Dean Smith

[TRO]

51 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I believe that there is a clear difference between expectations and aspirations. No team can expect to win anything. Man U went over 20 years without winning the league and Liverpool have gone a similar period, although that will quite probably end this season. 

However we can and indeed should aspire to better things. There Is no need to limit our aspirations but we have to manage them for the situation that we’re in. Dean said at the start of the season that we should enter every game with a plan to win it, that doesn’t mean we expect to win every game. 

We are a big club in stature, history and infrastructure but currently we aren’t a big club on the pitch. We can and should aspire to being a big team again but to achieve that will need time and hard work. We can’t just expect teams to come to Villa Park look at our wonderful ground, marvel out our history and respectfully lose because we’re Aston Villa and they’re only Brighton or whoever, no disrespect intended. 

Things that make us a big club should be used to our best advantage when appropriate but once on the pitch they count for very little. 

Well said Dave.....I would suggest our ins and outs, (Recruitment)will have a large say in that rate of progress......sure players need to develop, but signing the right ones is key.

[KHV]

1 hour ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

Kinda hard to write this on a phone, but I honestly feel like some of the fans on here are on a completely different planet than me. 

I genuinly feel it's either you or me, but coexisting can't happen. 

For absolute ages we've lacked a modern manager and philosophy in the club. We've gone from clogger to clogger with neanderthal football. The second we've faced adversity we've sacked and started over again. Those trying to change style and philosophy got sacked even faster than others, for instance Garde. 

Now we got Deano who not only achieved the unlikely and got us promoted at first go, but he's also been put in the impossible situation where he has to sign a new squad and make it survive its virgin voyage in the toughest league in the world. Yet we once again see the impatience and people calling for sacking after some loss of form and after every time we go down a goal during matches. I just can't identify myself with such total lack of patience and belief in long term thinking. So get on board and stop whining about Smith, so I can keep following this club. 

We saw last year we got back from a loss of form. We're basically where we expected to be. 

This doesn't mean you can't criticise obvious mistakes or poor management, but there's that and cutting off your nose to spite your face. 

Now lets hammer Watford and hope the recruitment department have come out of hibernation. 

It’s the lack of being able to do the basics that’s staggering with Smith

There is no pattern of play, the midfield changes every week

Also selling our only striker when we have no replacements is baffling

Throwing Drinkwater in when he is clearly miles off the pace is a mind boggling decision

The constant fannying about trying to play out from our own 18 yard line when we clearly are not capable is suicidal

Not making changes quickly enough when other teams make changes and we are being pushed back is annoying. 
 

Smith doesn’t help himself at all at times

[markavfc40]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

Yeah.

but don't be so defensive.....I don't blame smith for every negative.

 

don't be so defensive? I am not sure what you mean here mate but I only related it back to Smith as this is the Dean Smith thread. I certainly don't feel I am defending Smith like the rest of us I am just presenting my opinion of how I feel Smtih is doing and am happy to have those opinions questioned.

[TRO]

4 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

I'm certain I mentioned Pearson after Bruce got sacked and was slated

You would be...such is the jaundiced view from some quarters...another Neil warnock to some.

However, We have a manager now and he needs to be allowed to turn it around.

I thought yesterdays game showed the sort of character second half that you need to get out this quagmire.

 

 

[Kiwivillan]

7 minutes ago, KHV said:

Also selling our only striker when we have no replacements is baffling

One of the highest earners and probably not ill, just downed tools. Good riddance

[DaveAV1]

3 minutes ago, TRO said:

Well said Dave.....I would suggest our ins and outs, (Recruitment)will have a large say in that rate of progress......sure players need to develop, but signing the right ones is key.

I agree TRO that recruitment will be very important and with all the scouting and due diligence in the world an element of luck is always a factor too.

Samatta sounds like he might be a good striker, if he gets a goal early perhaps with a bit of luck it could get him up and running straight away. Equally he could go a few games without scoring or worse still get injured. It’s finger crossing time!

[TRO]

8 minutes ago, KHV said:

It’s the lack of being able to do the basics that’s staggering with Smith

There is no pattern of play, the midfield changes every week

Also selling our only striker when we have no replacements is baffling

Throwing Drinkwater in when he is clearly miles off the pace is a mind boggling decision

The constant fannying about trying to play out from our own 18 yard line when we clearly are not capable is suicidal

Not making changes quickly enough when other teams make changes and we are being pushed back is annoying. 
 

Smith doesn’t help himself at all at times

I think that is a fair observation....its the basics that trouble me.

I will make prediction, if he can't make us hard to beat in a reasonble amount of time.....he won't survive.

I hope he does survive.

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I agree TRO that recruitment will be very important and with all the scouting and due diligence in the world an element of luck is always a factor too.

Samatta sounds like he might be a good striker, if he gets a goal early perhaps with a bit of luck it could get him up and running straight away. Equally he could go a few games without scoring or worse still get injured. It’s finger crossing time!

I think he is playing today for the plough in shenstone sunday team.....just to keep his eye in until the papers go through.

[markavfc40]

19 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

I'm certain I mentioned Pearson after Bruce got sacked and was slated

He has done a great job but Watford were always in a bit of a false position and massively underachieving given their squad. Last season before dropping off over the last handful of games, possibly with one eye on the FA Cup final, they were well in the mix for a top 7 finish.

West Ham are another side that are underachieving and will pull away. The relegation places are 3 from Norwich, Bournemouth, Burnley, Brighton and us.

[TRO]

12 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

don't be so defensive? I am not sure what you mean here mate but I only related it back to Smith as this is the Dean Smith thread. I certainly don't feel I am defending Smith like the rest of us I am just presenting my opinion of how I feel Smtih is doing and am happy to have those opinions questioned.

It just seems evert time i mention issues, you refer it as if i am attacking Smith.

and its not the case.

[TRO]

15 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

He has done a great job but Watford were always in a bit of a false position and massively underachieving given their squad. Last season before dropping off over the last handful of games, possibly with one eye on the FA Cup final, they were well in the mix for a top 7 finish.

West Ham are another side that are underachieving and will pull away. The relegation places are 3 from Norwich, Bournemouth, Burnley, Brighton and us.

I agree

In terms of Watford it amazes me how a manager(flores), can have such a negative effect to render them a shadow of what they are now.

Edited January 19, 2020 by TRO

[striker]

What has been most disappointing for me so far when Smith was given the job at Villa I expected to see Villa implement a style play mirroring Brentford. That really hasn’t materialised yet and why I was surprised to see Wesley signed instead of Maupay.

In fact Villa’s recruitment this summer was very un-Brentford like with players coming in who have shown less than decent technical ability on the ball. I’m also at pains to understand Grealish being played on the wing when Villa are crying out for someone able to keep possession in midfield and pass the ball.

Villa have also been consistently poor defensively which means that Terry hasn’t been able to transfer his ability as a player to the coaching side of things and Smith hasn’t been able to correct that himself either.

However I’m still fairly confident that despite the above and the signing of two more strikers Smith will have enough to keep Villa up in what from sixth downwards is a fairly average Premier League.

Edited January 19, 2020 by striker

[markavfc40]

6 minutes ago, TRO said:

It just seems evert time i mention issues, you refer it as if i am attacking Smith.

and its not the case.

You are just presenting your opinion of Smith which is fair enough and I don't see it as anymore than that. 

I think we all agree what the issues are it is just the mitigating circumstances where opinions differ. Individuals expectations at the start of the season will obviously also influence how they are reacting to where we find ourselves now.

Edited January 19, 2020 by markavfc40

[OxfordVillan]

25 minutes ago, KHV said:

It’s the lack of being able to do the basics that’s staggering with Smith

There is no pattern of play, the midfield changes every week

Also selling our only striker when we have no replacements is baffling

Throwing Drinkwater in when he is clearly miles off the pace is a mind boggling decision

The constant fannying about trying to play out from our own 18 yard line when we clearly are not capable is suicidal

Not making changes quickly enough when other teams make changes and we are being pushed back is annoying. 
 

Smith doesn’t help himself at all at times

With regard to Drinkwater, what would you suggest getting him up to Premier League speed? Do you think games with the U23 team would achieve that? 

[TRO]

We have just morphed from 4-3-3 to 3-4-3 A move i don't necessarily disagree with.

However, it doesn't go unnoticed a few teams trying to dig out results, go 5-4-1 and pick up wins.

Now in the man city game that may have been prudent.

To play 2 wingers in our position is fanciful imo.....one is enough for me, in our current plight.

The midfield is weak for me and needs padding out until we get more rounded players to improve us.

[DaveAV1]

1 minute ago, striker said:

Villa have also been consistently poor defensively which means that Terry hasn’t been able to transfer his ability as a player to the coaching side of things and Smith hasn’t been able to correct that himself

It’s often the case that good players don’t make good coaches/managers. I think there’s an element of expecting players to be able to do things that came naturally to them but with less natural ability needs more coaching to get anywhere near that level. 

Lets face it playing at the heart of Chelsea’s defence and then coaching our defence is like swapping a Ferrari for a Skoda and still expecting to win races. 

[TRO]

10 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

You are just presenting your opinion of Smith which is fair enough and I don't see it as anymore than that. 

I think we all agree what the issues are it is just the mitigating circumstances where opinions differ. Individuals expectations at the start of the season will obviously also influence how they are reacting to where we find ourselves now.

If i am being really honest with you Mark.....I have mixed opinions on Smith, I like the bloke and want it to work.

However, you know my opinions well enough by now and i am more encouraged by being hard to beat that out and out attacking football.

I see Results first spectacle second.....not the other way around.thats why i keep barking on about being hard to beat, that is my aspiration.

I know we do need both.....but one feeds you, the other is well being.

[markavfc40]

16 minutes ago, TRO said:

If i am being really honest with you Mark.....I have mixed opinions on Smith, I like the bloke and want it to work.

However, you know my opinions well enough by now and i am more encouraged by being hard to beat that out and out attacking football.

I see Results first spectacle second.....not the other way around.thats why i keep barking on about being hard to beat, that is my aspiration.

I know we do need both.....but one feeds you, the other is well being.

I doubt being set up to be hard to beat will ever become a habit under Smith. There will always be a part of him that wants to go out and attack regardless of opposition. He went more defensive against Man City and we all saw what happened. 

I found it a breath of fresh air when he came in last season as it was in stark contrast to what we had been dished up before. Taking that into the Premier League though was always going to be tough, especially with so many new players, and so it is proving. He is now obviously also being hugely hampered by having no striker. I think it is a real shame that having changed formation we couldn't take we saw against Burnley forward and continued to play the 3-4-3 we did that day. I think if we can get back to that with a natural striker we can do well enough with it to stay up.

If we can bring in the 2 or 3 players we desperately need I think we will revert back to Smiths more natural philosophy of front foot attacking football. I also think that philosophy in the long run will reap us more rewards alongside many of the signings we have made realising their potential. 

[sne]

We need more than just being hard to beat, draws won't be enough to keep us up. 

Currently we are a bit nothing, no real style of play or distinguishable form or idea. The other teams are just better than us.

Would absolutely not say we are trying to "play attractive football" or are being too fancy or something like that. Far from it.

I get why you'd be temped to switch things up and try different things when what you initially wanted to do isn't working. And rotation and injuries is obviously a factor.

But once we get a few players more in I think we'd benefit from having a more regular starting 11. This constant fidgeting with the line-up must be hindering our players from building any understanding with each other.

They may not be perfect but I still like us to give Targett, Guilbert, Luiz and Nakamba an extended run in the team. (unless we get upgrades in those positions)

Drinkwater can frankly go play in the u23's until if he against all odds is back to any resemblance of fitness. It's been a joke.

Obviously it won't matter unless we get a couple of strikers in.

And hopefully a winger, LB, CB and CM...

 

[MikeMcKenna]

1 hour ago, Kiwivillan said:

Check out Watford last 6 results since 2-0 loss away to Liverpool

Fair enough but every good run comes to an end and the match against us could be it for Watford. Based on form and our last game v them, they will be full of confidence - hopefully too much.