Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Toronto Villa]

It should have been Maupay AND Wesley.

Agreed. Or at least we should have got someone else in if Kodjia wasn’t going to feature much. I put that on Smith if the option to Maupay was on the table and he declined.

[brontebilly]

Dispite the Hourihane substitution, i find it hard to criticise for yesterdays gutless performance. I do however hold a fair few of our players responsible, and with that the buffoon whom scouted and recruited them. Thats where this mess lies, with summer recruitment.

Maupey and Benhrama wanted to come, Smith wanted them...we (forever what reason) baulked at the price and bought a few duds instead. Cheap buys you sod all in this league, trying to be clever and cheap buys you even less...and on top of that, they recruit a striker whom is so raw and does not even fit Smiths style of play, for a whopping 22 million!

No, Smith has his faults (all managers do), but this mess falls directly at the Door of Suso and to a lesser degree, Purslow for sanctioning it.

Massive January now, but im a little worried as to what our scouting team will be recommending

We certainly weren't being cheap when it came to Matt Targett. Whoever gave that signing alone the ok needs sacking. We have a thoroughly unbalanced squad anyway. Five senior centre backs, four of which were signed last summer but no forward capable of playing in Smith's system.

No pace throughout the squad, lack of physical presence, limited top division experience and a collection of crab like midfielders.

[Monty]

I have to say i'm finding this thread a little bit distasteful. Dean Smith is our manager and he should be shown the respect he deserves. Yes we're going through a sticky patch but as supporters of the club we all love we should be getting behind him now just like the owners who have recently put their faith in him to the tune of a new 4 year contract. This is the place to discuss our opinions on how things have panned out so far this season but to be discussing his replacement as if it's a done deal is a tad disloyal in my view.

'Distasteful'? 'Disloyal'? We're talking about a whether or a football manager is up to his job, not if we should mutiny against our commanding officer.

[brian green]

And you forget the respect he deserves.  He draws no wages you know and pays all the bills out of his own pocket.  A veritable Cardinal Newman.

[Risso]

If you want loyalty, get a dog.

[Legion]

[villa `cross the mersey]

Now that has made me chuckle - my dog,Marley is now looking at me in a  knowing way........I'm sure he is curling his paws up and making the " wanker gesture"

[Three Spires Villa]

Dispite the Hourihane substitution, i find it hard to criticise for yesterdays gutless performance. I do however hold a fair few of our players responsible, and with that the buffoon whom scouted and recruited them. Thats where this mess lies, with summer recruitment.

Maupey and Benhrama wanted to come, Smith wanted them...we (forever what reason) baulked at the price and bought a few duds instead. Cheap buys you sod all in this league, trying to be clever and cheap buys you even less...and on top of that, they recruit a striker whom is so raw and does not even fit Smiths style of play, for a whopping 22 million!

No, Smith has his faults (all managers do), but this mess falls directly at the Door of Suso and to a lesser degree, Purslow for sanctioning it.

Massive January now, but im a little worried as to what our scouting team will be recommending

How do you know Dean wanted these players you mention & our CEO, board said no? You don’t know this, neither do I. What I do know, as I go home and away, is that the football has been poor & at this moment we look like we are going down, so come on Dean stop 4-3-3 and sort it out

[pauliewalnuts]

What we do know is that plenty of us pointed out, come the start of the season, how Wesley had better come good as we had pretty much no other options up front - Davis (a non-scoring striker who is always injured and totally unproven at this level) and Kodjia (also unproven and coming off a fallow period of about a year).

Think of those goals Leicester scored against us, or if you like, the movement of Ings yesterday.

Now try and imagine that from our strikers.

[The Edge]

And you forget the respect he deserves.  He draws no wages you know and pays all the bills out of his own pocket.  A veritable Cardinal Newman.

So you don't think the manager of Aston Villa deserves our respect?

[themossman]

I’m struggling to think of a recent manager who’s had as much respect off fans than Dean Smith, including in this thread.

[Richard E]

Respect is not the same as immunity from criticism, or from the boot.

[Three Spires Villa]

What we do know is that plenty of us pointed out, come the start of the season, how Wesley had better come good as we had pretty much no other options up front - Davis (a non-scoring striker who is always injured and totally unproven at this level) and Kodjia (also unproven and coming off a fallow period of about a year).

Think of those goals Leicester scored against us, or if you like, the movement of Ings yesterday.

Now try and imagine that from our strikers.

Exactly, exactly, spot on. I want Dean to do well, just not sure it will get any better. Hope I’m wrong

[villa `cross the mersey]

Looking back to his appointment .....
If he hadn't have been a guy with links to the Villa would some of us been underwhelmed ?

[Legion]

Right choice at the time to replace Bruce. He went through a bad phase this time last year. We came out of it and got promoted against all odds. Do you want to bet against us?