Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Lastfootstamper]

What Chris Smith said.
Football's fun again. I've missed that so much.

[Clampy]

Let's not get carried away. Let's just enjoy it for what it is.

He's currently showing himself to have done a very good job. No need to pile on the expectations or to point the finger of mistrust at this or that section of the media, at ourselves, or anyone for that matter. Just sit back and enjoy what is currently a very interesting time for us.

We are going to continue to be volatile - we're not going to start beating all and sundry, we're going to lose matches we never expect to, and we're going to win others equally unexpectedly. The most important thing by far, though, is that there's currently a degree of excitement and hope that hasn't been there for a fair while and the direction of travel, despite the peaks and troughs, is in the right direction.

What matters most right now is what we're seeing thus far, and it's much, much better than we have seen for a long time. Let's just enjoy it without piling on added pressure or letting unnecessary eexpectations grow.

Agree with this. Enjoy the wins and and don't panic over the defeats but you know what it's like, especially on here after a couple of defeats. Drop him, he's shit, let's re-arange the midfield etc. We're a joy to watch at the moment but there will be bumps in the road so enjoy it and see where it takes us.

Fuck it, we're going to piss the league aren't we?

[Monty]

Wouldn't say I'm feeling all that carried away. I fully expect us to lose today just to puncture that bubble (it's Villa, it's what we do). I do think, however, that if someone with a more fashionable name or accent or haircut had been in charge of us this season our form would have led to all kinds of chat and speculation surrounding them. If it were Eddie Howe, for instance, he clearly fits a media 'narrative' (young, non-descript southern accent, 'progressive'), where Deano just doesn't.

Football isn't a rational business. I remember reading years ago that blonde players were scouted more often and did better in trials because they were more noticeable. There's still so much unthought prejudice at work in our game.

[john e]

Wouldn't say I'm feeling all that carried away. I fully expect us to lose today just to puncture that bubble (it's Villa, it's what we do). I do think, however, that if someone with a more fashionable name or accent or haircut had been in charge of us this season our form would have led to all kinds of chat and speculation surrounding them. If it were Eddie Howe, for instance, he clearly fits a media 'narrative' (young, non-descript southern accent, 'progressive'), where Deano just doesn't.

Football isn't a rational business. I remember reading years ago that blonde players were scouted more often and did better in trials because they were more noticeable. There's still so much unthought prejudice at work in our game.

didn’t work for me
I’m/was blonde

Could have been a contender

[LeeB]

Let's not get carried away. Let's just enjoy it for what it is.

He's currently showing himself to have done a very good job. No need to pile on the expectations or to point the finger of mistrust at this or that section of the media, at ourselves, or anyone for that matter. Just sit back and enjoy what is currently a very interesting time for us.

We are going to continue to be volatile - we're not going to start beating all and sundry, we're going to lose matches we never expect to, and we're going to win others equally unexpectedly. The most important thing by far, though, is that there's currently a degree of excitement and hope that hasn't been there for a fair while and the direction of travel, despite the peaks and troughs, is in the right direction.

What matters most right now is what we're seeing thus far, and it's much, much better than we have seen for a long time. Let's just enjoy it without piling on added pressure or letting unnecessary eexpectations grow.

Nah, in the middle of winter with a pandemic stalking the land I want to get carried away. I want optimism and thrills not caution and patience. I want to shake off the doubt that has become my normal pre-match feeling before every game and replace it with the belief that we are now the team others have to worry about and I want all of that to happen with Villa fans as manager and captain. In short I want romance and excitement not caution and pragmatism and for my kids to experience the same feeling I had in the 70s and early 80s.

Amen brother.

[olaftab]

As  Chris Smith said.
Let's get carried away. Why not? We had to put up with lot of misery this year generally and with our football hopes over the last 10 years. So whilst it good ENJOY.

[CT]

Let's not get carried away. Let's just enjoy it for what it is.

He's currently showing himself to have done a very good job. No need to pile on the expectations or to point the finger of mistrust at this or that section of the media, at ourselves, or anyone for that matter. Just sit back and enjoy what is currently a very interesting time for us.

We are going to continue to be volatile - we're not going to start beating all and sundry, we're going to lose matches we never expect to, and we're going to win others equally unexpectedly. The most important thing by far, though, is that there's currently a degree of excitement and hope that hasn't been there for a fair while and the direction of travel, despite the peaks and troughs, is in the right direction.

What matters most right now is what we're seeing thus far, and it's much, much better than we have seen for a long time. Let's just enjoy it without piling on added pressure or letting unnecessary eexpectations grow.

Nah, in the middle of winter with a pandemic stalking the land I want to get carried away. I want optimism and thrills not caution and patience. I want to shake off the doubt that has become my normal pre-match feeling before every game and replace it with the belief that we are now the team others have to worry about and I want all of that to happen with Villa fans as manager and captain. In short I want romance and excitement not caution and pragmatism and for my kids to experience the same feeling I had in the 70s and early 80s.

Amen brother.

Double amen!

[Sexual Ealing]

Amen III

[dave.woodhall]

Amen IV - Return of the Amen, but let's not be too downcast at the occasional bad performance. We were shite at times as late as 1980.

[ez]

I'm satisfied. For the first time in ages we are back were i consider we should be in the league. Being on the up is a bonus too.

[OCD]

Just to add to Monty's point, John Terry still gets a lot of media attention. I don't think the media even know who Richard O'Kelly is. I think it was Martin Keown on Saturday who was talking about Smith's coaching staff and mentioned Shakespeare and Terry but didn't mention O'Kelly.

[paul_e]

People regularly get carried away with posting how shit everything is, 3 games ago Traore was a waste of money and we should've got Benrahma instead.

If you're going to get carried away then at least let it be dreaming of things getting better and having something to celebrate rather than creating your own misery.

There's no one in this league we can't beat, that doesn't mean we'll win every game but it should mean that we go into every round of fixtures thinking we can get points and that's a great feeling after years of writing off games against the top 6.

[Louzie0]

Just to add to Monty's point, John Terry still gets a lot of media attention. I don't think the media even know who Richard O'Kelly is. I think it was Martin Keown on Saturday who was talking about Smith's coaching staff and mentioned Shakespeare and Terry but didn't mention O'Kelly.

Great - clearly, he’s our very secret weapon of mass destruction!

[dicedlam]

I just love the fact that we are again being looked upon by the opposition in a serious light and not just some team they could rest certain players and still think they could guarantee the three points.

That is down mainly to Dean and his coaching staff.

[Monty]

Just to add to Monty's point, John Terry still gets a lot of media attention. I don't think the media even know who Richard O'Kelly is. I think it was Martin Keown on Saturday who was talking about Smith's coaching staff and mentioned Shakespeare and Terry but didn't mention O'Kelly.

I think this is right, and don't forget Shakespeare has a memorable name and is associated with The Miracle so there's 'narrative' there. O'Kelly like Dean suffers from the bias against the the lower leagues that persists in spite of all the Vardys, Howes (and dare we say it Watkinses) of the world.