Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Monty]

I have a feeling Deano is going to take to premier league management like a duck to water.

Really hope so. If you look at the managers who've made it from the lower leagues they've all had a lot of self-belief and a clear way of playing which is in touch with the modern game. Deano has these in spades.

[Damo70]

re DS - there's no question, the owners have backed him to a staggering level with our spending this summer.

The flip side of that is that there is now considerable pressure on him to deliver with the tools he's been given.

It's going to take a while to get so many new players to gel, that is to be expected, but worth noting, with such spending comes elevated pressure on the manager to get it right. I am sure Purslow, Sawiris and Edens will see it similarly.

There is pressure on managers to get results even if they have spent very little money. I would think the owners and Purslow are expecting safety from relegation given the amount of backing the manager has been given but at the same time I think they will have realistic aims and expectations for the coming season.

[Richard]

At the cricket today with Purslow I think

[Dazvillain]

I have a feeling Deano is going to take to premier league management like a duck to water.

I did come around to quite like watching us and other highlights on quest but am even more excited at the prospect of seeing Deano in his match of the day interviews , even though we’ll usually be the last game on each week

[paul_e]

I have a feeling Deano is going to take to premier league management like a duck to water.

I did come around to quite like watching us and other highlights on quest but am even more excited at the prospect of seeing Deano in his match of the day interviews , even though we’ll usually be the last game on each week

I highly doubt that, I think we're going to be the biggest story outside the usual 6, the amount of money we've spent means we'll either be treated as a morality tale of trying to do too much too soon or we'll be the big spenders who've come to break things up at the top.

[Sexual Ealing]

I have a feeling Deano is going to take to premier league management like a duck to water.

I did come around to quite like watching us and other highlights on quest but am even more excited at the prospect of seeing Deano in his match of the day interviews , even though we’ll usually be the last game on each week

I highly doubt that, I think we're going to be the biggest story outside the usual 6, the amount of money we've spent means we'll either be treated as a morality tale of trying to do too much too soon or we'll be the big spenders who've come to break things up at the top.

The latter. Without doubt.

[paul_e]

I have a feeling Deano is going to take to premier league management like a duck to water.

I did come around to quite like watching us and other highlights on quest but am even more excited at the prospect of seeing Deano in his match of the day interviews , even though we’ll usually be the last game on each week

I highly doubt that, I think we're going to be the biggest story outside the usual 6, the amount of money we've spent means we'll either be treated as a morality tale of trying to do too much too soon or we'll be the big spenders who've come to break things up at the top.

The latter. Without doubt.

I agree.

[john e]

from all accounts Dean Smith is a nice approachable decent fella, which is nice to hear but not essential

what i love about him is he's not afraid to make big decisions, ruthless even in a good way
i don't think he goes with the 'he's earn't the right' stuff, either, see Steer, and a host of players we let go at the end of last season

some of those guys were wasters but some were really decent guys who we had grown to love, but most of us knew deep down that they wern't going to be good enough for the prem, so they were let go,rightly in my view

even the way Andre Green has now gone to PNE on loan is another sign that he is setting the bar very high at VP
i can see a few more players moving out, even some 'could do a job' sorts who we like to think pad out the squad but in reality weaken us when they are involved

i think that's when i realised we had a proper manager who knew exactly where he was going and knew how to get there,
 it looks like every single player that we have let go has been replaced with a positive up grade

time will tell obviously if we have got it right, but right now this has been my 'if Carlsberg' way of building and shaping a squad for the future,
 this is what iv'e been waiting donkeys years to see happen at Villa, iv'e never looked forward to a season more

utv

[Risso]

Same here John, agree with every word.

[Hookeysmith]

I know a new season always brings hope (apart from us between 2012 and 2018) but I just get the feeling this is different, there is something building here and I am sure everyone connected to the club from owners to CEO to Team coaches feel it also but more importantly they are all focused on the same thing

Not cocky
Not making stupid claims of this and that
Not putting ready made excuses in place before we begin

Just focused on the target of where they want to be in the coming few years.

All this talk of "doing a Fulham" I think will actually galvanize the squad to actually show a few people up this season

Bring it on

[Neil Hawkes]

what i love about him is he's not afraid to make big decisions, ruthless even in a good way
i don't think he goes with the 'he's earn't the right' stuff, either, see Steer, and a host of players we let go at the end of last season

What have I missed regarding Jed Steer?

[Risso]

what i love about him is he's not afraid to make big decisions, ruthless even in a good way
i don't think he goes with the 'he's earn't the right' stuff, either, see Steer, and a host of players we let go at the end of last season

What have I missed regarding Jed Steer?

We've signed Heaton from Burnley.

[john e]

what i love about him is he's not afraid to make big decisions, ruthless even in a good way
i don't think he goes with the 'he's earn't the right' stuff, either, see Steer, and a host of players we let go at the end of last season

What have I missed regarding Jed Steer?

he finished the season as our number 1
he will start next season as number 2

[Neil Hawkes]

Ah - I wouldn't call that ruthless, I'd call that good man management.

Every successful top team needs a keeper that can actually gain them points when all around them turns to s**t, as good as Jed was (and apart from the sublime penalty saves), I don't think even he would class himself in this bracket.

[paul_e]

Ah - I wouldn't call that ruthless, I'd call that good man management.

Every successful top team needs a keeper that can actually gain them points when all around them turns to s**t, as good as Jed was (and apart from the sublime penalty saves), I don't think even he would class himself in this bracket.

I think the point is that there were a lot of fans saying Steer deserved a chance, but Dean clearly agrees with you and hasn't let the good things Steer did last year season stop him from making the squad as strong as possible.