Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Brassneck]

To be honest, many of them do so little running in games that probably need to run a few extra miles in training to keep the pounds off.

Seriously though, I think Dalians umbrella has a valid point.
We were talking about the same thing at the weekend. It is incredible the number of injuries that the squad has contracted during training. There has to be some reason for it, doesn’t there?

It seems that the way out of the Championship is by running.  The top 2 both have it down to a Tee.

In order to play the pressing game (for 90 minutes), players need to be able to run.

In a way, I hope the story is accurate as it explains a lot and alleviates Smith to a certain extent.  I want to believe in Smith and indeed, I do.

[clash city rocker]

With all the statistics there are today in the modern game is there an injury statistic  ?

[cdward]

With all the statistics there are today in the modern game is there an injury statistic  ?

http://www.teamfeed.co.uk/injuries-suspensions/football/england/championship/injuries

[BC Villain]

thatcherlover on Twitter who has been right a fair bit before (and claims works at BH) is saying there is a big split in dressing room, the players think training is too focused on running and running and not enough tactical training. JT been sidelined since day one, players not happy about being dropped without telling them a reason.

Basically sounds like they all had it cushy under Bruce, who thatcherlover must have got on with at BH, and are not having to actually graft for a living and don't like it.

Wouldn't believe a word he says mate. Been caught out loads before and makes up utter BS.

Can't be any worse than that other muppett on twitter Greg's Goals.  Totally irrational, stupid and extremely personal in his attacks on Deano.

[Pete3206]

When are people going to learn that Twitter is not Reuters and full of fluff and bullshit?*


*although there are those that may have the same opinion of Reuters
 

[Villan For Life]

I don’t believe for a minute that the injuries to Jack, Axel and others are stress related and due to the amount of running that they are now required to do.

They’re not fast bowlers slamming their front foot down at the point of delivery. They’re footballers playing on relatively soft, well tended grass. Jack’s injury was bound to happen sooner or later in this league where he was the most fouled player in the division.

[Clampy]

If it was about the amount of running they are doing, why has Mcginn managed to play mostly every game since he's been here? He runs more than most. It's a load of Twitter bollocks which only the gullible fall for.

[The Edge]

If it was about the amount of running they are doing, why has Mcginn managed to play mostly every game since he's been here? He runs more than most. It's a load of Twitter bollocks which only the gullible fall for.

Well said. Referencing Twitter sources on H&V should come with a caveat

#Twitter is often full of bullshitting attention seeking twats.

[VinnieChase84]

The major issue is our fan base in large sections just depmand instant success without the work. Not willing to have any pain at all even if it benefits us down the line. This is the first apt of our new owners and board and they will give him time. Weve not signed players on in the first window that dont join until the summer unless we are thinking further ahead.
The young lads who have gone on loan will come back to us better off in the summer. That's then a chance for them so take up important roles in our first team squad instead of the overpaid wasters like Lansbury etc.
The toughest thing for people to grasp at the moment is just accepting that we don't have many players who are actually any good. Certainly not up for the demands of a front foot style.

My biggest worry is the effect of these short term results and what pressure that could bring. Say we don't beat stoke/derby then on the wrong side of a result at the sty, the whole thing just becomes toxic once again.
Its blatantly obvious to a lot of the squad that they don't have futures under us. This naturally will cause a downturn in performances. Some of the news is inescapable of them knowing (the fact we wont discuss new deals with certain members) and that speaks volumes.

Deano has discussed how he sees football and what he expects us to play. First time ever weve had a manager who discusses style, tactics and the type of players he wants. We now have to allow him time to put that into practice. If come Jan 2020 we are no further forward then that would be the time to look at his position.

I agree with all of this but we’ve actually had 8 years of pain already so we’re entitled to moan a little.

When mentioning the fan base i genuinely have plenty of discussions with ones who can see bigger picture. Issue is related to the ones who dont and will boo already. Some of the stuff i hear around where i sit is already at tipping point, wont take long for a few to turn into a section and so on and so on.

Had a look at our results after Bruce came in. He had a period from end of december to end of feb where we won 1 game, drew 2 and lost 7. I don't recall back then the levelling of questioning aimed his way. Thats after he spent £20m in the Jan window also.

After being such a mess of a club for a decade by god its frustrating, upsetting to so many of us. Only reason is that we all care. To move forward we all need to pull together in the same direction and allow time.

[Risso]

He started off talking about tactics.  Now he's just resorted to lazy Bruceisms and blaming the ref.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

He started off talking about tactics.  Now he's just resorted to lazy Bruceisms and blaming the ref.

What else can he say?
Difficult to tell the truth, they can't/won't do as they're told and no other choices fit and available.

[dalians umbrella]

As for Jack's injury we were told at the time that it was a cumulative effect of him being the most fouled player in the league. I do however think that he doesn't help himself with those tiny shin pads he prefers. I'd also like to add that I think what's definitely a big problem with the team right now is the amount of players who know they aren't part of our long term future. I think it must be really be difficult to motivate all those affected.

You wouldn't get a stress fracture from being fouled.

[dalians umbrella]

I don’t believe for a minute that the injuries to Jack, Axel and others are stress related and due to the amount of running that they are now required to do.

They’re not fast bowlers slamming their front foot down at the point of delivery. They’re footballers playing on relatively soft, well tended grass. Jack’s injury was bound to happen sooner or later in this league where he was the most fouled player in the division.

A few weeks ago, in a post-match interview on WM, Dean Smith admitted that Jack had a "stress injury"

Also, you don't need to be slamming your foot down to get a stress fracture (and fast bowlers commonly get stress fractures in their back due to that) - nurses can get stress fractures in their feet just from standing for long periods.

[dalians umbrella]

If it was about the amount of running they are doing, why has Mcginn managed to play mostly every game since he's been here? He runs more than most. It's a load of Twitter bollocks which only the gullible fall for.

Firstly, just to clarify, I was talking about the amount of running on a daily basis in training.

With regards to someone like McGinn who would already be well-accustomed to doing a lot of running, he wouldn't get a stress fracture if Villa's training load suddenly increased because his body (i.e. bone density) would have already adapted over a long period of time to cope with the kinds of running loads he does in matches (and presumably in training at previous clubs)

The people most at risk would be those who are unaccustomed to the kinds of running loads they are now being (hypothetically) asked to do,  and / or those with some kind of biomechanical predisposition to getting a stress fracture. Not everyone's body is the same and not everyone's running pattern is the same.

Tibial stress fractures are very common in army recruits but whole regiments don't get them at the same time - but if quite a few recruits are all getting injured at once, you'd want to take a look at the training load. But you wouldn't say "there isn't a problem because Corporal Jones hasn't got injured".

[boozey182]

It's hard for everybody at the moment. I would hesitate to blame our fans for being a bit twitchy over our recent form, because quite frankly, we've been here far too often recently. And the fact that we're still here shows you that it has never ended well. We're nervous, we have been burned too many times recently, and we're finding (pretty much blind) faith difficult to project at the moment. Plus, more specifically, we know that the rest of this season fading away to insignificance means that we're almost certainly going to lose our best home grown player in a generation. And that really hurts.

So the atmosphere is fraught, to say the least. It's not as 'toxic' as has been suggested elsewhere, although it has taken a worrying turn in the last week or so, and we desperately need something to get behind. The Sheffield United comeback should have been it, but the result (and performance) in midweek burst that balloon before it was inflated - Saturday just sliced a knife through it. I'm not sure that this is a situation the fans can drag the team out of though - but like the desperate housewife offering another 'one more chance', we just need to see some evidence that things will be different this time.

It's hard for Dean Smith as well. We all know that Bruce had quite a few runs like this that he survived; in fact, one was always around the corner with him, and you could argue that if we'd have got rid of him after the first one, we would be in a much better position now. Or that we wouldn't. Smith seems to have the unwavering support of the board, and that seems like a good thing (although that relies on more faith from our point of view). I don't think he's worrying about his job's security, just on how to do it well. He's sticking to the type of football he wants us to play, no matter what the results and whether the current squad are capable of doing it. Whether this is a sensible first step to turning the ethos of the entire club around, or recklessly stubborn behaviour from a manager unable to adapt depends on your point of view I guess. Personally, I think it's the former, but I would be lying if I wasn't concerned that there might be something in the latter. I don't think he expected the players to struggle so much with a higher tempo.

It's also hard for the players. They were, largely, assembled by a manager who (I reckon) was an absolute dream to work with. You wouldn't see him much during the week, and he always seemed to want to be your best mate - a nice bloke that wanted you just to do your thing. All of a sudden you need to be fitter, play outside your comfort zone, work harder all week (assuming training has become more intense), take responsibility for all aspects of the game, and, for the last couple of months, cover for the best player in the league. It's tough, and they're struggling. Conor Hourihane is probably getting the most stick at the moment, and while I've never been a fan of his, I don't think he's a bad professional. I imagine he probably works hard at training, and tries to be better. Ultimately, though, I think he's a coward, who was never physically or mentally capable of playing for a club as big as Aston Villa. And I think he knows that. He didn't trudge off the pitch on Saturday as a petulant protest at his reception, he did it because he's broken, exhausted and exposed. He was never meant to be here, playing this type of football. And the same goes for a lot of them. You can't train that out of people in a few months.

So what happens now? Well, barring a miracle, we'll be in this league again next season. As others have said, it will be the busiest summer we've had for over 20 years. So many players need to go, and a few will go that we desperately want to keep, and I can see a lot of work going on with the backroom staff as well (I note Terry was at the Chelsea game last night, when our reserves were playing at Bescott - something has changed since he first arrived, whether it's his decision or Smith's). It will be a recruitment drive like many of us have never seen before, and we need to get it right. It's already started. I really hope we focus on the mental side of our new signings. Tyrone Mings seems to get it. More of him, please.

There will be no excuses next season, including 'time to bed in'. Sorry. You get a preseason and then we start winning. Or I'm afraid that the current 'toxic' atmosphere will be looked back on with great fondness. What will help a great deal, though, is to take with us some goodwill from the next few months. So we need to find a way to stop this rot; a fluky deflection in the last minute, a sending off for the opposition, a dodgy penalty, a goalkeeping error in our favour. Or maybe just our best player being fit again. I want to look back on the rest of the season, being able to say to my son "when he started getting a tune out of that pile of rubbish, I knew we had the right manager". Come on Dean, you've got this.