Dean Smith - Confirmed

[SheffieldVillain]

He gets plenty of slack from the fans as he's one of us. Can you imagine any other manager getting away with the drivel we serve up week in week out.

Nothing do with that in just over one season he has got us promoted and to a cup final then?

And to the second point, yes. Fans were equally patient with Bruce, Lambert and a number of others, with far less in return.

[Fulford]

He gets plenty of slack from the fans as he's one of us. Can you imagine any other manager getting away with the drivel we serve up week in week out.

Nothing do with that in just over one season he has got us promoted and to a cup final then?

And to the second point, yes. Fans were equally patient with Bruce, Lambert and a number of others, with far less in return.

Getting us promoted shouldn't have been difficult given the squad. Yes Bruce made a pigs ear of it and deservedly got the sack albeit later than he should have,

A club our size has to be in the top league and I just don't see him as the man who can keep us there.

Sentiment and football are not 2 words that go together.

Just out of interest I see you are in Sheffield. I'm not a million miles away from you.

[Toronto Villa]

He’s going to get this season whatever happens. The question is even if we stay up is that he won’t get next if there isn’t significant progression. Because if we do stay there will likely be decent investment again. Sentiment won’t come into next year.

[SheffieldVillain]

He gets plenty of slack from the fans as he's one of us. Can you imagine any other manager getting away with the drivel we serve up week in week out.

Nothing do with that in just over one season he has got us promoted and to a cup final then?

And to the second point, yes. Fans were equally patient with Bruce, Lambert and a number of others, with far less in return.

Getting us promoted shouldn't have been difficult given the squad. Yes Bruce made a pigs ear of it and deservedly got the sack albeit later than he should have,

A club our size has to be in the top league and I just don't see him as the man who can keep us there.

Sentiment and football are not 2 words that go together.

Just out of interest I see you are in Sheffield. I'm not a million miles away from you.

Nonsense. We had a squad of aging past-it players and big-money wastes of space. Where are Hutton, Whelan, Adomah now? They were in the first team when he took over. Where are McCormack, Richards, Bree, Hogan? Chester, one of arguably our best players in that squad, has just been picked up by Stoke, and Kodija who was another had no interest whatsoever from other clubs over here. The only thing that was easy with that squad is seeing just how much money had been wasted. Yes, it should have been easy to go up had Bruce and Di Matteo not spunked millions up the wall on shite, but Smith did it with Bruce's excuse for a cobbled-together side.

As to the second, we currently are in a position where we wouldn't be relegated. I can understand people having doubts as to the future, but he is actually as things stand achieving exactly that. Plus a cup final. We aren't bottom of the league and adrift by 20 points as you make it sound.

I'm actually in Latvia currently and live in Poland most of the year, so you're not as close as you think!

[Steve67]

Will people feel differently if we get battered in the Cup Final? Oh, and get relegated?  I think we've wasted a massive opportunity with the dross brought in, in this window. 

[Rudy65]

Just realised that Bournemouth have gained almost 25% of their points courtesy of us. Could prove important at the end of the season

[Fulford]

He gets plenty of slack from the fans as he's one of us. Can you imagine any other manager getting away with the drivel we serve up week in week out.

Nothing do with that in just over one season he has got us promoted and to a cup final then?

And to the second point, yes. Fans were equally patient with Bruce, Lambert and a number of others, with far less in return.

Getting us promoted shouldn't have been difficult given the squad. Yes Bruce made a pigs ear of it and deservedly got the sack albeit later than he should have,

A club our size has to be in the top league and I just don't see him as the man who can keep us there.

Sentiment and football are not 2 words that go together.

Just out of interest I see you are in Sheffield. I'm not a million miles away from you.

Nonsense. We had a squad of aging past-it players and big-money wastes of space. Where are Hutton, Whelan, Adomah now? They were in the first team when he took over. Where are McCormack, Richards, Bree, Hogan? Chester, one of arguably our best players in that squad, has just been picked up by Stoke, and Kodija who was another had no interest whatsoever from other clubs over here. The only thing that was easy with that squad is seeing just how much money had been wasted. Yes, it should have been easy to go up had Bruce and Di Matteo not spunked millions up the wall on shite, but Smith did it with Bruce's excuse for a cobbled-together side.

As to the second, we currently are in a position where we wouldn't be relegated. I can understand people having doubts as to the future, but he is actually as things stand achieving exactly that. Plus a cup final. We aren't bottom of the league and adrift by 20 points as you make it sound.

I'm actually in Latvia currently and live in Poland most of the year, so you're not as close as you think!

Living around here certainly feels like I live near you in Poland.

[SheffieldVillain]

He gets plenty of slack from the fans as he's one of us. Can you imagine any other manager getting away with the drivel we serve up week in week out.

Nothing do with that in just over one season he has got us promoted and to a cup final then?

And to the second point, yes. Fans were equally patient with Bruce, Lambert and a number of others, with far less in return.

Getting us promoted shouldn't have been difficult given the squad. Yes Bruce made a pigs ear of it and deservedly got the sack albeit later than he should have,

A club our size has to be in the top league and I just don't see him as the man who can keep us there.

Sentiment and football are not 2 words that go together.

Just out of interest I see you are in Sheffield. I'm not a million miles away from you.

Nonsense. We had a squad of aging past-it players and big-money wastes of space. Where are Hutton, Whelan, Adomah now? They were in the first team when he took over. Where are McCormack, Richards, Bree, Hogan? Chester, one of arguably our best players in that squad, has just been picked up by Stoke, and Kodija who was another had no interest whatsoever from other clubs over here. The only thing that was easy with that squad is seeing just how much money had been wasted. Yes, it should have been easy to go up had Bruce and Di Matteo not spunked millions up the wall on shite, but Smith did it with Bruce's excuse for a cobbled-together side.

As to the second, we currently are in a position where we wouldn't be relegated. I can understand people having doubts as to the future, but he is actually as things stand achieving exactly that. Plus a cup final. We aren't bottom of the league and adrift by 20 points as you make it sound.

I'm actually in Latvia currently and live in Poland most of the year, so you're not as close as you think!

Living around here certainly feels like I live near you in Poland.

Sorry, don't understand.

[Big Ming]

That's the point though. We had the opportunity to put a decent balanced squad together . What we got is far from  decent or balanced.

But, if the worst happens,once the 'stars' are sold off for FFP we will still have the basis of a halfway decent Championship squad with parachute money to spend.
And this time they will be our own players and not a stack of loans.

[FatSam]

But much of it is attitude. We didn't even have a go at Bournemouth. They were first to everything. Our tactic was long ball after long ball from the likes Kortney Hause who thought he was Inesta. That was completely wasteful and just kept giving the ball back to them. I get the consistency of playing staff and manager at Sheff Utd but they also have a defined approach. We should have goone into yesterday's game at minimum on an even footing mentally to Bournemouth. Given our recent win vs Leicester maybe even the more confident of the two sides. It never looked like that in the first half and only did so in the second late on after their red card. That's not just the players, it starts with the message from the manager on how to play.

I think the point about a defined approach is key. I would like us to get to the point where we are a well-oiled machine, with a preferred formation, and at least one alternative that we can switch to, where everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, and displays complete commitment to them. I know Bournemouth have been on a bad run, but they had a very effective plan yesterday, and carried it out diligently. The fact that we have only recently switched to three at the back is only a minor mitigating factor. That said, I think Dean needs and deserves time beyond this season, regardless of whether we stay up, to achieve this with some more sustainable squad building in the summer.

[ChicagoLion]

How many promoted managers get to start the season with Players the quality of Mings Jack and McGinn ?
Added to that a top class goalkeeper and the nucleus of a Premier League team is there.

[Toronto Villa]

And the fact that one of the most creative midfielders in the PL is being employed as a left winger or wide left midfielder is continuously bewildering.

[walsall villain]

And the fact that one of the most creative midfielders in the PL is being employed as a left winger or wide left midfielder is continuously bewildering.

From where he is having a tremendous season! Scoring, very creative (so close to two goals yesterday). Can’t agree with you one bit.

[Toronto Villa]

And the fact that one of the most creative midfielders in the PL is being employed as a left winger or wide left midfielder is continuously bewildering.

From where he is having a tremendous season! Scoring, very creative (so close to two goals yesterday). Can’t agree with you one bit.

That’s all down to him. He’s doing it playing out of position. He’s far more effective in a more central role. He gets trapped out there too often. He’s not a winger.

[walsall villain]

And the fact that one of the most creative midfielders in the PL is being employed as a left winger or wide left midfielder is continuously bewildering.

From where he is having a tremendous season! Scoring, very creative (so close to two goals yesterday). Can’t agree with you one bit.

That’s all down to him. He’s doing it playing out of position. He’s far more effective in a more central role. He gets trapped out there too often. He’s not a winger.

He’s hardly been glued to the touch line. Don’t think he’s getting trapped out wide at all. He drifts inside all the time, he’s always involved (and drawing more fouls than any other players). Very intelligent and in the form of his life.