M_Afro Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, GrassyNoel said: Interesting read... https://medium.com/@DavidAnderson_1/brentford-fc-thomas-frank-v-dean-smith-66ba178fd80d Thanks for posting. I found it to be very interesting. Especially as it was based upon last season. The trends for both managers seem to have continued into this season, I have always had my doubts about Smith. I was one of the few people who moaned at his initial appointment. I do think though that unless we have a better option in the bag then we may as well stick with Dean for now. Whatever happens though I would look to upgrade at the end of the season which may be a bit harsh if he keeps us up but he just does not seem to be tactically aware. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) 3 minutes ago, M_Afro said: Thanks for posting. I found it to be very interesting. Especially as it was based upon last season. The trends for both managers seem to have continued into this season, I have always had my doubts about Smith. I was one of the few people who moaned at his initial appointment. I do think though that unless we have a better option in the bag then we may as well stick with Dean for now. Whatever happens though I would look to upgrade at the end of the season which may be a bit harsh if he keeps us up but he just does not seem to be tactically aware. Mate this is one of the reasons I suggested some new, TOP, assitant coaches if possible. To bring different points of view, as well as perhaps help with Defense etc. I think it would be good middle ground. If we are honest, John Terry is basically doing his "degree" with us. Edited December 31, 2019 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabby Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, GrassyNoel said: Interesting read... https://medium.com/@DavidAnderson_1/brentford-fc-thomas-frank-v-dean-smith-66ba178fd80d Could right the same thing about Smith here , same type of goals conceded and lack of aggression everywere on the pitch. 3 years in charge of Brentford and never sorted it which is why i doubt he will here either. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Changing to 352 won't fix our problems, in fact making such a dramatic change in formation will more than likely make things worse, now is not the time to be asking the players to adapt to such a dramatically different formation. Plus I don't think we've particularly got the players to play the system, Targett played as a wing-back for Southampton and wasn't very good, it also excludes our wingers, including El Ghazi who for all the criticism he gets is still one of our better players and main attacking threats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 5 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said: Mate this is one of the reasons I suggested some new, TOP, assitant coaches if possible. To bring different points of view, as well as perhaps help with Defense etc. I think it would be good middle ground. If we are honest, John Terry is basically doing his "degree" with us. I would love us to get Gerrard involved. He is doing a great job at Rangers, has unbelievable connections in the game and would be such an inspiration for young players. He also does not accept lack of effort/aggression. I think he will go to the very top as a manager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Gerrard is risky. Benitez 1st choice for me. Allardyce would be my 2nd choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I'll get this in before we get bummed by Burnley and this thread gets 25 new pages. The more I think about it, the more I think the players are just not good enough. Not picking up points in those earlier games where we played OK has come back to bite us in the arse. Confidence has dwindled and now they're all too scared to play. It's only really Grealish and Luiz who show for the ball. Guilbert always makes an effort to get on the ball when he plays I think. It depends on how Purslow thinks. Smith isn't going to change and play 541 and sit back in games, possibly to his detriment. If we don't get at least two players who are going to start every week, we're going down and it's not going to be pretty. If we want to stay up, we have to either replace the manager now or get players in now. The end of the season's fixtures are not great. We've got about 2 months to show whether we've got a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 31 minutes ago, villalad21 said: Gerrard is risky. Benitez 1st choice for me. Allardyce would be my 2nd choice. Benitez hates Purslow, Purslow doesn't rate Benitez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenjiOgiwara Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I am certain Grealish, Heaton, Mings, Luiz are good enough. But our squad depth is unfortunately a complete joke. Elmo, Lansbury, Hourihane, Taylor, Wesley. These are either actively starting matches for us or are rotated in. And people complain about Smith. **** me. We will need several transfer windows to sort this mess out unfortunately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said: I'm wondering if rumours that he is definitely off in January must be true? Otherwise it is very strange indeed. I'm thinking they want shot of him (So don't want to risk injury), or they have had issues behind the scenes. I think Kodjia bottling a penalty vs West Brom didnt go down well with management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farlz Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Quote An hour after Aston Villa’s return to the Premier League was secured at Wembley, co-owner Nassef Sawiris made a rare appearance in front of the television cameras. As Villa's fans wildly celebrated promotion, Sawiris proudly insisted: "The sky is the limit. Our ambition was not just to get promoted but to do well in the Premier League.” After a spend of £127 million on 12 new players, optimism was sky-high in the summer and even manager Dean Smith was talking of ambitions far higher than mere survival. Seven months later, the mood has changed dramatically. Villa find themselves in the relegation zone after five defeats in six matches, with Smith under increasing pressure and a season in serious danger of unravelling. Smith is “one of their own”, a Villa supporter since the 1970s, but that will not spare him from scrutiny over the alarming run of form. Many Villa fans are in a strange place: criticising Smith over tactical naivety and team selection, while desperate for him to succeed. Relegation would be a disaster for many reasons. The financial ramifications of carrying an enormous wage bill back into the Championship would be immense, and Villa are certain to face scrutiny from the English Football League over whether spending under their former owner Dr Tony Xia broke their Profitability and Sustainability rules. Their talismanic captain Jack Grealish, John McGinn, Tyrone Mings and Tom Heaton, plus many others, will probably be sold. It all piles pressure on Smith, who will know that a defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday, together with losses in the Carabao Cup semi-final to Leicester and the FA Cup to Fulham, could leave him vulnerable barely a month after signing a new contract. The manager said he hoped the 3-0 defeat to 10-man Watford last weekend would represent "a line in the sand for players to start stepping up” but he needs that response sooner rather than later. Villa are now working hard on January targets, which was not the plan a month ago. The club's hierarchy did not intend to make any major signings but the landscape has now shifted, particularly after the loss of McGinn for three months with a broken ankle. Midfielders are a priority in the transfer window, ideally with experience of playing in the top flight. In the summer, the strategy was clear: reduce the average age, reduce the average wage and increase the quality. All outfield players, preferably, had to be under the age of 25 and the recruitment drive was spearheaded by Jesús Vicente García, the club’s sporting director better known as Suso. It was Suso who pushed for signings such as joint-record buy Wesley, Douglas Luiz and Matt Targett. Smith agreed on all of them, with his own picks of Mings and Tom Heaton also arriving in the summer. Predictably, a gross spend of £127m led to accusations of “doing a Fulham”: promotion via the play-offs, followed by an expensive trolley-dash. In truth, Villa’s recruitment was cohesive and strategically planned, while every player was scouted extensively from last November onwards. That spend effectively worked out at £10m a player – relatively cheap in the modern era – and such a drastic rebuild was needed after 12 summer departures. But recent results suggest it has not worked. A lack of experience runs through the whole spine of the team. Much of the scrutiny has been on Wesley, the Brazilian striker signed from Club Brugge who has not scored in the league since Oct 5. It is understood the main sources of frustration within the coaching staff have been over the performances of the wingers, Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet. But there are also huge concerns over the defence, and even former England captain John Terry, one of Smith's assistants, is under scrutiny now. No team has let in more league goals from headers (9) or corners (8) than Villa this season. Smith is a fine coach, renowned for building teams at Walsall and Brentford, and will have learned more in the past five months than the nine years in management which preceded Villa’s return to the Premier League. Burnley, their opponents on New Year’s Day, are a club which also struggled in their first season back in the rebranded top-flight. They were relegated in 2015 but manager Sean Dyche was never in danger of being sacked, leading them back out of the Championship at the first attempt. Can the Villa hierarchy, or the club’s supporters, be as brave with Smith? After reviving a club that was on its knees in 14 months, he deserves time to turn this around. Taking so many players - many of whom were signed from abroad - and gelling them into a new team was always going to be a huge task. It is easy to forget how Villa also struggled at this time last year, before securing a club record ten wins in a row to charge into the play-offs. Going on a similar run will be virtually impossible in this league, but it proves Smith can operate under pressure. Yet he has made mistakes, and been tactically outwitted. Since the 2-1 defeat at Wolves on Nov 10, Villa’s performances in the league have been poor, aside from the win over Newcastle and 2-2 draw at Manchester United. Things can change quickly, of course, and the world will seem brighter if Burnley are beaten and a spot booked in the Carabao Cup final. But nobody doubts that January is now crucial for both club and manager. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/12/31/aston-villa-prepare-make-or-break-month-seek-avoid-disastrous/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairy In Boots Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 2 hours ago, M_Afro said: Thanks for posting. I found it to be very interesting. Especially as it was based upon last season. The trends for both managers seem to have continued into this season, I have always had my doubts about Smith. I was one of the few people who moaned at his initial appointment. I do think though that unless we have a better option in the bag then we may as well stick with Dean for now. Whatever happens though I would look to upgrade at the end of the season which may be a bit harsh if he keeps us up but he just does not seem to be tactically aware. Think ultimately if we do stay up we will outgrow him if the boards ambitions are to be met anyway. 2 hours ago, Nabby said: Could right the same thing about Smith here , same type of goals conceded and lack of aggression everywere on the pitch. 3 years in charge of Brentford and never sorted it which is why i doubt he will here either. Yep I’m up for change 17 minutes ago, Farlz said: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/12/31/aston-villa-prepare-make-or-break-month-seek-avoid-disastrous/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw Good article 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramshackler Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 There is no way Gerrard leaves rangers for us. When he took that job people thought he was mad as celtic were so far ahead with much bigger budget. In a short period of time he appears to have swung it completely back to rangers. Convinced they will win the league this year. His stock will rise massively. No way he leaves now and joins us at huge risk of getting relegated..would be a hugely unnecessary risk to his new career 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazzap24 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, villalad21 said: Gerrard is risky. Benitez 1st choice for me. Allardyce would be my 2nd choice. 5 minutes listening to Allardyce’s ‘analysis’ on Talk Shite should be enough to tell you the only place he belongs is in a museum, next to the fossilised remains of cheddar man. It would be a travesty if we went anywhere near him and I honestly can’t believe anybody would take him over Deano. He’s an absolute dinosaur, I’d have Eric Black back before I went near fat Sam. Edited December 31, 2019 by wazzap24 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, ramshackler said: There is no way Gerrard leaves rangers for us. When he took that job people thought he was mad as celtic were so far ahead with much bigger budget. In a short period of time he appears to have swung it completely back to rangers. Convinced they will win the league this year. His stock will rise massively. No way he leaves now and joins us at huge risk of getting relegated..would be a hugely unnecessary risk to his new career Whilst I think Gerrard has done well, the Scottish PL is still a two horse race. Ok due to Rangers total financial melt down it has been one horse race for a few seasons. But take any manager from the English PL or even most of the Championship and as managers of Celtic or Rangers they would win the Scottish PL. I live in The Highlands and I know a few Rangers fans who of course, especially after they beat Celtic on Sunday, love Gerrard. But for me he is still unproven, such is the poor standard up here. For that reason I think he would jump at the chance if any PL club offered him a chance, even in our position. It would almost be a free hit for him as he could blame the previous coach. I think it’s a mute point anyway as I don’t think we’d take the risk on Gerrard if we decided to replace Smith. I’m currently of the opinion that the board are desperate for stability and will support him in the transfer market next month to try to get us the right side of the line in May. But who knows? Edited December 31, 2019 by DaveAV1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 4 hours ago, M_Afro said: I would love us to get Gerrard involved. He is doing a great job at Rangers, has unbelievable connections in the game and would be such an inspiration for young players. He also does not accept lack of effort/aggression. I think he will go to the very top as a manager To be fair chap, you could win with Rangers, he is getting big praise, but Rangers and Celtic are far the best football clubs in Scotland. An the players wanna play, not many overpaid premadonnas up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, wazzap24 said: 5 minutes listening to Allardyce’s ‘analysis’ on Talk Shite should be enough to tell you the only place he belongs is in a museum, next to the fossilised remains of cheddar man. It would be a travesty if we went anywhere near him and I honestly can’t believe anybody would take him over Deano. He’s an absolute dinosaur, I’d have Eric Black back before I went near fat Sam. Mate. I just want to stay up. At the moment i couldn't give a toss how we stay up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) 10 minutes ago, foreveryoung said: To be fair chap, you could win with Rangers, he is getting big praise, but Rangers and Celtic are far the best football clubs in Scotland. An the players wanna play, not many overpaid premadonnas up there. At least Gerrard isn't a soft man. I think he is the ruthless type. We could do with that right now! And he would obviously get massive respect from the players just by his presence. Edited December 31, 2019 by villalad21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazzap24 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 3 minutes ago, villalad21 said: Mate. I just want to stay up. At the moment i couldn't give a toss how we stay up. Me too mate, but honestly - we’d all regret Fat Sam, even if we did stay up this year. He’s the managerial equivalent of a ‘five to three’. You’re in the club, it’s five to three, last orders has been called and your’e that desperate to get your willy wet, you’ll go home with any snaggletoothed monstrosity you can find. Now I understand the ‘any port in a storm’ argument, but it’s barely even heavy rain at this point. Back Smith in Jan and we’ll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 5 minutes ago, villalad21 said: At least Gerrard isn't a soft man. I think he is the ruthless type. We could do with that right now! And he would obviously get massive respect from the players just by his presence. Steve Gerrard, didn’t he fall on his arse and give it to Demba Ba? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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