players to play his system currently it seems.

3) He needs to get at least 3 new players in, if he sticks with what he has got, we are probably done.

4) Are the players not working for him?, cant decide if its that they are lazy, or he isnt managing them properly?

5) the lack of fight, aggression, being too soft etc & too easy to play through, being too respectful of opposition etc, im really really surprised this is the case, especially with an ex- player / born winner like JT on the staff, whats going on during training etc?!

 

Can we survive?, yes i think we can , but we need to address the observed issues in Jan urgently, or we probably wont survive.

Edited December 26, 2019 by MaVilla

[New_Hope]

So certain fans like to use the excuse that Leicester beat Southampton 9-0 against us but not that Norwich drew at the King Power with Leicester only last week!! Laughable really.

Dean...I believe in you and think regardless of what happens this season, you will eventually establish us as a top 6 side.

[Lerner's Driver]

11 minutes ago, New_Hope said:

So certain fans like to use the excuse that Leicester beat Southampton 9-0 against us but not that Norwich drew at the King Power with Leicester only last week!! Laughable really.

Dean...I believe in you and think regardless of what happens this season, you will eventually establish us as a top 6 side.

I love blind assertions... "I believe it, so it's going to happen". When ever I hear them, I find them so persuasive, I completely forget my doubts or any need for evidence.

[foreveryoung]

28 minutes ago, DeepDish said:

I think he will be the best manager we can have this season (sacking him, and I am sure we will not improve - just look at how we did after sacking the managers in the 2015/2016 season).

And I think we will stay in the Premiership. He makes mistakes, like most of the managers, but that is something all our 10 last managers have done.

How you have come to this conclusion after beating a poor Norwich side is utterly baffling. You do know we hadn't won in 9 before this game don't you. Heaton kept us in the game again not Smith's genius tactics.

I will look forward to your comments after the Watford game

[Zatman]

36 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

He gets two or three bites on every page, why would he get bored by it when it's all he wants.

Its a pretty sad life if thats what you live for

[Zatman]

2 points more than our relegation season with 19 games or so left. I call that progress 

[Dodgyknees]

28 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

A few points:

Players:

1) Jota cant be any worse than Trez, Jota also has passes in his locker that no-one at the club other than Grealish has, he needs to play (current squad in mind)

2) Trez and El Ghazi just arent good enough, Wesley currently doesnt look good enough. (all 3 are subs bench players at best currently - could they improve? - yes probably - but we dont have time for that, we need to stay up - maybe with sub bench playing time they will be develop and be decent next season, but currently they arent starting 11 quality)

 

January Transfer Window:

1) We need a big, strong DM, a winger and a striker MINIMUM, all of whom are able to go straight in to the starting 11.

2) If we dont get these we will be in big trouble imo. (or at least the DM/winger(s) bought, who can play off Wesley correctly)

 

Relegation fight:

1) If we had beaten Southampton we would be sitting in 14th currently.

2) But, cant make excuses any longer, cant use shoulda, coulda woulda any more, we are 50% in to the season, in the relegation zone and on 18 points, not good enough.

3) Looks like we will need to break the 40 point barrier to guarantee survival this season, so we need 23 points minimum from the second half of the season (currently 18 points - so need to improve in the second half of the season or we are relegated imo).

 

Deano & staff:

1) I still support Deano, but....

2) He needs to be more flexible with his formation, we just dont seem to have the players to play his system currently it seems.

3) He needs to get at least 3 new players in, if he sticks with what he has got, we are probably done.

4) Are the players not working for him?, cant decide if its that they are lazy, or he isnt managing them properly?

5) the lack of fight, aggression, being too soft etc & too easy to play through, being too respectful of opposition etc, im really really surprised this is the case, especially with an ex- player / born winner like JT on the staff, whats going on during training etc?!

 

Can we survive?, yes i think we can , but we need to address the observed issues in Jan urgently, or we probably wont survive.

Brilliant

[Dr_Pangloss]

Big three points.

But I'm extremely unimpressed with what's going on here. We won but look every inch a bottom three side. I'm very concerned at the level of coaching delivered by Smith and his team. This side is time and time again standing around on their heels not getting into good positions for a pass, not demanding the ball and not showing any clever movement (outside of Grealish). The football is absolutely piss poor and you have to go back to Lambert to recall a similar style on offer.

I genuinely love Smith for what he has done but I'm absolutely not convinced he's the man to take us forward, even if he keeps us up he is not coaching the progressive and high intensity football that's required to succeed at this level. Perhaps Smith is just one part of a bigger plan, I certainly hope that's the case.

[Nabby]

Think the Conner sub was pretty ballsy , he sacrificed Nakamba's tacking for more attacking threat.

Trez would have been off early but I think as bad as Trez was in general he does track back , he can't trust Kodjia to do that and Jota ( who did come on eventually ) is hopeless on the counter as he has zero pace and strength to hold the ball up.

 

[DeepDish]

4 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

How you have come to this conclusion after beating a poor Norwich side is utterly baffling. You do know we hadn't won in 9 before this game don't you. Heaton kept us in the game again not Smith's genius tactics.

I will look forward to your comments after the Watford game

How I have come to the conclusion that we probably will get a worse manager if he is sacked now? First, we do not have the pulling power over great managers, meaning it will be the usual suspects coming in. I think we should see where we are when the season is over. Was really really optimistic and hoping for Villa to finish the season between 14th and 17th this season, and still believe I have seen enough to suggest we migh get such great results and not go down, even with a dip in form as we have seen.

Here is our latest 10 managers, which suggest our problems with pulling in the great managers. Thw two great managers were O'Neill and Houllier, and that was quite some time ago, when we were competing for top 4!

Steve Bruce
Roberto Di Matteo
Remi Garde
Tim Sherwood
Paul Lambert
Alex McLeish
Gerard Houllier
Martin O’Neill
David O’Leary
Graham Taylor

[MaVilla]

oh my lord we were terrible at corners (versus Norwich, and generally), what the issue, do we do some zonal marking or something?, whats the issue?, its not like we dont have tall players?!?!?!

Also, that goal line clearance by Luiz, great stuff.