Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Demitri_C]

I would guess that the owners and Purslow were alarmed at the first half effort, I just wonder whether they may be holding off spending more to see how we go against Newcastle. I feel for Dean Smith if we lose the next one, you would hear the knives being sharpened.

If he delivers zero points against newcastle and watford then for me he deseves to be called in as thats unacceptable.

I dont feel for him if he under delivers. He has been backed massively in all the summers he has been here. I like smith but he has to start delivering now

He qas shockingly poor without grealish. Couldnt buy a win and that concerned me. Even without watkins its unbelievable we were 3-0 down. Disgraceful

[sickbeggar]

The whole post-ratboy thing worries me. I perhaps wrongly assumed that we'd change the whole system once he'd gone because it obviously didn't work when he was injured anyway. At the moment it doesn't look like that's the idea. We'll see when Watkins is fit and whether he shoehorns him into the side.

[Chris Smith]

The whole post-ratboy thing worries me. I perhaps wrongly assumed that we'd change the whole system once he'd gone because it obviously didn't work when he was injured anyway. At the moment it doesn't look like that's the idea. We'll see when Watkins is fit and whether he shoehorns him into the side.

Why would picking your highest goal scorer from last season be classed as “shoehorning”? It will surely be a question of picking options to support him.

[sickbeggar]

The whole post-ratboy thing worries me. I perhaps wrongly assumed that we'd change the whole system once he'd gone because it obviously didn't work when he was injured anyway. At the moment it doesn't look like that's the idea. We'll see when Watkins is fit and whether he shoehorns him into the side.

Why would picking your highest goal scorer from last season be classed as “shoehorning”? It will surely be a question of picking options to support him.

Depends if he plays him where he was last season.

[Clampy]

I might be wrong about this but I think Smith has already said he'll be playing him in the position he did last season.

[sickbeggar]

I might be wrong about this but I think Smith has already said he'll be playing him in the position he did last season.

If that's the case then good. Not sure where Ings is going though.

[Risso]

I might be wrong about this but I think Smith has already said he'll be playing him in the position he did last season.

Not exactly. He said he wouldn't play him "out wide" but then did say he can play in a front two or three, so I think the "out wide" meant as an out-and-out winger. I could well see him playing slightly wider of Ings in a front three, with Bailey on the other side.

[algy]

I would guess that the owners and Purslow were alarmed at the first half effort, I just wonder whether they may be holding off spending more to see how we go against Newcastle. I feel for Dean Smith if we lose the next one, you would hear the knives being sharpened.

Can't see that being the case. Dean has final say in the transfers, but they're agreed between him, Purslow, and Lange. I'd be highly surprised if any of our signings hadn't also been fully approved by Lange.

Our recruitment isn't like Clough in the 80s. If we're not spending I'd be inclined to think that it's because the players we're after aren't available at the right price. But given Vinnie's posts I don't think we're done just yet.

[Demitri_C]

I think its clear as well Smith made a masisve error playing young at left wing. He cant play there anymore so dont do that again.

We have plenty of options. I mean i would have gone for JPB he did so well in pre season and got no monutes at all

[mr underhill]

so the fact that it was such an egregious error only serves to make his decision making even more - egregious?

[sickbeggar]

Newcastle will be the litmus test I think. They got handed their arse by a team we've got pretensions to catch this season. I'd hope with a first game back after COVID full Villa Park behind us we should see them off although i'm guessing nan's hair will put out about as defensive a side as he can manage now. We really need to get a win behind us to settle nerves because if we're 5 points or more behind the teams we're targeting after next weekend then its already looking a long hard slog of a season.

[eamonn]

Newcastle actually played well yesterday. West Ham just counter-attacked very well and got lucky with a (rebounded) penalty. St Maximin (Minimax Regret?!) up against Targett given his performance at Watford, doesn't exactly fill you with confidence.

[sickbeggar]

Newcastle actually played well yesterday. West Ham just counter-attacked very well and got lucky with a (rebounded) penalty. St Maximin (Minimax Regret?!) up against Targett given his performance at Watford, doesn't exactly fill you with confidence.

Dunno. I only started following the game when they were 2-1 down at half-time and they seemed to be taking Newcastle apart at will. As a realist/miserablist I had us at 4 points after the Newcastle game, and I think most people would have Newcastle as a near as dammit 3 points for a team looking to finish in a European place considering with Willock joining they're basically the same side as last season.

[Monty]

It's one thing to say that we're post-Grealish and adapting and all that, but aside from possibly some ball retention I don't quite see what his absence has to do with being 3-0 down to Watford. The back seven were all here last season. The problem was a setup that practically begged Watford to bully us in midfield and smack us in the transitions, as we had no way of bridging the huge gaps between the lines going backwards or forwards.

[SoccerHQ]

We have to beat Newcastle on Saturday.

Any truth in the rumours that Dean was called into a meeting with Purslow yesterday?

Could be something as innocent as just discussing the restructing of the coaching staff. I assume we're interviewing people now to replace O'Kelly (assume this McPhee guy is the Terry replacement if he's supposed to be hot on set pieces).

If it happened at all of course.