Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Allan C]

I think the comparisons with Leeds and Bielsa are ridiculous so I’m going to turn them on their head. Bielsa has vast experience as a coach, managing some top club and international teams over many years. Despite this, with a similar squad, Leeds are only two points ahead of Dean Smith’s Villa, at the beginning of his managerial career previously coaching Walsall and Brentford and we have a game in hand. To go a step further, just two points ahead of Leeds we have a self proclaimed “big six” club Arsenal with a Guardiola apprentice, arguably the best coach ever, at the helm, a meagre four points ahead of same Dean Smith. I think I know why I’m happy with our manager.

So you are saying Smith is still learning, which explains why Bielsa is ahead with a less expensive squad and real identity to the way they play.

Yes of course Smith is learning yet will be ahead of Bielsa if we win our game in hand. Given the vast difference in managerial experience and the similarity of squads would you not agree that we’re in a great position with Smith??

[dave.woodhall]

Bielsa has had more time with his squad.

[ChicagoLion]

I think the comparisons with Leeds and Bielsa are ridiculous so I’m going to turn them on their head. Bielsa has vast experience as a coach, managing some top club and international teams over many years. Despite this, with a similar squad, Leeds are only two points ahead of Dean Smith’s Villa, at the beginning of his managerial career previously coaching Walsall and Brentford and we have a game in hand. To go a step further, just two points ahead of Leeds we have a self proclaimed “big six” club Arsenal with a Guardiola apprentice, arguably the best coach ever, at the helm, a meagre four points ahead of same Dean Smith. I think I know why I’m happy with our manager.

So you are saying Smith is still learning, which explains why Bielsa is ahead with a less expensive squad and real identity to the way they play.

Yes of course Smith is learning yet will be ahead of Bielsa if we win our game in hand. Given the vast difference in managerial experience and the similarity of squads would you not agree that we’re in a great position with Smith??

No

[Allan C]

I think the comparisons with Leeds and Bielsa are ridiculous so I’m going to turn them on their head. Bielsa has vast experience as a coach, managing some top club and international teams over many years. Despite this, with a similar squad, Leeds are only two points ahead of Dean Smith’s Villa, at the beginning of his managerial career previously coaching Walsall and Brentford and we have a game in hand. To go a step further, just two points ahead of Leeds we have a self proclaimed “big six” club Arsenal with a Guardiola apprentice, arguably the best coach ever, at the helm, a meagre four points ahead of same Dean Smith. I think I know why I’m happy with our manager.

So you are saying Smith is still learning, which explains why Bielsa is ahead with a less expensive squad and real identity to the way they play.

Yes of course Smith is learning yet will be ahead of Bielsa if we win our game in hand. Given the vast difference in managerial experience and the similarity of squads would you not agree that we’re in a great position with Smith??

No

Is the wrong answer

[Clampy]

Some fans are just too hard to please.

[chrisw1]

I like Smith a lot.  But I still feel it's perfectly reasonable to criticise the second half of our season, both with and without Jack.  We've always seemed to gone on streaks of form with Smith but half a season of broadly relegation form isn't good enough.

Right now not many magers would compare favourably to Bielsa. In their fiirst season back in the PL for 16 years he has them playing some excellent football and comfortably midtable.  I think thats an excellent achievement.

[paul_e]

Bielsa has been with Leeds longer, had most of HIS squad in place before promotion and carried the momentum of winning the league that meant his summer signings were from a similar pool to ours, 1 year earlier.

Smith had to focus on numbers and bedding in a completely new squad in his first season and could focus on adding quality this year. Given there's still every chance we'll finish above Leeds anyway I don't think there's much between the 2 teams. Do people really expect the team that finishes 17th in the premier league to be starting from a significantly higher base than the team that wins the championship?

[Clampy]

I wouldn't say we are in a great position but we're not in a bad place either.

[john e]

I wouldn't say we are in a great position but we're not in a bad place either.

that's about where i see it to

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Even with Jack in the team we still lost 8 of the 14 games we've lost so far this season. Most Villa fans would have accepted a mid-table position if it was offered to them at the start of the season. We are on a trajectory upwards and wherever we finish this season Dean will have to improve on next season to match the ambitions of our owners. If he doesn't I feel sure he will hold his hands up and accept any consequences. UTV!

[LeeB]

Smith outperformed Bielsa two years ago when he took over without pre-season and got us promoted ahead of them. If we'd have had an extra year we'd have come up with a more rounded squad and would've been more comfortable than we were last year. If's and but's and all that.

Bielsa is a world class coach that the best managers in the world idolise, seems a bit unfair to compare Deano to him when he has had a different job to do in a more condensed period. Plus, the minute he leaves Leeds they'll sink back down to where they come from, whereas we're just getting started.

[ChicagoLion]

I wouldn't say we are in a great position but we're not in a bad place either.

that's about where i see it to

same here

[Drummond]

Martinez has done better this season than last.
Cash is doing better all the time
Konsa is way better than last season
Mings is getting far more consistent
Targett is arguably the most improved player in the division
McGinn doesn't appear as good as he did because he isn't the stand-out player that he was.
Luiz is getting better yet is still prone to the odd mistake. But he gets stuck in.
Grealish is better this season than last.
AEG is better and more consistent, and scoring goals.
Traore has improved as the season has progressed in my view, still needs to work on his defensive skills mind.
Watkins seems to be on a steep trajectory.
Trez was being lauded earlier this season, had a dip then came again and unfortunately got injured.
Davis has scored a goal and provided an assist in relatively low minutes on the pitch and people would like him to play.
Ramsay is doing better all the time.
We've other youngsters coming through too.

So yes, I think Smith is doing a good job. We've just hit a patch, without one of the world's best players, where it's not going our way. On our day though, we're a match for anyone.

[AV82EC]

I'd agree with Drummond on virtually every assessment above apart from El Ghazi.

[Bobby Boy]

Martinez has done better this season than last.
Cash is doing better all the time
Konsa is way better than last season
Mings is getting far more consistent
Targett is arguably the most improved player in the division
McGinn doesn't appear as good as he did because he isn't the stand-out player that he was.
Luiz is getting better yet is still prone to the odd mistake. But he gets stuck in.
Grealish is better this season than last.
AEG is better and more consistent, and scoring goals.
Traore has improved as the season has progressed in my view, still needs to work on his defensive skills mind.
Watkins seems to be on a steep trajectory.
Trez was being lauded earlier this season, had a dip then came again and unfortunately got injured.
Davis has scored a goal and provided an assist in relatively low minutes on the pitch and people would like him to play.
Ramsay is doing better all the time.
We've other youngsters coming through too.

So yes, I think Smith is doing a good job. We've just hit a patch, without one of the world's best players, where it's not going our way. On our day though, we're a match for anyone.

In terms of individual improvements I'd agree with you but I worry about how open we are as a collective.

Every time I watch us I feel that we are played through too easily. The opposition is allowed to create chances and get in good positions far too often without having to work for it and Dean has got to look at this otherwise we will struggle to move forward.

The defence has bailed us out routinely with last minute blocks and interceptions.

I'd like Dean to set up to make us compact at times, hard to create chances against.

System or personnel? I'm not convinced that Barkley, Traore and El Ghazi will ever have what it takes to carry out the defensive part of the game.