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Author Topic: Dean Smith - Confirmed  (Read 1522264 times)

Offline villa `cross the mersey

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #885 on: October 23, 2018, 09:57:33 PM »
Smith has got his work cut out to keep this pile of crap out of the bottom six never mind a play off spot - massive rebuild required - starting at the back - especially keeper. Being realistic this season  is all about rebuilding the squad  - Bruce has left us in a right state -





Online PaulWinch again

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #886 on: October 23, 2018, 09:58:11 PM »
Onwards and upwards.

Offline Ad@m

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #887 on: October 23, 2018, 10:22:55 PM »
Smith has got his work cut out to keep this pile of crap out of the bottom six never mind a play off spot - massive rebuild required - starting at the back - especially keeper. Being realistic this season  is all about rebuilding the squad  - Bruce has left us in a right state -

I disagree.  We've got 7 or 8 players would would walk in to any team in the league.  The other 3/4 are unfortunately all in our defence, but if we go with the attitude of scoring more than the opposition, once Deano's had time to work with them a bit we should be smashing this league and it'll be fun doing it.

It just comes down to whether we've wasted too much time on Bruce this season.

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #888 on: October 23, 2018, 10:25:30 PM »
I don't see us smashing anyone in this league tbh. We're just another mediocre team in the middle of the table as it stands and really our performances for pretty much the whole season have reflected that.

I do agree if our attacking players could actually stay fit then potentially it's a forward line that could be effective under the Smith style. Have we even started Adomah-Abraham-Bolaise once this season? For me it's our best option in attacking going forward although two went off injured tonight so no idea when we'll actually see it.

Offline andyh

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #889 on: October 23, 2018, 10:29:52 PM »
In his post match presser, I think Deano was/is being very respectful to the club, Bruce  and the players.
I am sure he would like to be honest and admit the fitness levels are piss poor and the players are a million miles away from where he would want them to be, but he won’t ‘diss’ the previous manager.


Offline Pvb1968

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #890 on: October 23, 2018, 10:31:13 PM »
Dean smith will get a tune out of this squad, we need to be in or very near the play off spots after Christmas.

Online curiousorange

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #891 on: October 23, 2018, 10:32:30 PM »
The one saving grace is that I think we can and will get better. Defeats hurt, especially in the shoulder-shrugging manner of the one tonight, but Smith has to undo at least six months of bad habits and making do. He has a confirmed matchwinner in Grealish that he needs to turn around, and a medium-term grace period because of the paucity of quality at the back. A lot of managers, himself included, have had to work with far less.

Offline aj2k77

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #892 on: October 23, 2018, 10:34:33 PM »
Poor substitution tonight the Hogan one.

Offline Ad@m

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #893 on: October 23, 2018, 10:35:21 PM »
Just look at the attacking options at our disposal:

Abraham - scored 20 goals a season in this league
Hogan - scoring goals for fun at Brentford under Smith before we signed him
Kodjia - scored 20 goals a season in this league
McCormack - scored 20 goals a season in this league
Grealish - Spurs were willing to punt £25m on him
Hourihane - Barnsley's captain when we signed him
Lansbury - Forest's captain when we signed him
McGinn - looks quality at this level
Bolasie - Prem player
Adomah - scored for fun in the first half of last season
El Ghazi - playing in the Champions League for Ajax not that long ago

If we could enter two teams in the league we would be finishing top 2 with that lot!

Offline Rudy65

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #894 on: October 23, 2018, 10:38:17 PM »
Smith has got his work cut out to keep this pile of crap out of the bottom six never mind a play off spot - massive rebuild required - starting at the back - especially keeper. Being realistic this season  is all about rebuilding the squad  - Bruce has left us in a right state -

I disagree.  We've got 7 or 8 players would would walk in to any team in the league.  The other 3/4 are unfortunately all in our defence, but if we go with the attitude of scoring more than the opposition, once Deano's had time to work with them a bit we should be smashing this league and it'll be fun doing it.

It just comes down to whether we've wasted too much time on Bruce this season.

Which 7 or 8?  I don’t see it

Bruce has just signed the so called decent players from other clubs without any thought as to how they fit together. I never want to see a midfield of Whelan, Hourihane and Grealish again

You look at Brentford and tonight Norwich and they have some excellent players. Most of whom I have never heard of

We just lack real quality across the whole squad

Online curiousorange

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #895 on: October 23, 2018, 10:47:25 PM »
I don't agree that we lack quality. I think the problem is that we bought players who at one time were quality. I remember being really chuffed that we'd signed Jedinak because our midfield had no bite, but the player we got was more or less ready to be put out to pasture. Bruce's transfer policy was a little bit like opting for a takeaway when you should be filling the freezer - expensive, unwise and only able to fill a hole for a brief amount of time.

Offline Ad@m

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #896 on: October 23, 2018, 10:51:19 PM »
I don't agree that we lack quality. I think the problem is that we bought players who at one time were quality. I remember being really chuffed that we'd signed Jedinak because our midfield had no bite, but the player we got was more or less ready to be put out to pasture. Bruce's transfer policy was a little bit like opting for a takeaway when you should be filling the freezer - expensive, unwise and only able to fill a hole for a brief amount of time.

Or it could be simply that Bruce bought good players but did fuck all coaching with them and they've gone backwards.

But good players don't stop being good players overnight.  Now we've got an actual coaching set up in place I'm convinced we'll start to see the best of them - you never know, we may actually see a player we've signed improve while he's at the club!!!!

Offline cdbearsfan

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #897 on: October 23, 2018, 10:53:46 PM »
Chester, Whelan, Jedinak, Grealish, Hourihane, McGinn, Adomah, El Ghazi, Bolasie, Kodjia and Abraham would all walk into most teams in the division.

Literally, in the case of Whelan.

Online curiousorange

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #898 on: October 23, 2018, 10:57:06 PM »
Whelan, Jedi and Hutton are gone - there's no chance of them getting back to the players they were (if they were players of note anyway). Partly that's age, partly that's shitty coaching and being used as utility men. I can totally see the logic of signing them: Bruce was probably told he had to get promoted for a myriad of reasons, in addition to his pride at being the "promotion specialist", but they were 1 season max players, like Terry ended up as, and are past their sell-by date.

Offline Iamkmkm

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #899 on: October 23, 2018, 10:58:44 PM »
Smith out

 


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