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Author Topic: Dean Smith - Confirmed  (Read 1522055 times)

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10320 on: October 01, 2020, 11:53:32 PM »
I would have played sone fringe players but would have tried to keep a strong spine still.

Go back a week and we were all celebrating how the second XI played the same way as the first XI. Tonight was an embarrassment, nobody seemed to know what they were doing. Lansbury, an attacking midfielder (so I heard) playing as a sweeper, every ball backwards or misplaced. Marvelous, a defensive midfielder, limited but bought to play to sit in front of the defence? I'm still to be convinced that Dean as much as I love and admire him as a human being, can grow as a manager/coach. Tonight it once again feels like we hired Walsall's manager. Where's this tactical genius we were promised. He and his team are struggling with the basics.

I'm sure he knows the owners are watching him very closely.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10321 on: October 02, 2020, 12:08:24 AM »
I would have played sone fringe players but would have tried to keep a strong spine still.
Lansbury, Hause were useless tonight and are clearly not good enough for the premier league.
Tonight also showed, we need to sign another striker in the window.

If Mings picks up another hamstring injury Hause is starting premier league games again which is a huge worry.

Not really sure what DS thinking is at the back given Engels hasn't been seen in 8 months out on the pitch and AEM surely isn't seen as credible CB option in the premier league.

Seems a bit of a gamble even if Konsa-Mings are performing well. We went into defensive chaos last season as soon as Mings pulled up v Leicester so that's the warning right there.

Offline eamonn

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10322 on: October 02, 2020, 12:15:14 AM »
How often did that team work together in training as a unit specifically for this game? Once or twice maybe,  if that? The problem with wholesale changing is that fringe (lesser) players are likely to struggle when playing competitively with other fringe players. Lansbury (or 'H' as Dean called him in the interview after the game - it did raise a wince) probably looks great in pass and move drills at Bodymoor and probably hits "top bins" for fun in shooting practice. Put him in a game where he has to actually break a sweat and be brave...well he struggles.

But I don't fully buy the 'God help us if Hause/Taylor/El Ghazi have to fill-in for a few games in the first team' catastrophising. It won't be ideal but they've done it before and surrounded by better team mates than the second string, they should be OK for the most part. Bit by bit, over the next few windows, we'll improve the 'B' options.

Online Toronto Villa

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10323 on: October 02, 2020, 02:40:42 AM »
He really likes Lansbury for some reason. It defies all logic. I spoke Dean Smith in Minnesota last pre season and he was convinced Lansbury was going to surprise everyone. He was right. We are all surprised just how shit he is.

Offline Risso

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10324 on: October 02, 2020, 07:36:32 AM »
I'm not!

Offline brian green

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10325 on: October 02, 2020, 07:52:34 AM »
Nor me.  He is another in a long line post MON who have taken Villa for a cushy run it to retirement.  Such players and Dean's tolerance of them will prevent him getting to the very top of the management elite.

Offline andyh

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10326 on: October 02, 2020, 08:03:18 AM »
He really likes Lansbury for some reason. It defies all logic. I spoke Dean Smith in Minnesota last pre season and he was convinced Lansbury was going to surprise everyone. He was right. We are all surprised just how shit he is.
The only surprise is that the fucker still draws a wage from Aston Villa.

Offline Ads

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10327 on: October 02, 2020, 08:08:57 AM »
With the wages he is on, there's nowhere for him to go.

Online boozey182

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10328 on: October 02, 2020, 08:21:14 AM »
I think the reason behind the team selection was more than just resting the first team. The players that played are our first reserves should anything happen to any of the first team, and they won't have had a proper pre-season. If we were to need any of them in the first team (god forbid) they will have fitness issues on top of their lack of quality to contend with! If they've at least got a few games under their belt, they have a fighting chance of coming in and doing a job for us.

It is frustrating, because there was a quarter final spot there for the taking, and I'd actually started to really enjoy watching us play, so it was very disapppointing to sit through that shambles - but I can fully understand and support the theory behind it.

Next season, we'll have a proper pre-season and a second XI that could compete at the lower end of the Premier League, so I expect a decent run in this cup. But for now, let's just focus on progressing in the league and becoming one of those teams you really don't want to play.

Online The Edge

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10329 on: October 02, 2020, 08:37:03 AM »
He really likes Lansbury for some reason. It defies all logic. I spoke Dean Smith in Minnesota last pre season and he was convinced Lansbury was going to surprise everyone. He was right. We are all surprised just how shit he is.
That's unbelievable. But as others have said he probably looks great on the training ground.

Offline Three Spires Villa

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10330 on: October 02, 2020, 08:42:19 AM »
Players can get injured in training, are people saying they should not train?? Yes I know I am taking that to the extreme but the "X player could get injured in the cup" i don't really get, players pick up injuries playing football.

Offline Ads

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10331 on: October 02, 2020, 08:56:11 AM »
Training isn't 90 minutes of competitive football.

Offline themossman

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10332 on: October 02, 2020, 09:02:16 AM »
He's 30 in a couple of weeks. Leaving it late to surprise people.

Offline themossman

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10333 on: October 02, 2020, 09:03:44 AM »
Players can get injured in training, are people saying they should not train?? Yes I know I am taking that to the extreme but the "X player could get injured in the cup" i don't really get, players pick up injuries playing football.

You're right, I think injury risk is a non issue. Fixture congestion and exhaustion is probably valid though, especially this season.

Online dave shelley

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10334 on: October 02, 2020, 09:25:41 AM »
I think the surprise is, he had the spare keys to Ross McCormack's gates all the time.

 


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