Aston Villa v Brentford: Pre-Match Thread

[Ads]

I hope we drill them silly.

[RussellC]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/aug/08/football-league-blog-brentford-happy-own-way-promotion

Interesting article on Brentford. Always liked Dean Smith and more so now. A couple of quotes

'A hybrid of careful planning, forensic scouting and sage spending is fundamental to their recruitment, headed by the technical director, Robert Rowan, in tandem with the co-directors Rasmus Ankersen, also the chairman of FC Midtjylland, the Danish club owned by Benham, and Phil Giles, a maths graduate with a PhD in statistics. Brentford buy not only by numbers but personality; they do their homework, extensive due diligence and referencing'........Imagine if we'd had this kind of planning with the money we've spent over the last few years.

'Brentford are fluid, teeming with pace and power, typified by the zest of Romaine Sawyers or Rico Henry, the England Under-20 international'....Pretty much the Anti Bruce.

Also they don't have a captain!

I'd like to think we can beat them and we have the players, just not the manager so 1-1 draw I think. 

Everything I read about Smith makes me like him more. I can honestly say I'd be more excited by him becoming Villa manager than I have been by anyone else in my lifetime.

[CT Villan]

Everything I read about Smith makes me like him more. I can honestly say I'd be more excited by him becoming Villa manager than I have been by anyone else in my lifetime.

More than OGS and Eric Black ? Surely you jest

[Ads]

Brentford fans seem universally confident they'll win. Plenty of 3, 4 and 5 goal goal predictions with a smattering of 1-1s.

[Steve67]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/aug/08/football-league-blog-brentford-happy-own-way-promotion

Interesting article on Brentford. Always liked Dean Smith and more so now. A couple of quotes

'A hybrid of careful planning, forensic scouting and sage spending is fundamental to their recruitment, headed by the technical director, Robert Rowan, in tandem with the co-directors Rasmus Ankersen, also the chairman of FC Midtjylland, the Danish club owned by Benham, and Phil Giles, a maths graduate with a PhD in statistics. Brentford buy not only by numbers but personality; they do their homework, extensive due diligence and referencing'........Imagine if we'd had this kind of planning with the money we've spent over the last few years.

'Brentford are fluid, teeming with pace and power, typified by the zest of Romaine Sawyers or Rico Henry, the England Under-20 international'....Pretty much the Anti Bruce.

Also they don't have a captain!

I'd like to think we can beat them and we have the players, just not the manager so 1-1 draw I think. 

Everything I read about Smith makes me like him more. I can honestly say I'd be more excited by him becoming Villa manager than I have been by anyone else in my lifetime.

This is the Brentford way.  They had this approach under Warburton too.  Fantastic way to set up a club but this is not down to Smith as they had this prior to him going there.

[SheffieldVillain]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/aug/08/football-league-blog-brentford-happy-own-way-promotion

Interesting article on Brentford. Always liked Dean Smith and more so now. A couple of quotes

'A hybrid of careful planning, forensic scouting and sage spending is fundamental to their recruitment, headed by the technical director, Robert Rowan, in tandem with the co-directors Rasmus Ankersen, also the chairman of FC Midtjylland, the Danish club owned by Benham, and Phil Giles, a maths graduate with a PhD in statistics. Brentford buy not only by numbers but personality; they do their homework, extensive due diligence and referencing'........Imagine if we'd had this kind of planning with the money we've spent over the last few years.

'Brentford are fluid, teeming with pace and power, typified by the zest of Romaine Sawyers or Rico Henry, the England Under-20 international'....Pretty much the Anti Bruce.

Also they don't have a captain!

I'd like to think we can beat them and we have the players, just not the manager so 1-1 draw I think. 

Everything I read about Smith makes me like him more. I can honestly say I'd be more excited by him becoming Villa manager than I have been by anyone else in my lifetime.

This is the Brentford way.  They had this approach under Warburton too.  Fantastic way to set up a club but this is not down to Smith as they had this prior to him going there.

The two players mentioned in the article were players he had at Walsall so he obviously makes a good contribution to the recruitment process too as well as setting up and coaching the team well.

[Hookeysmith]

Substance, method, meticulous planning, supportive skill set behind the scenes

And a fair bit of style in the play

Everything we are currently missing I'm afraid

Would love him to have a chance with us

[eamonn]

Brentford fans seem universally confident they'll win. Plenty of 3, 4 and 5 goal goal predictions with a smattering of 1-1s.

Cheeky fuckers. Hope we do them as much as can be done.

[PeterWithesShin]

We'd be confident as well if we were them. It's why even we have a Brentford win edging it in the votes.

[GarTomas]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/aug/08/football-league-blog-brentford-happy-own-way-promotion

Interesting article on Brentford. Always liked Dean Smith and more so now. A couple of quotes

'A hybrid of careful planning, forensic scouting and sage spending is fundamental to their recruitment, headed by the technical director, Robert Rowan, in tandem with the co-directors Rasmus Ankersen, also the chairman of FC Midtjylland, the Danish club owned by Benham, and Phil Giles, a maths graduate with a PhD in statistics. Brentford buy not only by numbers but personality; they do their homework, extensive due diligence and referencing'........Imagine if we'd had this kind of planning with the money we've spent over the last few years.

'Brentford are fluid, teeming with pace and power, typified by the zest of Romaine Sawyers or Rico Henry, the England Under-20 international'....Pretty much the Anti Bruce.

Also they don't have a captain!

I'd like to think we can beat them and we have the players, just not the manager so 1-1 draw I think. 

Everything I read about Smith makes me like him more. I can honestly say I'd be more excited by him becoming Villa manager than I have been by anyone else in my lifetime.

This is the Brentford way.  They had this approach under Warburton too.  Fantastic way to set up a club but this is not down to Smith as they had this prior to him going there.

What’s Smith role then? Just to stand on the touch line and look pretty?

Of course he is a huge part of their success.  There maybe a system behind him that identifies the right type of players but he still needs to coach, motivate and organise them into a unit.

Are Guardiola or Klopp not a part of their team success as they just get given millions to sign the best players?

[sirlordbaltimore]

3-1

[AV82EC]

I’ve gone for the win, probably stupidly, but there you go.

The first season down here they bottled it in the first half and we went in 1-0 up, they realised they’d bottled it and whilst dominating he second got a somewhat fortuitous last minute equaliser.

The second season from recollection we were alright in patches but they dominated the ball for long periods.

We just have to hope our slightly better quality players give us the edge.

[Dr_Fegg]

Jedinak playing at all makes us so one dimensional.  He can't run, and he can't pass very well, so even though I'm not a fan of Bjarnason at all, he's the better option, as at least he gets around the pitch.

Thought this last season as well, not really sure what he brings, average to poor in all areas

[maigrait]

a drab 1-1

[Steve67]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/aug/08/football-league-blog-brentford-happy-own-way-promotion

Interesting article on Brentford. Always liked Dean Smith and more so now. A couple of quotes

'A hybrid of careful planning, forensic scouting and sage spending is fundamental to their recruitment, headed by the technical director, Robert Rowan, in tandem with the co-directors Rasmus Ankersen, also the chairman of FC Midtjylland, the Danish club owned by Benham, and Phil Giles, a maths graduate with a PhD in statistics. Brentford buy not only by numbers but personality; they do their homework, extensive due diligence and referencing'........Imagine if we'd had this kind of planning with the money we've spent over the last few years.

'Brentford are fluid, teeming with pace and power, typified by the zest of Romaine Sawyers or Rico Henry, the England Under-20 international'....Pretty much the Anti Bruce.

Also they don't have a captain!

I'd like to think we can beat them and we have the players, just not the manager so 1-1 draw I think. 

Everything I read about Smith makes me like him more. I can honestly say I'd be more excited by him becoming Villa manager than I have been by anyone else in my lifetime.

This is the Brentford way.  They had this approach under Warburton too.  Fantastic way to set up a club but this is not down to Smith as they had this prior to him going there.

What’s Smith role then? Just to stand on the touch line and look pretty?

Of course he is a huge part of their success.  There maybe a system behind him that identifies the right type of players but he still needs to coach, motivate and organise them into a unit.

Are Guardiola or Klopp not a part of their team success as they just get given millions to sign the best players?

He is a good coach but the way they set up, their scouting etc is all done the way Villa wanted to do it with this 'Villa Engine' bollocks.  Yes, Smith is a good bloke, but this is about a team effort, not just down to him.  Looking pretty on the side of the pitch?  Brentford selected Smith because he bought in to their philosophy.  He was a good choice but like the hand fits the glove, I am not sure Smith will be as successful elsewhere without the same philosophy.