Dean Smith

[MarkLillis]

The loss at Fulham is disappointing but not at all unexpected.As a club and a team they are not much different from us right now.They are just in a different division having made some errors in the transfer market last year,and are getting back on their feet again and I would suspect they will continue to gain ground on Leeds and Baggies this year.

Villa have won two out of three of our last PL matches.

The Burnley game showed a change of formation and attitude from the players and the first half was as good as it has been for Villa all season.

To be honest I am glad some of our players/management do not have the attitude of our supporters....doom and gloom is self forfilling.

We are in with a real chance of staying up.Performances have been poor only throughout December it can and will get better.

 Dean Smith has already proved he can turn a bad run around before and he can do it again.

[Dave-R]

Suso and Smith have to be on different pages. I'd put a bet on when Smith writes his list of players that not many if any of the signings we've made have been the exact ones Smith wanted, which means a great deal. If it is happening then Smith has to just make do with what's brought in. Smith will have a vision yet he's unable to truly implement it because the scouts and suso are not bringing the same players in, that will have a big affect on tactics, formation, training  The work around getting to know players is alot longer if Smith ends up with an unknown signing. Smith has to learn that player from scratch, compared to what he would with someone he did the research on and took the time to know and hoped to sign.

I do think suso and Smith are world's apart on signings if it's true its potentially having a negative affect on our season isn't it.

[terrytini]

I’m sure we’d have all been thrilled if fringe players - who really are no such thing anyway - were hurling themselves into tackles yesterday and we ended up with another couple of long term injuries.

Not prioritising the Cup means getting through the game unscathed. No injuries, no Red Cards, no catastrophes. We’ve enough on our plate.

 

[terrytini]

Great Post. 
Mercifully the more I talk to fans in the real world, the more I hear this type of comment.

[terrytini]

46 minutes ago, MarkLillis said:

The loss at Fulham is disappointing but not at all unexpected.As a club and a team they are not much different from us right now.They are just in a different division having made some errors in the transfer market last year,and are getting back on their feet again and I would suspect they will continue to gain ground on Leeds and Baggies this year.

Villa have won two out of three of our last PL matches.

The Burnley game showed a change of formation and attitude from the players and the first half was as good as it has been for Villa all season.

To be honest I am glad some of our players/management do not have the attitude of our supporters....doom and gloom is self forfilling.

We are in with a real chance of staying up.Performances have been poor only throughout December it can and will get better.

 Dean Smith has already proved he can turn a bad run around before and he can do it again.

Great post, and one which thankfully represents the view of most I speak to away from the internet.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, MarkLillis said:

The loss at Fulham is disappointing but not at all unexpected.As a club and a team they are not much different from us right now.They are just in a different division having made some errors in the transfer market last year,and are getting back on their feet again and I would suspect they will continue to gain ground on Leeds and Baggies this year.

Villa have won two out of three of our last PL matches.

The Burnley game showed a change of formation and attitude from the players and the first half was as good as it has been for Villa all season.

To be honest I am glad some of our players/management do not have the attitude of our supporters....doom and gloom is self forfilling.

We are in with a real chance of staying up.Performances have been poor only throughout December it can and will get better.

 Dean Smith has already proved he can turn a bad run around before and he can do it again.

and that is exactly what we want to see....the doom and gloom comes from Games like Southampton, where we was second for every ball, what was we meant to do?.....Rejoice.

and not before time.

If we play, IF ....like we did against Burnley particularly first half, we have a chance, if we play like we did against Southampton and Watford, we won't.

We have to find that mental toughness and physicality to stay in a game and then, work the magic.

We know what we have to do....its just doing it.

Edited January 5, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

9 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I’m sure we’d have all been thrilled if fringe players - who really are no such thing anyway - were hurling themselves into tackles yesterday and we ended up with another couple of long term injuries.

Not prioritising the Cup means getting through the game unscathed. No injuries, no Red Cards, no catastrophes. We’ve enough on our plate.

 

when was the last time you seen us hurling oursleves in to tackles......you have been watching old video's of Eamonn Deacy and the like.....talk about hyperbole.

I haven't a clue what you are talking about....its a commonly used word to describe players who are in and out of the first team.

The paradox is Terry....The hard players don't suffer injuries and much as them that go in tentatively.....but if you call closing down and staying tight and denying the opposition space to play in as risking injury.... we are on a different page mate.

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by TRO

[foreveryoung]

48 minutes ago, MarkLillis said:

The loss at Fulham is disappointing but not at all unexpected.As a club and a team they are not much different from us right now.They are just in a different division having made some errors in the transfer market last year,and are getting back on their feet again and I would suspect they will continue to gain ground on Leeds and Baggies this year.

Villa have won two out of three of our last PL matches.

The Burnley game showed a change of formation and attitude from the players and the first half was as good as it has been for Villa all season.

To be honest I am glad some of our players/management do not have the attitude of our supporters....doom and gloom is self forfilling.

We are in with a real chance of staying up.Performances have been poor only throughout December it can and will get better.

 Dean Smith has already proved he can turn a bad run around before and he can do it again.

He turned us round in the Championship, can't really be compared to the PL. Also the positive vibe on here after winning the game against a poor Burnley side is deafening. I try stay positive I really do, but fans were crying after the Watford game, lets not get to big for our boots, we lost against all but one of the relegation teams in the PL, after a good performance against Man U, consistency an motivation is certainly not our best attribute, Smith needs to be much better.

[terrytini]

Just now, TRO said:

The paradox is Terry....The hard players don't suffer injuries and much as them that go in tentatively.....but if you call closing down and staying tight and denying the opposition space to play in as risking injury.... we are on a different page mate.

 

We are indeed on very different pages. You will forgive me for not re-engaging in your daily debate about our players

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, terrytini said:

We are indeed on very different pages. You will forgive me for not re-engaging in your daily debate about our players

I think that is a very good idea....Monthly is more than sufficient.

[TRO]

34 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Great post, and one which thankfully represents the view of most I speak to away from the internet.

Terry wise up.

People like me and you who go to the ground, want to be upbeat to enjoy their day out.....I don't boo (ever), despite the standard of football at times and I don't leave early (ever).....I get all that.

I come on here to give an honest assessment of games and all things Villa as I see it....If folk disagree fine, I learn from that too.....I am not always right, and if I think someone has a stronger argument, I am not to big to yield to it either.

However, This is not the ground, its a forum where folk can give their inner feelings in an honest way.

similar to you,but a contrast in response..... I too have much discussion with fans who do not frequent this site and despite the fact its the popular stance to stay positive and sometimes more accurately credulous.....I too have a cordial response to some of the things, I mention on here.

Being upbeat going to a game and being dissmissive to our flaws is not the same thing.

I think you would be quite surprised if you witnessed me supporting the team....with what I write, because I try to be honest as I see it......but I say again, 2 entirely different things....you can be critical and highly supportive in different environments

Edited January 5, 2020 by TRO

[terrytini]

Wise up ? 
You mean agree with you ?

I fundamentally disagree with your views, and your repetitive airing of them, but that’s your prerogative. 
 

Id rather not have my wisdom questioned for not sharing them though.

[terrytini]

10 minutes ago, TRO said:

 

I think you would be quite surprised if you witnessed me supporting the team...

I doubt it, I’ve no reason to think you give anything less than your full support at games.

[TRO]

11 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Wise up ? 
You mean agree with you ?

I fundamentally disagree with your views, and your repetitive airing of them, but that’s your prerogative. 
 

Id rather not have my wisdom questioned for not sharing them though.

Well, I don't think I write in a controversial manner and certainly would hope I don't.

who is questioning your wisdom? thats a pretty general thing to say, when we are talking about our team.

and may I say it was you being smug with " The fans in the real world".... what are we on here robots?

You make me laugh Terry you really do " I fundamentally disagree with your views, and your repetitive airing of them" .... you make it sound like this is your first visit, that is a bit rich with how often you have aired your views.

How many times have you written on here and it is about a topic I have agreed with you, so don't make out  I am the disagreeable one.

Edited January 5, 2020 by TRO

[Vive_La_Villa]

Lads get a room  

[TRO]

1 minute ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Lads get a room  

it needs to be a big one for Terry to get his head in it.

I'm only kidding.

[MarkLillis]

I always find I am the opposite to TRO.

At the match I kick every ball I can almost feel like I’m on the pitch with the players some days.At the Norwich match I sat in the Doug Ellis (away from my usual Holte End Seat) and I noticed so much more with a better view.

It really wound me up at the game some of the things I could now see were now worrying me.....

By the time I was back home and reading this site I was focusing on the positive things that happened.

Things always seem better on reflection if you look for what’s going right and build on that.

I am sure Dean and the boys are looking at it from this angle too.

 

[jonjon]

1 hour ago, Dave-R said:

Suso and Smith have to be on different pages. I'd put a bet on when Smith writes his list of players that not many if any of the signings we've made have been the exact ones Smith wanted, which means a great deal. If it is happening then Smith has to just make do with what's brought in. Smith will have a vision yet he's unable to truly implement it because the scouts and suso are not bringing the same players in, that will have a big affect on tactics, formation, training  The work around getting to know players is alot longer if Smith ends up with an unknown signing. Smith has to learn that player from scratch, compared to what he would with someone he did the research on and took the time to know and hoped to sign.

I do think suso and Smith are world's apart on signings if it's true its potentially having a negative affect on our season isn't it.

I think you have hit the nail on the head with this one, just take for example the Maupay senario, it was well known this end that DS wanted him and Maupay himself via his social media account wanted to join Villa, but Suso & Purslow didn't want to pay the price (unknown) for whatever reason, and went for Wesley instead, I would imagine that left DS with a player he knew very little about,  against a player he wanted and knew how good he was, DS must have been frothing inwardly, but couldn't express his real feelings.

How many more signings of your have been "recommended" by Suso & Purslow?, so I don't think the entire blame for your predicament should be fostered on DS if some of his wants lists are being ignored or overruled going by what you have said, I think he is working under a different type of management structure than he was with us and that could be detrimental to your predicament, although his reluctance to change his defensive tactics hasn't helped him.

[terrytini]

49 minutes ago, TRO said:

Well, I don't think I write in a controversial manner and certainly would hope I don't.

who is questioning your wisdom? thats a pretty general thing to say, when we are talking about our team.

and may I say it was you being smug with " The fans in the real world".... what are we on here robots?

You make me laugh Terry you really do " I fundamentally disagree with your views, and your repetitive airing of them" .... you make it sound like this is your first visit, that is a bit rich with how often you have aired your views.

How many times have you written on here and it is about a topic I have agreed with you, so don't make out  I am the disagreeable one.

1-You.... you said “ wise up”...that’s what I was referring to.

2- smug ? Smug that the fans I chat to are far more tolerant of the team than half a dozen guys on VT ? No, not smug, just relieved and pleased. Surely it’s ok to post my view ?
 
3-  I’ve got no problem people airing their views, of course not. I’m specifically referring to your, pretty much daily, repetition of your scathing criticism of our Coach and players. You know, a bit like how you got fed up with Grasshopper being scathing on a daily basis of the last chap. It means that - just like it did with GH - that every single day/ page becomes the same debate.  I said, it’s your perogative, but this idea that you are realistic and the rest aren’t ....well, as I said, just because I disagree with you doesn’t mean I lack wisdom....which is what I was replying to.

When this season is over, you will look back and say what made it tough for you was the players, the coach, the lack of Wins, the transfers.

For me what has forever ruined this season is the constant negativity from some. Some in particular. So, just as you are entitled to complain daily about those things you are unhappy about, I am entitled to mention - with an awful amount of restraint in my view - those things I am unhappy about.

Hence I’ve avoided debating with you on these issues these last weeks, and which is why a couple of pages ago I said I don’t wish to do so again ! 

[sharkyvilla]

26 minutes ago, jonjon said:

I think you have hit the nail on the head with this one, just take for example the Maupay senario, it was well known this end that DS wanted him and Maupay himself via his social media account wanted to join Villa, but Suso & Purslow didn't want to pay the price (unknown) for whatever reason, and went for Wesley instead, I would imagine that left DS with a player he knew very little about,  against a player he wanted and knew how good he was, DS must have been frothing inwardly, but couldn't express his real feelings.

How many more signings of your have been "recommended" by Suso & Purslow?, so I don't think the entire blame for your predicament should be fostered on DS if some of his wants lists are being ignored or overruled going by what you have said, I think he is working under a different type of management structure than he was with us and that could be detrimental to your predicament, although his reluctance to change his defensive tactics hasn't helped him.

We had four targets for each position according to Purslow and I expect they would have been a pretty even split between who Dean wanted and those Suso had identified.  I'm pretty sure that's the same for any club these days and Smith would have been under no illusions.  I still think the business we did was fine under the circumstances.  We have basically been able to use all of the 11 or 12 we signed which is a decent hit rate.  There seems to always be players at other clubs who cost a fortune that just disappear for some reason.  We definitely could have done with another striker and by all accounts we were still on the hunt right up until deadline day but just couldnt get the deal through for whatever reason.  I don't think it was a case of Maupay or Wesley either, Wes was signed early on and seemed to have no effect on doing other business after that.