Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Monty]

It is obviously mad to start talking about him losing his job. However, there are clearly things he could be doing better, and honestly leaving out Luiz for no reason, persisting with the same system regardless of evidence or opposition, not changing his in-game planning despite previous failures - these are not small things.

[richtheholtender]

Deserves the season and the opportunity to get us back up should the worst happen.

[PaulWinch again]

Deserves the season and the opportunity to get us back up should the worst happen.

He does, if he demonstrates he can learn from the mistakes he’s made.

[ROBBO]

It has been a huge step up for him as well as the players whether he can manage it the next few weeks will tell but that's twice we have played for a long period against ten men and not got the points.

[brontebilly]

The improvement in the physical conditioning of PL players in the time we’ve been away seems to have caught us out a bit, I don’t think we’ve been the match of anyone we’ve played fitness wise.

The positive is that it should be the easiest thing to sort out.

Surely thats what pre-season is for?

If we kept the ball better we wouldnt need to run as much without it but you do have a valid point.

Grealish and McGinn to mention two are struggling to see out 90 mins, more like Jota, Trez, Luiz, Wesley are unsurprisingly struggling with the pace of the football.

My main problem is the football we are playing is depressing consider the talent of McGinn and Grealish in midfield.

It's as bad as the McLeish days with subs like Elmo coming on right wing, considering all the money we have spent its depressingly negative.

Our recruitment in the wide areas and up front leaves a lot to be desired so far too.

[Ads]

What do you mean they're struggling to see out 90 minutes?

[AlexAlexCropley]

What do you mean they're struggling to see out 90 minutes?

Isn't it apparent?

[Ads]

What do you mean they're struggling to see out 90 minutes?

Isn't it apparent?

I've asked him to qualify what he means, perhaps with a specific example. It might prove illuminating, it might prove a point of disagreement.

[olaftab]

We may have to do a Sean Dyche with Smith if relegation does come to fore. Keep him and have another go.

[brontebilly]

What do you mean they're struggling to see out 90 minutes?

They are out on their feet around the 80 min mark. Arsenal changed two central midfielders after 70 mins today and both completely dominated McGinn and Grealish. McGinn in particular was anonymous last 15-20 mins today. It was the same on Monday night.

Balance of midfield isnt helping. We should have two sitting midfielders and let McGinn and Grealish play further forward in a three.

[ChicagoLion]

What do you mean they're struggling to see out 90 minutes?

They are out on their feet around the 80 min mark. Arsenal changed two central midfielders after 70 mins today and both completely dominated McGinn and Grealish. McGinn in particular was anonymous last 15-20 mins today. It was the same on Monday night.

Balance of midfield isnt helping. We should have two sitting midfielders and let McGinn and Grealish play further forward in a three.

Exactly how I see it.
I do not think many managers would waste  SJM and Jack in those positions.

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

Dean is looking out of his depth. Wilder isn't, and without the luxury of our massive spend in the summer.

Wilder didn't have to buy a whole new team though, he's got the squad he built over several years and he's made a few additions. He's got a luxury Smith hasn't, namely the consistency that comes with players knowing each other and his system. Our players have played six league games together and at times it shows. Our naivety is costing us at the moment.

[Ads]

I didn't see either of them being out on their feet. Dropping deeper is not physical, but psychological for us.

I wouldn't disagree that we should have put Hourihane next to Marvelous at around the 65 minute mark, narrowed up and seen if that would have helped congest play defensively.

[AsTallAsLions]

Dean Smith is not out of his depth. Some of his players are though.

[Steve67]

I hadn't realised that Dean had chosen to leave Luiz out in favour of having Lansbury on the bench.  This seems a bit odd as we have two attacking midfielders in Jota and Hourihane on the bench but no natural defensive midfielder, unless you count the, has never played at central midfield in the Premier Division, Ezra Konsa as cover?  Kortney Hause must be getting twitchy if he's not able to get in past Neil Taylor.