Dean Smith - Confirmed

[john e]

Happy to be called a loon but I would rather be in the quarterfinals of the League Cup than beat Liverpool. Win, loose or draw v Liverpool won’t define our season, again it will be teams around us and we have made a fantastic start in the league.

I would rather finish 15th and win the League Cup than finish 8th. I want Villa to win things.

Same here
But in fairness there’s no way we would be beating Spurs with that side we put out last night or anything like it

so don’t think it would have mattered in the long term

[Axl Rose]

Training isn't 90 minutes of competitive football.

Ok lets not play Grealish, Mings, Watkins or Luiz against Liverpool as we probably wont win, and keep them for the games we might win as they might get injured!!!

Libor Kosak broke his leg twice in training, if I remember correctly

Well said TSV. Injury argument makes no sense. Was Guardiola worried about KDB and Sterling getting injured? Was Ancelotti worried about James and Calvert-Lewin being injured? No they are the winning mentality coaches. Don’t get that 5 games in 17 days issue either. Same as everybody else.

They have a bit more squad depth than we do.

They also have an actual manager with a brain. Smith isn't good enough for the Premier League yet.

He can't attract players either.

I agree. Not the top class ones anyway. Maybe in the future.

He was never going to get us promoted or keep us up, either.

I'd just rather have a better manager.

[London Villan]

The league cup run probably saved his job last season.

[Ads]

He takes up a midtable side with the best run in our history, having been dealt the most ridiculous of hands with the defence.

He gets us promoted as probably the best team in the league come the end of it and in the best possible style too.

He has to renew nigh on an entire squad, having been dealt the most ridiculous of hands with squad renewal, while coming from the weakest of positions, the Play Off winners.

He keeps us up.

He gets us to a Cup final, where we're cheated by a phantom corner and circular posts.

He strengthens. We look a decent and stronger prospect.

I'm sure there are better managers than Smith  but I wonder if they could have achieved what he has? Pretty fucking decent in my book.

[Pat Mustard]

Training isn't 90 minutes of competitive football.

Ok lets not play Grealish, Mings, Watkins or Luiz against Liverpool as we probably wont win, and keep them for the games we might win as they might get injured!!!

Libor Kosak broke his leg twice in training, if I remember correctly

Well said TSV. Injury argument makes no sense. Was Guardiola worried about KDB and Sterling getting injured? Was Ancelotti worried about James and Calvert-Lewin being injured? No they are the winning mentality coaches. Don’t get that 5 games in 17 days issue either. Same as everybody else.

They have a bit more squad depth than we do.

They also have an actual manager with a brain. Smith isn't good enough for the Premier League yet.

He can't attract players either.

I agree. Not the top class ones anyway. Maybe in the future.

He was never going to get us promoted or keep us up, either.

I'd just rather have a better manager.

Who? Seriously, who do you think would have done more in the last 2 years given where we were?

[Bad English]

Thierry Henry's current management stats (at Monaco & Impact de Montréal) W 9 D 8 L 22.

[rougegorge]

The league cup run probably saved his job last season.

I think this is true. There was some terrible football leading up to the semis and to the final itself.

[Pat Mustard]

The league cup run probably saved his job last season.

I think this is true. There was some terrible football leading up to the semis and to the final itself.

Maybe so, but to be fair at that stage we were playing without Heaton, McGinn, Wesley and for a large part Mings. Given the squad he inherited and the work we had to do to rebuild the squad, that was a ridiculous injury list.

If you’ve watched the Spurs documentary on Amazon, look at how a few injuries there derailed their season and that was with a squad that had been in the Champions League final the previous May. I don’t see how any other manager would have got much more out of the team at that stage with the resources that were available.

[Sexual Ealing]

The league cup run probably saved his job last season.

I think this is true. There was some terrible football leading up to the semis and to the final itself.

Maybe so, but to be fair at that stage we were playing without Heaton, McGinn, Wesley and for a large part Mings. Given the squad he inherited and the work we had to do to rebuild the squad, that was a ridiculous injury list.

If you’ve watched the Spurs documentary on Amazon, look at how a few injuries there derailed their season and that was with a squad that had been in the Champions League final the previous May. I don’t see how any other manager would have got much more out of the team at that stage with the resources that were available.

And what's more, one who would have been happy to trade their jobs and/or reputations with Champions League clubs to come to a newly-promoted, bottom three-dwelling club that seemed certain to go straight back down. Oh, and one that couldn't spend any more money due to FFP restrictions.

[algy]

He takes up a midtable side with the best run in our history, having been dealt the most ridiculous of hands with the defence.

He gets us promoted as probably the best team in the league come the end of it and in the best possible style too.

He has to renew nigh on an entire squad, having been dealt the most ridiculous of hands with squad renewal, while coming from the weakest of positions, the Play Off winners.

He keeps us up.

He gets us to a Cup final, where we're cheated by a phantom corner and circular posts.

He strengthens. We look a decent and stronger prospect.

I'm sure there are better managers than Smith  but I wonder if they could have achieved what he has? Pretty fucking decent in my book.

I agree with Ads entirely.

[rougegorge]

The league cup run probably saved his job last season.

I think this is true. There was some terrible football leading up to the semis and to the final itself.

Maybe so, but to be fair at that stage we were playing without Heaton, McGinn, Wesley and for a large part Mings. Given the squad he inherited and the work we had to do to rebuild the squad, that was a ridiculous injury list.

If you’ve watched the Spurs documentary on Amazon, look at how a few injuries there derailed their season and that was with a squad that had been in the Champions League final the previous May. I don’t see how any other manager would have got much more out of the team at that stage with the resources that were available.

I get your point to a degree, although Heaton and Wesley all featured in the terrible December league run whilst we beat Liverpool's kids in the cup.

Counting Wesley as a big miss cannot really  be based on his overall contribution, rather that Smith would play him irrespective of his form and we were negligent in getting decent forwards.

[Three Spires Villa]

Happy to be called a loon but I would rather be in the quarterfinals of the League Cup than beat Liverpool. Win, loose or draw v Liverpool won’t define our season, again it will be teams around us and we have made a fantastic start in the league.

I would rather finish 15th and win the League Cup than finish 8th. I want Villa to win things.

Loon.

Just a bit.

Beating the best side in the country, perhaps the second best in Europe, would set our season up.

Norwich beat Man City, didn’t do them much good! Hey I’m being an arse, but I think it’s sad that cups and the League Cup is seen as pain rather than a chance for glory. Probably my age, but if you win a major domestic trophy then you are a winning team and a winning club. Anyway I understand all of your points. Cheers UTV

[Three Spires Villa]

By the way this is not a slag of Dean or the team, just disappointed at how football is.

[Pat Mustard]

The league cup run probably saved his job last season.

I think this is true. There was some terrible football leading up to the semis and to the final itself.

Maybe so, but to be fair at that stage we were playing without Heaton, McGinn, Wesley and for a large part Mings. Given the squad he inherited and the work we had to do to rebuild the squad, that was a ridiculous injury list.

If you’ve watched the Spurs documentary on Amazon, look at how a few injuries there derailed their season and that was with a squad that had been in the Champions League final the previous May. I don’t see how any other manager would have got much more out of the team at that stage with the resources that were available.

I get your point to a degree, although Heaton and Wesley all featured in the terrible December league run whilst we beat Liverpool's kids in the cup.

Counting Wesley as a big miss cannot really  be based on his overall contribution, rather that Smith would play him irrespective of his form and we were negligent in getting decent forwards.

Wesley was a big miss though. He was our top scorer at the point he was injured, and finally looked to be getting to grips with the Premier League.

We needed another forward without doubt, but again we can’t underestimate the rebuilding job we had to do last year. With all of the other positions that needed filling I doubt we would have been able to afford to sign anyone above the Samatta/Baston level at that stage, signings that were pilloried later on.

[Drummond]

One bad performance and defeat, by a goal in the League Cup and its started already. Monday could be a horrible day on here.