Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Drummond]

We're 17th and our form has dropped again; I've not watched the 'highlights' of the weekend because I don't like horror films. However, we're 17th which means 3 teams have been worse than us. I know we've a tough run of games, but so has everyone.

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

We could point to various games and say we could/should have done better etc. But the reality is we'd always be struggling against all the teams given our circumstances at the beginning of the season.

If you forget the amount of money we spent in the summer as a one-off splurge, and compare squad values, I suspect you'd find us fairly low down (bar the fact we have two gems in Grealish and McGinn).

I'm not saying I'm happy, or that it's easy. But also, I don't believe we're doomed either.

[Villan82]

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

I was expecting that we wouldn't throw so many points away- Arsenal away being a prime example and how many times have we played against ten men and come away with zero points?

We knew it wouldn't be easy but we didn't think we would be our own worst enemies as we have been in a good few games. We are 4-5 points behind where we should be given the circumstances in several games we should have took something from.

[Three Spires Villa]

I understand your point and agree with some of what you have written. I would like a team that is prepared to fight and scrap at times. Its not getting defeated, its the manner of some of those defeats. We have all seen poor Villa teams, but the players as a minimum should compete, and at times it dosent look like we have done that.

Who is to blame, players, manager, tactics, coaching. I have never managed a football club, so what would I know? But at the moment its bad and to hope that the teams below us dont win, because we cant, shouldn't be the plan. I thought we would finish around 15th.

[john e]

We're 17th and our form has dropped again; I've not watched the 'highlights' of the weekend because I don't like horror films. However, we're 17th which means 3 teams have been worse than us. I know we've a tough run of games, but so has everyone.

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

We could point to various games and say we could/should have done better etc. But the reality is we'd always be struggling against all the teams given our circumstances at the beginning of the season.

If you forget the amount of money we spent in the summer as a one-off splurge, and compare squad values, I suspect you'd find us fairly low down (bar the fact we have two gems in Grealish and McGinn).

I'm not saying I'm happy, or that it's easy. But also, I don't believe we're doomed either.

We're 17th and our form has dropped again; I've not watched the 'highlights' of the weekend because I don't like horror films. However, we're 17th which means 3 teams have been worse than us. I know we've a tough run of games, but so has everyone.

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

We could point to various games and say we could/should have done better etc. But the reality is we'd always be struggling against all the teams given our circumstances at the beginning of the season.

If you forget the amount of money we spent in the summer as a one-off splurge, and compare squad values, I suspect you'd find us fairly low down (bar the fact we have two gems in Grealish and McGinn).

I'm not saying I'm happy, or that it's easy. But also, I don't believe we're doomed either.

I get what your saying and agree to some extent

but to answer your question I was expecting better footballi under Smith and an ability to motivate players especially in the games where we have a better chance of points

I wasn’t expecting miracles but I was expecting more if I’m honest especially in the tactical side as we have been rubbish at times and Smith looks incapable of doing anything about it which is worrying me

[AsTallAsLions]

We're 17th and our form has dropped again; I've not watched the 'highlights' of the weekend because I don't like horror films. However, we're 17th which means 3 teams have been worse than us. I know we've a tough run of games, but so has everyone.

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

We could point to various games and say we could/should have done better etc. But the reality is we'd always be struggling against all the teams given our circumstances at the beginning of the season.

If you forget the amount of money we spent in the summer as a one-off splurge, and compare squad values, I suspect you'd find us fairly low down (bar the fact we have two gems in Grealish and McGinn).

I'm not saying I'm happy, or that it's easy. But also, I don't believe we're doomed either.

It's the manner of it.

The lack of passion, desire, fight shown on Saturday was appalling. Smith said as much himself. It was clear from the offset that Southampton wanted to more, and that's just inexcusable.

I said before the season we'd finish 16th or 17th. I didn't envisage doing so with a whimper - and even that much is uncertain.

[Drummond]

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

I was expecting that we wouldn't throw so many points away- Arsenal away being a prime example and how many times have we played against ten men and come away with zero points?

We knew it wouldn't be easy but we didn't think we would be our own worst enemies as we have been in a good few games. We are 4-5 points behind where we should be given the circumstances in several games we should have took something from.

4 -5  points would still have us looking over our shoulder.

There have been various individual errors that have cost us by everyone in the team, even Grealish dilly-dallied on the ball earlier in the season and cost us. Everyone is still learning to cope.

The waves are getting stronger and we're still learning to swim.

[Drummond]

I understand your point and agree with some of what you have written. I would like a team that is prepared to fight and scrap at times. Its not getting defeated, its the manner of some of those defeats. We have all seen poor Villa teams, but the players as a minimum should compete, and at times it dosent look like we have done that.

Who is to blame, players, manager, tactics, coaching. I have never managed a football club, so what would I know? But at the moment its bad and to hope that the teams below us dont win, because we cant, shouldn't be the plan. I thought we would finish around 15th.

We still could finish 15th. It's tough though, we could equally finish 19th.

It's tough when everyone is learning together and the other sides are ahead of the game. We started so far behind all the other teams, the surprise for me is that we're still as well off as we are.

[Drummond]

I get what your saying and agree to some extent

but to answer your question I was expecting better footballi under Smith and an ability to motivate players especially in the games where we have a better chance of points

I wasn’t expecting miracles but I was expecting more if I’m honest especially in the tactical side as we have been rubbish at times and Smith looks incapable of doing anything about it which is worrying me

I was hoping for better football, and we've seen it in patches, the difficulty is that we're now in the top league against better players and coaches who often know how to negate it better.

[Villan82]

I ask these next questions in a non-confrontational manner but what were people expecting? That we would be sitting in the top half? How many more points should we have?

I was expecting that we wouldn't throw so many points away- Arsenal away being a prime example and how many times have we played against ten men and come away with zero points?

We knew it wouldn't be easy but we didn't think we would be our own worst enemies as we have been in a good few games. We are 4-5 points behind where we should be given the circumstances in several games we should have took something from.

4 -5  points would still have us looking over our shoulder.

There have been various individual errors that have cost us by everyone in the team, even Grealish dilly-dallied on the ball earlier in the season and cost us. Everyone is still learning to cope.

The waves are getting stronger and we're still learning to swim.

Eh, sorry, but 4-5 points would be massive right now. If we were on 30 points right now 2 more wins would probably keep us up. Instead, we need to make up those 4-5 points plus the two further wins.

[Risso]

I get what your saying and agree to some extent

but to answer your question I was expecting better footballi under Smith and an ability to motivate players especially in the games where we have a better chance of points

I wasn’t expecting miracles but I was expecting more if I’m honest especially in the tactical side as we have been rubbish at times and Smith looks incapable of doing anything about it which is worrying me

I was hoping for better football, and we've seen it in patches, the difficulty is that we're now in the top league against better players and coaches who often know how to negate it better.

Which is why Smith should have been sacked a while ago, and a coach capable of managing at this level appointed.  Dean will go back to being a half decent Championship level coach, which is where his talents should be really.

[ChicagoLion]

I expected the team to compete, I expected to see a midfield, I expected the manager to identify problems and try and solve them. I expected us to have more points. I expected us to at least be able to compete against the might of Southampton and fucking Bournemouth.

[Three Spires Villa]

I understand your point and agree with some of what you have written. I would like a team that is prepared to fight and scrap at times. Its not getting defeated, its the manner of some of those defeats. We have all seen poor Villa teams, but the players as a minimum should compete, and at times it dosent look like we have done that.

Who is to blame, players, manager, tactics, coaching. I have never managed a football club, so what would I know? But at the moment its bad and to hope that the teams below us dont win, because we cant, shouldn't be the plan. I thought we would finish around 15th.

We still could finish 15th. It's tough though, we could equally finish 19th.

It's tough when everyone is learning together and the other sides are ahead of the game. We started so far behind all the other teams, the surprise for me is that we're still as well off as we are.

Yes and that is is part of the problem. Not enough experience on the pitch or on the touchline. The gamble is looking like it wont payoff. Yes there are 3 teams below us, but only a point keeps us out of the relegation, and before anyone says it know it it finishes like that, we stay up. I would rather have 4 or 5 more points, it would make me feel better.

[paul_e]

I agree that we're about 5 points short of what i expected. I predicted about 14th at the start of the season and those 5 points would put us right in that area. If you look at some of the harsh decisions that have gone against us and not really been balanced out I don't think our performances have been a long way from that which is why I think all the comments about us having a championship squad (other than 3-4 exceptions) and writing of 5-6 of the summer signings as shit and needing to be replaced is a bit too 'knee-jerk' for me.

[Drummond]

I understand your point and agree with some of what you have written. I would like a team that is prepared to fight and scrap at times. Its not getting defeated, its the manner of some of those defeats. We have all seen poor Villa teams, but the players as a minimum should compete, and at times it dosent look like we have done that.

Who is to blame, players, manager, tactics, coaching. I have never managed a football club, so what would I know? But at the moment its bad and to hope that the teams below us dont win, because we cant, shouldn't be the plan. I thought we would finish around 15th.

We still could finish 15th. It's tough though, we could equally finish 19th.

It's tough when everyone is learning together and the other sides are ahead of the game. We started so far behind all the other teams, the surprise for me is that we're still as well off as we are.

Yes and that is is part of the problem. Not enough experience on the pitch or on the touchline. The gamble is looking like it wont payoff. Yes there are 3 teams below us, but only a point keeps us out of the relegation, and before anyone says it know it it finishes like that, we stay up. I would rather have 4 or 5 more points, it would make me feel better.

We'd all feel better with more points. It will be really fucking galling to go down by a point or two when you look at the games where we've thrown a couple of points away.

[Drummond]

I expected the team to compete, I expected to see a midfield, I expected the manager to identify problems and try and solve them. I expected us to have more points. I expected us to at least be able to compete against the might of Southampton and fucking Bournemouth.

We have competed in most games.

Our midfield has been surprisingly lacklustre, I'd agree, not helped by losing McGinn; it's overall just been too inconsistent.

How many more points did you expect us to have?

We've had some shit performances, but I expected us to lose games against teams like Southampton, Burnley and Bournemouth. It's the nature of the league. We just should have hung on in a couple more games.