Dean Smith - Confirmed

[brian green]

Probably the same Carling induced div that got us an extra 40 minutes kettled in the rain at Millwall for yelling obscenities at the ground staff.

[Clark W Griswold]

Some Carling induced div was telling me how shit Grealish was though.

He has been for a fair chunk of this season, but he was decent at Norwich and back to looking like our best player last night.

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And he's going to be better if we can find a way for somebody else to drop deep.

It was a decent performance last night. We lacked maybe those clear cut chances we had against Swansea, but we should still have scored. The goal was an utter disaster.

I can be patient with this. I sense we'll be good at home and vulnerable away.

We can't be anymore than 9 adrift come January.

[PeterWithe]

I’m pretty happy with the formation he’s playing, I think it’s the best fit for the players available. Barney is close to making the DM position his own, the forwards look like being regularly rotated. Surprisingly I think Elmo has been the most consistent of them over the last three last games and he’s certainly the best crosser we have so it makes sense to have him high up the pitch.

I’m more confident now than I was when Smith was appointed.

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I'd see Elmo move to full back for Bolasie to come in wide.

Full backs are a big problem.

[Clampy]

He's had a full squad this week surely?

Yes he has, but he's also had two games to get through this week as well. He's not going to get them playing to how he wants to overnight, it's something we'll have to be patient with. We just need to pick up some points along the way and last night we should have.

[PeterWithe]

I’m not sure about both Bolasie and Kodja both playing in a three, both are a bit maverick and we could return to the midfield sitting too far back as they don’t want to overcommit when either has the ball.

[Clampy]

I'd see Elmo move to full back for Bolasie to come in wide.

Full backs are a big problem.

That's what i'd do as well. It was Hutton who should have gone off last night instead of Elmo. Like someone else has also said, I'd have put Jedinak on instead of Whelan but then again, he can't pass the ball either and we gave it away too many times in the first half as it was.

[Mister E]

I'd see Elmo move to full back for Bolasie to come in wide.

Full backs are a big problem.

Definitely. The more I see of the much-feted Hutton the less I rate him.

[Lastfootstamper]

I think he's going to persevere with this back four. Hopefully they'll now be drilled to the point that lines and gaps occupy their every thought.

[London Villan]

Elmo for hutton would be my choice. At least he can cross when he does get forward.

[Lastfootstamper]

Tbf*, wasn't it Hutton that put in the cross when a defender somehow managed to nip in ahead of Abraham in front of goal? Good ball that, whoever it was.

*no inference should be taken from this that my opinion of our fullbacks is anything other than that they are generally shit.

[olaftab]

He's had a full squad this week surely?

Yes he has he has also had to prepare for 3 matches in 7 days hardly time to study, reflect and properly plan. In those  matches he beat a very good Swansea team and lost 2 away by a single goal against  in form teams. The two defeats were not thrashings and with a bit of luck both could have gone our way. So ok 3 out 9 does not look good on paper but I think he has done well.

[Richard]

The problem here is that a lot of Villa fans expect and demand instant success - when you're crap for 8 years no one likes the thought of another season down in the Championship. Not helped by Wolves, Blues and Albion above us either.

 I do believe we need to give Smith this season and next at least to sort it out properly.

[PeterWithesShin]

I wouldn't be surprised if we still haven't done a full on training day with all the squad under him. A lot of clubs don't do them the day before and after a game and the way it's worked it with the international break is every day has been one of those days since they came back.