Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Rudy Can't Fail]

He was a poor/average at best midfielder at Forest who due to injuries got pushed in as an emergency right back and went on to become their Player of the Season.

[London Villan]

The midfield balance is the problem, particularly when SJM isnt playing well.

[dave17]

"Chronically bad performances other than Liverpool..."

You mean beating Sheffield United, declaring after an hour at Fulham and deservedly beating Leicester, who are tipped for top four? Those chronically bad performances?

Fair to call me out for exaggerating but Sheffield against 10 wasn’t great, the disallowed goal against Fulham bailed us out a little and the last two games have had pretty awful periods. I think it’s fair to say we’ve played well on 1 out of the 6 so far and in the other games there have been periods where we reverted to last seasons garbage

[dave.woodhall]

"Chronically bad performances other than Liverpool..."

You mean beating Sheffield United, declaring after an hour at Fulham and deservedly beating Leicester, who are tipped for top four? Those chronically bad performances?

Fair to call me out for exaggerating but Sheffield against 10 wasn’t great, the disallowed goal against Fulham bailed us out a little and the last two games have had pretty awful periods. I think it’s fair to say we’ve played well on 1 out of the 6 so far and in the other games there have been periods where we reverted to last seasons garbage

I'll call you out for a lot more than exaggerating.

[Toronto Villa]

"Chronically bad performances other than Liverpool..."

You mean beating Sheffield United, declaring after an hour at Fulham and deservedly beating Leicester, who are tipped for top four? Those chronically bad performances?

Fair to call me out for exaggerating but Sheffield against 10 wasn’t great, the disallowed goal against Fulham bailed us out a little and the last two games have had pretty awful periods. I think it’s fair to say we’ve played well on 1 out of the 6 so far and in the other games there have been periods where we reverted to last seasons garbage

We won fair and square against Sheff Utd.
Fulham we wrapped up early on and we could have smashed them for more way before their disallowed goal. I hope you're also counting all the goals we don't get this season when a sleeve is offside or the wind blows over their defender.
We smashed Liverpool clear out of the fucking universe.
We were more than a match for Leicester and won the game because we deserved to. The goal was a great move and finish.
We were even with Leeds, should have taken the lead and fell apart when they did.
Yes Southampton was dreadful and we made something of the end but the damage was done.

What exactly were you expecting of a team that stayed up with the pretty much the last kick of the game last season? We are going to have highs and lows, and probably more of the latter than the former.

[RamboandBruno]

"Chronically bad performances other than Liverpool..."

You mean beating Sheffield United, declaring after an hour at Fulham and deservedly beating Leicester, who are tipped for top four? Those chronically bad performances?

Fair to call me out for exaggerating but Sheffield against 10 wasn’t great, the disallowed goal against Fulham bailed us out a little and the last two games have had pretty awful periods. I think it’s fair to say we’ve played well on 1 out of the 6 so far and in the other games there have been periods where we reverted to last seasons garbage

I’m sorry that’s just utter nonsense. Sheff Utd was a close enough game, but we were the better side, Fulham we were in complete control and Leicester we were the better side.
In fact I really don’t get the semi meltdown taking place on here and what becomes the inevitable questions about smith already. We’re in the premier league, we’re not going to win the league, we’re not going to get champions league and it’s highly unlikely top 6. Top 10-8 would be an excellent season and another year of fairly rapid progression under smith from 15th in the championship when he took over.
If we finish in the top 10 we will lose some games and sometimes be outplayed, end of. Southampton have the best away record in the league in 2020 bar Liverpool and Man City and it was never going to be easy yesterday, I would of taken a draw.
Of course there have some tactical issues the last couple of games and some under par performances from some players, but some people’s willingness to practically write off smith, cash, Barkley and to a lesser extent McGinn, I find baffling. If we get two or three wins out of the next 5 games, it’s been an excellent start to the season.

[PaulWinch again]

He was a poor/average at best midfielder at Forest who due to injuries got pushed in as an emergency right back and went on to become their Player of the Season.

Yes right back is his position. To be fair he has been left horrendously exposed in the last two games. He absolutely needs  to learn, but I think he has talent and he needs some fucking cover.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We won fair and square against Sheff Utd.
Fulham we wrapped up early on and we could have smashed them for more way before their disallowed goal. I hope you're also counting all the goals we don't get this season when a sleeve is offside or the wind blows over their defender.
We smashed Liverpool clear out of the fucking universe.
We were more than a match for Leicester and won the game because we deserved to. The goal was a great move and finish.
We were even with Leeds, should have taken the lead and fell apart when they did.
Yes Southampton was dreadful and we made something of the end but the damage was done.

What exactly were you expecting of a team that stayed up with the pretty much the last kick of the game last season? We are going to have highs and lows, and probably more of the latter than the former.

Apart from the Leeds reference (they could/should have been 3-4 up at HT), I fully agree, TV, especially your final sentence. it's going to take time though I'll be extremely disappointed if we finish lower than 10th. Dean Smith is testing himself against some of the best managers/coaches around; it's not only the players that need to learn and adapt or be replaced. Overall, we're heading in the right direction thanks to the investment made by the owners and a bloody good transfer selection. The rest will take time and a large dollop of patience.

[Ian.]

We won fair and square against Sheff Utd.
Fulham we wrapped up early on and we could have smashed them for more way before their disallowed goal. I hope you're also counting all the goals we don't get this season when a sleeve is offside or the wind blows over their defender.
We smashed Liverpool clear out of the fucking universe.
We were more than a match for Leicester and won the game because we deserved to. The goal was a great move and finish.
We were even with Leeds, should have taken the lead and fell apart when they did.
Yes Southampton was dreadful and we made something of the end but the damage was done.

What exactly were you expecting of a team that stayed up with the pretty much the last kick of the game last season? We are going to have highs and lows, and probably more of the latter than the former.

Apart from the Leeds reference (they could/should have been 3-4 up at HT), I fully agree, TV, especially your final sentence. it's going to take time though I'll be extremely disappointed if we finish lower than 10th. Dean Smith is testing himself against some of the best managers/coaches around; it's not only the players that need to learn and adapt or be replaced. Overall, we're heading in the right direction thanks to the investment made by the owners and a bloody good transfer selection. The rest will take time and a large dollop of patience.

Good posts TV and RCF.

[Toronto Villa]

We won fair and square against Sheff Utd.
Fulham we wrapped up early on and we could have smashed them for more way before their disallowed goal. I hope you're also counting all the goals we don't get this season when a sleeve is offside or the wind blows over their defender.
We smashed Liverpool clear out of the fucking universe.
We were more than a match for Leicester and won the game because we deserved to. The goal was a great move and finish.
We were even with Leeds, should have taken the lead and fell apart when they did.
Yes Southampton was dreadful and we made something of the end but the damage was done.

What exactly were you expecting of a team that stayed up with the pretty much the last kick of the game last season? We are going to have highs and lows, and probably more of the latter than the former.

Apart from the Leeds reference (they could/should have been 3-4 up at HT), I fully agree, TV, especially your final sentence. it's going to take time though I'll be extremely disappointed if we finish lower than 10th. Dean Smith is testing himself against some of the best managers/coaches around; it's not only the players that need to learn and adapt or be replaced. Overall, we're heading in the right direction thanks to the investment made by the owners and a bloody good transfer selection. The rest will take time and a large dollop of patience.

I was probably a little generous with Leeds. Jack also had one cleared off the line at 0-0. But patience is the key and I suffer from a lack of it like everyone else in the moment. But on reflection that's what we need to be and temper our expectations. We are at best a mid table side which would be an immense improvement on last season.

[Drummond]

So far we've beaten the current top 2 and 2 of the bottom 4. We've lost to the team in 5th and one in 12th.

We're doing OK and as can be seen Everton won 4 and have lost 2,everyone seems to be winning and losing. Its disappointing to have lost two in the way we have, particularly as it amounts to 90 minutes of football.

We had the best start we've had since 1931, that's not luck.

[dave.woodhall]

As amfy famously said, last season was what seventeenth looks like. So far, this season is what comfortably mid-table looks like.

[PeterWithesShin]

It's our best top flight start (first 6 games) since 2009. After what felt like a decade of setting records for shitness it's nice to keep checking the records for positive reasons.

[Nunkin1965]

"Chronically bad performances other than Liverpool..."

You mean beating Sheffield United, declaring after an hour at Fulham and deservedly beating Leicester, who are tipped for top four? Those chronically bad performances?

Fair to call me out for exaggerating but Sheffield against 10 wasn’t great, the disallowed goal against Fulham bailed us out a little and the last two games have had pretty awful periods. I think it’s fair to say we’ve played well on 1 out of the 6 so far and in the other games there have been periods where we reverted to last seasons garbage

I'll call you out for a lot more than exaggerating.

This is a joke right?
I just don’t get some posts on here.
Think I’d better pour myself a drink and calm down.

[cdbearsfan]

"Chronically bad performances other than Liverpool..."

You mean beating Sheffield United, declaring after an hour at Fulham and deservedly beating Leicester, who are tipped for top four? Those chronically bad performances?

Fair to call me out for exaggerating but Sheffield against 10 wasn’t great, the disallowed goal against Fulham bailed us out a little and the last two games have had pretty awful periods. I think it’s fair to say we’ve played well on 1 out of the 6 so far and in the other games there have been periods where we reverted to last seasons garbage

You can debate Sheffield United, I'd say we played well enough to win but it was less than swashbuckling. Trying to undermine a comfortable three-nil win away from home, and an away win at a team that was one win off the Champions League last season and in which we restricted said top four contenders to a total of zero clear chances is just being negative for the sake of it. Not one of the other clubs in the division wouldn't have been delighted with those results.