Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Dave P]

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were mid table on around 30-35 points by Jan so we could have an assault on the FA Cup with first teamers?

[PeterWithesShin]

If we've got 35 points by the 3rd round we'll be in the title race!

[WilliamStanding]

Surely even 6/7 points better off at that stage is progression and will not have squeaky bum time come May, talk of title races is pure lunacy from the nutters.

[SoccerHQ]

Depends who gets crocked really. You can survive if you don't lose a Grealish, or a Luiz, or hopefully a Watkins if finds his shooting boots.  Otherwise you're stuffed

With Barkley coming in we'd be o.k if we lost McGinn to injury so he's one of our crown jewels we're in better shape to deal with if we lose him for 2-3 months again. Martinez gets the inevitable Villa keeper injury and Heaton should be back to come in so not a huge drop in quality there either.

Grealish is simply one of those that is irreplaceable, same as Man. City losing Aguero or Liverpool losing Van Dijk for periods. Results inevitably dip.

If we lose Doug then Nakamba comes in and Hause for Mings so those are the two areas where we suffer massive drop in quality but ultimately it's too much to think we'll have sufficent depth in every position in this window. It was all about making our first 11 better and I think we've done that.

Hopefully by next summer the squad will be much stronger and competitive.

[Risso]

Depends who gets crocked really. You can survive if you don't lose a Grealish, or a Luiz, or hopefully a Watkins if finds his shooting boots.  Otherwise you're stuffed

With Barkley coming in we'd be o.k if we lost McGinn to injury so he's one of our crown jewels we're in better shape to deal with if we lose him for 2-3 months again. Martinez gets the inevitable Villa keeper injury and Heaton should be back to come in so not a huge drop in quality there either.

Grealish is simply one of those that is irreplaceable, same as Man. City losing Aguero or Liverpool losing Van Dijk for periods. Results inevitably dip.

If we lose Doug then Nakamba comes in and Hause for Mings so those are the two areas where we suffer massive drop in quality but ultimately it's too much to think we'll have sufficent depth in every position in this window. It was all about making our first 11 better and I think we've done that.

Hopefully by next summer the squad will be much stronger and competitive.

Steer for Martinez, Elmo or Guilbert for Cash, Hourihane for Barkley and Trez or Traore for the other one are the only spots where the replacement isn't a huge step down in quality.  At the moment we have no fit central defensive options, and nothing decent up front either.

[SoccerHQ]

Depends who gets crocked really. You can survive if you don't lose a Grealish, or a Luiz, or hopefully a Watkins if finds his shooting boots.  Otherwise you're stuffed

With Barkley coming in we'd be o.k if we lost McGinn to injury so he's one of our crown jewels we're in better shape to deal with if we lose him for 2-3 months again. Martinez gets the inevitable Villa keeper injury and Heaton should be back to come in so not a huge drop in quality there either.

Grealish is simply one of those that is irreplaceable, same as Man. City losing Aguero or Liverpool losing Van Dijk for periods. Results inevitably dip.

If we lose Doug then Nakamba comes in and Hause for Mings so those are the two areas where we suffer massive drop in quality but ultimately it's too much to think we'll have sufficent depth in every position in this window. It was all about making our first 11 better and I think we've done that.

Hopefully by next summer the squad will be much stronger and competitive.

Steer for Martinez, Elmo or Guilbert for Cash, Hourihane for Barkley and Trez or Traore for the other one are the only spots where the replacement isn't a huge step down in quality.  At the moment we have no fit central defensive options, and nothing decent up front either.

Well Heaton will be fit in a few weeks so I see that as more of long term option than Jed. Can't grumble with having England international as backup keeper.

AEM did fine in the run in last season and has fantastic mentality so he's fine as back up to Cash who's looked good so far but will be tested by world class attack tomorrow so first look if he's up to it defensively.

AEM at CB is much more of a worry, don't really understand why we haven't looked at getting in a short term CB as Mings hamstring goes again and it's going to be a downgrade whoever plays there.

No argument upfront. Davis is willing and has some good qualities but no one believes he's ever actually going to score a premier league goal.

[sickbeggar]

I suppose its all relative really. We're much better  off than 12 months ago, but you could add or subtract 10 points depending on if we lose someone because we haven't got the squad players teams like liverpool and the like can bring in and not see too much a drop in quality. But then, there's a good few teams in exactly the same position. We really do need another striker though.

[Toronto Villa]

I’m sorry. That is all.

[LeeB]

I’m sorry. That is all.

Ha ha, good lad.

[WilliamStanding]

Fair play to the apologists, takes a big man.

[themossman]

Tactics bang on. Brilliant game for Dean

[LeeB]

Give it 12 months, they'll all be trying to find themselves a manager that supported the club as a kid and who's Dad worked threre, it will be the new vogue.

[Axl Rose]

I’m sorry. That is all.

Haha. Same here.

[Monty]

I've doubted him in the past, and of course he's made mistakes, who hasn't, but by Christ today was one of the most astonishing vindications of a manager in Villa history, an almighty repaying of his faith in the players, and an extraordinary demonstration of his vision for how we should play. A famous day for Dean Smith.

[olaftab]

If United come calling for Dean they can fuck off. He will only leave for England. I almost forgive him for Stoke City.