Dean Smith - Confirmed

[andyh]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

Indeed. Rule Number One for survival in your first season in the PL is be hard to beat. Build from a solid defence.

Dean's Rule Number One is to play open attacking football and hope to score more goals than the opposition.

Do we play open, attacking football? Really?

[ChicagoLion]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

Indeed. Rule Number One for survival in your first season in the PL is be hard to beat. Build from a solid defence.

Dean's Rule Number One is to play open attacking football and hope to score more goals than the opposition.

Do we play open, attacking football? Really?

I think open is correct.

[Luke8]

Do we play open, attacking football? Really?

Scored the ninth most goals in the league. Same position for number of shots and shots on target. I think we are eighth in terms of open play goals as well. That suggests that we are a fairly attacking team I would say.

[Drummond]

A more experienced manager wouldn't have tolerated our two farcical signings in the last week possibly but we are going down without another three or four in capable of starting the majority of our remaining games. Starting with Saturday. Irrespective if Smith stays or goes that has to be the priority.

Sorry but that's rubbish. The players that have come so far were available and we got them in. The window has another 2 weeks to go and clubs don't just sell their players because we want them to.

Reina is an experienced pro and there's nothing wrong with him on a loan til the end of the season.

Drinkwater needs to get up to speed, of that there's no doubt, but he was part of a whole team that failed on Sunday.

[mr underhill]

Really? on that basis we'd bring Grant Holt back simply because he's available. Both players signed thus far are not what we need and are simply consuming scare resources.

[Luke8]

Really? on that basis we'd bring Grant Holt back simply because he's available. Both players signed thus far are not what we need and are simply consuming scare resources.

Drummond wasn’t saying we are signing players just because they are available, just that we managed to get two deals done relatively quickly. It’s a difficult market in January, it’s not like other clubs are making incredible signings whilst we are doing nothing.

And you may not like them as signings, but we definitely needed a midfield and a goalkeeper to cover for the injuries that we have recently picked up.

[Drummond]

Really? on that basis we'd bring Grant Holt back simply because he's available. Both players signed thus far are not what we need and are simply consuming scare resources.

Yes it's frightening.

[brontebilly]

A more experienced manager wouldn't have tolerated our two farcical signings in the last week possibly but we are going down without another three or four in capable of starting the majority of our remaining games. Starting with Saturday. Irrespective if Smith stays or goes that has to be the priority.

Sorry but that's rubbish. The players that have come so far were available and we got them in. The window has another 2 weeks to go and clubs don't just sell their players because we want them to.

Reina is an experienced pro and there's nothing wrong with him on a loan til the end of the season.

Drinkwater needs to get up to speed, of that there's no doubt, but he was part of a whole team that failed on Sunday.

Jordan Bowery and Tonev might be available, should we get them in? Maybe Ian Taylor might come down from the stand and tog out?

Drinkwater and Reina have made a combined seven league appearances in the last two seasons. Expecting them to be up to speed for an immediate relegation fight is fantasy stuff.

[Drummond]

A more experienced manager wouldn't have tolerated our two farcical signings in the last week possibly but we are going down without another three or four in capable of starting the majority of our remaining games. Starting with Saturday. Irrespective if Smith stays or goes that has to be the priority.

Sorry but that's rubbish. The players that have come so far were available and we got them in. The window has another 2 weeks to go and clubs don't just sell their players because we want them to.

Reina is an experienced pro and there's nothing wrong with him on a loan til the end of the season.

Drinkwater needs to get up to speed, of that there's no doubt, but he was part of a whole team that failed on Sunday.

Jordan Bowery and Tonev might be available, should we get them in? Maybe Ian Taylor might come down from the stand and tog out?

Drinkwater and Reina have made a combined seven league appearances in the last two seasons. Expecting them to be up to speed for an immediate relegation fight is fantasy stuff.

I've just said DD needs to get up to speed. Not sure who was expecting anything different because I've not seen anyone say that.

Reina will be fine. Keepers don't need the same levels of fitness, unless we're chasing the game again and he has to keep bombing up the pitch.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Poor fitness levels and conditioning appear to have been a common trait throughout the squad this season … throw in a player who has not played competitive football  consistently for quite some time (in a poor Burnley side) against a well drilled, professional and fit side like Man City and you have a recipe for disaster - it is clear for anyone to see (bar Smith) that Drinkwater is hardly a model pro - if he was he would have maintained some semblance of fitness levels - don't try and kid me that he just lacks "match fitness/sharpness"
We need players that can hit the ground running - we are in deep shit and require players who will work their socks off
I`m beginning to think Smith is a bit of a "Chancer"   Brentford seem to be doing quite well without him

[chrisw1]

Poor fitness levels and conditioning appear to have been a common trait throughout the squad this season … throw in a player who has not played competitive football  consistently for quite some time (in a poor Burnley side) against a well drilled, professional and fit side like Man City and you have a recipe for disaster - it is clear for anyone to see (bar Smith) that Drinkwater is hardly a model pro - if he was he would have maintained some semblance of fitness levels - don't try and kid me that he just lacks "match fitness/sharpness"
We need players that can hit the ground running - we are in deep shit and require players who will work their socks off
I`m beginning to think Smith is a bit of a "Chancer"   Brentford seem to be doing quite well without him

Oh for fucks sake you'll be calling him a coward next.

He may or may not be the long term answer, but he's working with an incredibly thin squad further weakened by injuries.  In our last 3 games we've won one, drawn one and lost one.  Two of these were against two of the best three teams in the league where we were playing with no striker.

As for Drinkwater, good to hear you feel you have a better understanding of fitness than our medical team.  For me, I'll take their opinion that he mainly lacks match fitness which will probably take a few weeks to sort.  Whether once fit he's the anser is a diffferent question.

In my view Smith has been left high and dry by the recruitment team, firstly in the summer by being landed with Wesley as the only viable striker and such inexperienced midfield aquisitions and currently with their failure to sort out some cover in this window.

Despite all that (and some refereeing travesties) he has us 1 point from safety and 1 game from Wembley.

I understand you've lost faith but for Gods sake get a fucking grip before chucking phrases like 'chancer' around.

[SheffieldVillain]

Poor fitness levels and conditioning appear to have been a common trait throughout the squad this season … throw in a player who has not played competitive football  consistently for quite some time (in a poor Burnley side) against a well drilled, professional and fit side like Man City and you have a recipe for disaster - it is clear for anyone to see (bar Smith) that Drinkwater is hardly a model pro - if he was he would have maintained some semblance of fitness levels - don't try and kid me that he just lacks "match fitness/sharpness"
We need players that can hit the ground running - we are in deep shit and require players who will work their socks off
I`m beginning to think Smith is a bit of a "Chancer"   Brentford seem to be doing quite well without him

This 'chancer' thing keeps coming up. What exactly do you mean? The dictionary definition is "an unscrupulous or dishonest opportunist who is prepared to try any dubious scheme for making money or furthering his or her own ends" or "a person who takes many risks."

How does that apply to Smith? He did a good job at his two previous clubs, achieved what was asked of him last season, and this season still has a chance of staying up while getting to a minimum of a cup semi-final. How does that make him a 'chancer'?

[villa `cross the mersey]

Poor fitness levels and conditioning appear to have been a common trait throughout the squad this season … throw in a player who has not played competitive football  consistently for quite some time (in a poor Burnley side) against a well drilled, professional and fit side like Man City and you have a recipe for disaster - it is clear for anyone to see (bar Smith) that Drinkwater is hardly a model pro - if he was he would have maintained some semblance of fitness levels - don't try and kid me that he just lacks "match fitness/sharpness"
We need players that can hit the ground running - we are in deep shit and require players who will work their socks off
I`m beginning to think Smith is a bit of a "Chancer"   Brentford seem to be doing quite well without him

Oh for fucks sake you'll be calling him a coward next.

He may or may not be the long term answer, but he's working with an incredibly thin squad further weakened by injuries.  In our last 3 games we've won one, drawn one and lost one.  Two of these were against two of the best three teams in the league where we were playing with no striker.

As for Drinkwater, good to hear you feel you have a better understanding of fitness than our medical team.  For me, I'll take their opinion that he mainly lacks match fitness which will probably take a few weeks to sort.  Whether once fit he's the anser is a diffferent question.

In my view Smith has been left high and dry by the recruitment team, firstly in the summer by being landed with Wesley as the only viable striker and such inexperienced midfield aquisitions and currently with their failure to sort out some cover in this window.

Despite all that (and some refereeing travesties) he has us 1 point from safety and 1 game from Wembley.

I understand you've lost faith but for Gods sake get a fucking grip before chucking phrases like 'chancer' around.

First and foremost I've not labelled him a coward so you can cut that out Chris
I dont "expect" us to be winning against the top established sides
Loaning and then playing a player who is weeks away from match fitness is ridiculous - he supposed to be a professional athlete - no wonder Chelsea/Burnley were happy to let him go elsewhere - if we are paying his full wage then that is the economics of the mad house
As for the fitness of the squad per se - from week one we have been outrun by many teams - witness the late goals conceded - who is responsible for ensuring the squad is fit enough to compete?
On one point we agree - recruitment, however isn't he part of the "Committee" that sanctions/agrees deals?
Its not that I have lost faith in Smith - I have never thought him up to the job of keeping us in the Premier league  - I sincerely hope I have to admit I was wrong come May
We`ve had our fair share of managers who have "talked the talk, but not walked the walk" I was hoping Smith wouldn't come into that category
As for "getting a fucking grip" ….. Thank you,  I shall consider your advice but maybe a trip to the opticians is in order for you  to replace those rose tinted specs : )
Its only a game eh?
UTV
Cheers VCTM   

[Clampy]

Calling Smith a chancer is ridiculous.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Calling Smith a chancer is ridiculous.

Chancer - "A person unable and/or unqualified to carry out a specific task"   am I really a million miles away?