Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Ger Regan]

Engels gifted a goal as did Mings.

Tactically we struggled at times but it was those errors that cost us.

As bad as those mistakes were, they came about because we let arsenal back in and dominate the game. Sooner or later you're going to pay for that. It's happened repeatedly under him, too.

[SoccerHQ]

I am starting to wonder if he's up to it.

We just look so naive.

I'd still back him to get us 17th or a place or two higher.

However if he wants to become real top level manager in this league he needs to understand the best like Klopp, Guardiola and Pochettino (probably a better comparision) don't just have 300m + squads to use but they know how to quickly change games up with substitutions and other tactical switches.

We seem to be under the impression that walked worked v likes of Bolton and Rotherham is going to work at the top level. This league might be overhyped in many ways but it's certainly ruthless if you show hestitation and we found that out big time today.

Next three games are massive for me as we have Liverpool and Man. City afterwards so really need two wins from that.

[Drummond]

No, players at this level shouldn't be making rash challenges and then fucking about with the ball in their own box. Whatever else it's those errors that cost us. They needed to do their job.

Why give them an excuse.

[PeterWithesShin]

Just coincidence that our tactics mean nearly every game we're knackered by 70 mins as we have so little of the ball and end up either conceding a number of late goals or holding on for dear life.

[PeterWithesShin]

6 of the 9 goals we've conceded have come after 70 mins.

[paul_e]

Just coincidence that our tactics mean nearly every game we're knackered by 70 mins as we have so little of the ball and end up either conceding a number of late goals or holding on for dear life.

The real problem with that is that the tactics so far this season are nothing like the way we were playing in the good run that got us promoted, we won because we went into games knowing that if we did our thing the opposition wouldn't be able to deal with us. This season we're far too tentative.

[Damo70]

I am starting to wonder if he's up to it.

We just look so naive.

If you look at todays staring line up I don't think their combined Premier League appearances add up to much.

[Ketzster]

It’s the never changing formation that is the big give away about his managerial ability. We got away with it last season because at the start of the 10 game winning run Grealish came back and having better players than other teams took effect. I don’t think that run actually had much to do with Smith as a manager.

What was more telling from last season was the 14 game run before the 10 game winning run where for large parts we were absolutely appalling. He still kept with 4-3-3 through the whole of that and it didn’t work at Championship level, so obviously it won’t in the Premier League. Wigan away was the worst example of his inflexibility or lack of ideas. People say Wesley is isolated, there were plenty of games last season where Abraham was isolated as well. It’s a Dean Smith issue.

A lot of people on here and other sites say we need a different formation, but it isn’t going to happen with this manager in charge. It’s 4-3-3 no matter who we are playing or what the situation in the game is. And this time we don’t have a player who is head and shoulders above others at this level to come back and save us.

[SoccerHQ]

No, players at this level shouldn't be making rash challenges and then fucking about with the ball in their own box. Whatever else it's those errors that cost us. They needed to do their job.

Why give them an excuse.

Well Mings and Engels have been brilliant so far this season (even in first half both very good) so they have a bit more rope to hang onto than other players.

We've seen it before. When you're gassed your concentration goes and you make silly errors you wouldn't do at start of games. Would've helped them having a fresh DM infront of them buzzing around and denying likes of Guendozi space or even the ball sticking at other end of pitch so they had less defending to do.

If Douglas Luiz wasn't injury baffling to omit him from the squad.

[SoccerHQ]

6 of the 9 goals we've conceded have come after 70 mins.

Seems to be similar to the MON days. Playing two really wide players can be exciting and effective when counter attacks click but also mean the middle two/three have to cover huge amounts of ground.

MON was also really slowed with subs beyond the typical Heskey/Carew 70th minute change.

[PaulWinch again]

Just coincidence that our tactics mean nearly every game we're knackered by 70 mins as we have so little of the ball and end up either conceding a number of late goals or holding on for dear life.

Exactly it’s really fucking obvious.

[Toronto Villa]

Look back at how Bournemouth killed off the game vs us. Tactically we have been outdone in almost every game this season. We can’t take advantage of our advantages and we have stupid individual errors starting with the manager.

[Flin5tone]

Owners have put BIG Money into the Club and i can't imagine will want to see us go straight back down.Decisions have been awful in the last two games ,why sit back against 10 men?

[Drummond]

No, players at this level shouldn't be making rash challenges and then fucking about with the ball in their own box. Whatever else it's those errors that cost us. They needed to do their job.

Why give them an excuse.

Well Mings and Engels have been brilliant so far this season (even in first half both very good) so they have a bit more rope to hang onto than other players.

We've seen it before. When you're gassed your concentration goes and you make silly errors you wouldn't do at start of games. Would've helped them having a fresh DM infront of them buzzing around and denying likes of Guendozi space or even the ball sticking at other end of pitch so they had less defending to do.

If Douglas Luiz wasn't injury baffling to omit him from the squad.

And Smith has been brilliant since he came less 5hab year ago, I'd have thought that might earn him a bit more credit than questioning him after 6 games in the Premier League. He's said we got promoted a year earlier than expected and he's brought in a whole new squad. Give the bloke a fucking chance.

[PaulWinch again]

Yes and Dean needs to show he’s actually learning from these chastening experiences. At the moment he isn’t showing that, he’s repeating his mistakes.