Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Mister E]

Man U got battered off the park by Spurs, but to be fair to them, they have looked much beeter since then.  Smith needs to show he can put things right in a similar fashion.  I'm not that concerned, because if we'd scored with a couple of good early chances, we might still have won, even though Leeds overall were much the better team on the night.  Bamford will never play that well ever again.

Well, OGS does have rather more resources at his disposal than our Dean.

[john e]

Anyone would think we were bottom reading this thread.

What it reveals is as supporters of this club just how fragile our own confidence is that one defeat into the season the dark clouds have re-emerged. We are punching above our weight right now. We will likely sink back a little but I believe we have shown enough across the past 8 games that we won’t be sucked into the relegation fight. We are still a few very solid players away from competing consistently in the top 8. If we finish 10th or 11th this season most of us at the start would have taken that and considered it a success.

I think we've been worn down through years of Villa fucking it up all the time

Typical example is we were thrashing Liverpool 5-1 then they scored to make it 5-2 and I started pissing my pants

[Toronto Villa]

Anyone would think we were bottom reading this thread.

What it reveals is as supporters of this club just how fragile our own confidence is that one defeat into the season the dark clouds have re-emerged. We are punching above our weight right now. We will likely sink back a little but I believe we have shown enough across the past 8 games that we won’t be sucked into the relegation fight. We are still a few very solid players away from competing consistently in the top 8. If we finish 10th or 11th this season most of us at the start would have taken that and considered it a success.

I think we've been worn down through years of Villa fucking it up all the time

Typical example is we were thrashing Liverpool 5-1 then they scored to make it 5-2 and I started pissing my pants

Same at 2-1 when it felt inevitable that they’d score the next 3, not us. We’ve done it ourselves, but it’s a process. That night was sensational but an anomaly. We have to put together a series of solid results. They don’t have to be Liverpool level displays. In fact wins and draws much like we showed to end last season would see us comfortably into mid table this season.

[Toronto Villa]

Absolutely exposed and exploited the last two games.

[SoccerHQ]

Interesting reading last few pages.

We do have a shaky psyche as a club. One bad defeat and we seem to go into a tailspin for a couple of months whereas other clubs can quickly recover and at least get another unbeaten run going. Been that way since 2010 and no response to Leeds defeat today so has feeling of another bad run starting.

Changes inevitable next week now, think AEM coming on is preparation for him to start at Arsenal so interested what other stuff DS will do. I'd give Davis some minutes and push Watkins out wide aswell.

[CT]

Where’s Craig Shakespeare in all of this? Everyone lording him when the going was good.

Why isn’t he out front with all his knowledge?? Stevie Wonder could see after five minutes that this was going exactly the same way as the Leeds game, but nothing gets changed, again.

Maybe ALL of them can’t see.

[ChicagoLion]

Deciding not to mark a giant with a dwarf would be a good start.
Pub football teams work this stuff out but our management team unable to.

[PeterWithesShin]

6 mins added time

[PeterWithesShin]

Wrong thread

[DB]

Is this a blip to what we did in the first 4 games or is this how we really are under Smith? I think the squad is much better than last season, but worrying that we have been easily beaten and out coached.

[PaulWinch again]

Dean has to learn how to react earlier when things are going against us. He’s far too passive.

[SoccerHQ]

Dean has to learn how to react earlier when things are going against us. He’s far too passive.

In fairness early Traore sub did for any half time changes imo. Muscle injuries already a problem this season so say we'd thrown two more subs on at the hour and you run the risk of finishing with 10 men. Luiz was really struggling at the end.

I know lots of people dislike it but I'd have continued with 5 subs up to January.

Anyway what last two games has shown is DS is reluctant to put Davis on once we go more than a goal down due to his lack of actual goal threat so surely we've got to get another striker in January who can at least change a losing game a bit from the bench.

Thought it would happen once we let Samatta go but it didn't.

[CT Villan]

Out-thought tactically in the first half. That's 2 games running Smith has struggled. At least he finally got it right today, albeit too late.

[Brend'Watkins]

Deciding not to mark a giant with a dwarf would be a good start.
Pub football teams work this stuff out but our management team unable to.

Yep. Basic shit like that should never be an issue for a top league side. 

[SoccerHQ]

Is this a blip to what we did in the first 4 games or is this how we really are under Smith? I think the squad is much better than last season, but worrying that we have been easily beaten and out coached.

Mid table teams finishing on 45-50 points tend to drop off at periods in the season. Last season Sheffield finished 9th but they ended the season with 3 wins in 10 and lost their last run so bad runs are part and parcel for mid table finishes.

The trick we need to avoid is going on a very bad run e.g. the one we went on from Feb onwards that got DS very close to the sack.

Arsenal will be tough but not impossible game to win, a point there will be good 90 minutes work. After the next break it's Brighton, West Ham, Newcastle, Burnley, West Brom so would be hugely disappointing not to win a game or two in that run. 

We need to aswell as the fixture list then gets hideous from Boxing day.