Dean Smith - Confirmed

[mike]

Smith has worked hard at Walsall and Brentford. He now has his dream job and has landed one of the biggest jobs in football. He seems intent of giving it no less than 100%. He wants to better himself and in the process better us. He's a total breath of fresh air who will work as hard as he can to get to the top of the tree. When he gets there we will be sat alongside him.

SB was the footballing version of Boris Johnson and Rees Mogg. They feel their 'pedigree' gives them a sense of entitlement despite the fact that they are clearly shit at what they do and talk bollocks.

I'd like to puncture this optimism, but I can't

I saw them on Football Focus yesterday and the one thing I saw the coaches and players doing was laughing and smiling including Deano.  He just seems such a relaxed bloke who simply knows how to coach.  During the international break instead of fucking off to the algarve he travelled to Scotland to listen to a talk on motivation from an ex All Blacks coach. 

Seems like Gareth Southgate who despite all the success this year with England is still going on coaching seminars to improve himself.

Certainly with Steve Bruce you get the feeling he had the air of I've been in this game for 30 years so why should I strive to improve myself. Probably a benefit of appointing a young manager is they have different mindset.

I saw them on Football Focus yesterday and the one thing I saw the coaches and players doing was laughing and smiling including Deano.  He just seems such a relaxed bloke who simply knows how to coach.  During the international break instead of fucking off to the algarve he travelled to Scotland to listen to a talk on motivation from an ex All Blacks coach. 

Seems like Gareth Southgate who despite all the success this year with England is still going on coaching seminars to improve himself.

Certainly with Steve Bruce you get the feeling he had the air of I've been in this game for 30 years so why should I strive to improve myself. Probably a benefit of appointing a young manager is they have different mindset.

I saw them on Football Focus yesterday and the one thing I saw the coaches and players doing was laughing and smiling including Deano.  He just seems such a relaxed bloke who simply knows how to coach.  During the international break instead of fucking off to the algarve he travelled to Scotland to listen to a talk on motivation from an ex All Blacks coach. 

Seems like Gareth Southgate who despite all the success this year with England is still going on coaching seminars to improve himself.

Certainly with Steve Bruce you get the feeling he had the air of I've been in this game for 30 years so why should I strive to improve myself. Probably a benefit of appointing a young manager is they have different mindset.

[exigo]

So you're in three minds about Southgate?

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

I take it nobody still thinks that the Villa job is too big for Smith.  Ignoring his allegiance as a fan, he's taken absolutely everything in his stride.

Not just that, he's completely seized the opportunity. My worry was that he'd be cowed by the pressure and size of the job, like many who came before him. But there's no signs of fear or caution at all, just a man totally embracing the challenge. His confidence and work ethic is being reflected on the pitch. Who knows where this will end up but it's been a very encouraging start.

[Sexual Ealing]

I take it nobody still thinks that the Villa job is too big for Smith.  Ignoring his allegiance as a fan, he's taken absolutely everything in his stride.

Not just that, he's completely seized the opportunity. My worry was that he'd be cowed by the pressure and size of the job, like many who came before him. But there's no signs of fear or caution at all, just a man totally embracing the challenge. His confidence and work ethic is being reflected on the pitch. Who knows where this will end up but it's been a very encouraging start.

I love it when interviewers play up the 'Villa fan' angle and he always shuts them down straight away by saying something along the lines of 'I've worked my way up. I deserve this. It doesn't matter which team I went to watch as a youngster.' And yet, we all know.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I take it nobody still thinks that the Villa job is too big for Smith.  Ignoring his allegiance as a fan, he's taken absolutely everything in his stride.

Not just that, he's completely seized the opportunity. My worry was that he'd be cowed by the pressure and size of the job, like many who came before him. But there's no signs of fear or caution at all, just a man totally embracing the challenge. His confidence and work ethic is being reflected on the pitch. Who knows where this will end up but it's been a very encouraging start.

I love it when interviewers play up the 'Villa fan' angle and he always shuts them down straight away by saying something along the lines of 'I've worked my way up. I deserve this. It doesn't matter which team I went to watch as a youngster.' And yet, we all know.

Exactly. What I love about him is he wants to both improve the team and at the same time his own skills. The man is progressive, something I and many others (waves at Monty) have been calling out since JG left.

[Iamkmkm]

Smith has worked hard at Walsall and Brentford. He now has his dream job and has landed one of the biggest jobs in football. He seems intent of giving it no less than 100%. He wants to better himself and in the process better us. He's a total breath of fresh air who will work as hard as he can to get to the top of the tree. When he gets there we will be sat alongside him.

Well said Sir

[West Derby Villan]

I take it nobody still thinks that the Villa job is too big for Smith.  Ignoring his allegiance as a fan, he's taken absolutely everything in his stride.

Not just that, he's completely seized the opportunity. My worry was that he'd be cowed by the pressure and size of the job, like many who came before him. But there's no signs of fear or caution at all, just a man totally embracing the challenge. His confidence and work ethic is being reflected on the pitch. Who knows where this will end up but it's been a very encouraging start.

I love it when interviewers play up the 'Villa fan' angle and he always shuts them down straight away by saying something along the lines of 'I've worked my way up. I deserve this. It doesn't matter which team I went to watch as a youngster.' And yet, we all know.

Exactly. What I love about him is he wants to both improve the team and at the same time his own skills. The man is progressive, something I and many others (waves at Monty) have been calling out since JG left.

What I call "A Proper Manager"

[Toronto Villa]

I take it nobody still thinks that the Villa job is too big for Smith.  Ignoring his allegiance as a fan, he's taken absolutely everything in his stride.

Not just that, he's completely seized the opportunity. My worry was that he'd be cowed by the pressure and size of the job, like many who came before him. But there's no signs of fear or caution at all, just a man totally embracing the challenge. His confidence and work ethic is being reflected on the pitch. Who knows where this will end up but it's been a very encouraging start.

I love it when interviewers play up the 'Villa fan' angle and he always shuts them down straight away by saying something along the lines of 'I've worked my way up. I deserve this. It doesn't matter which team I went to watch as a youngster.' And yet, we all know.

Exactly. What I love about him is he wants to both improve the team and at the same time his own skills. The man is progressive, something I and many others (waves at Monty) have been calling out since JG left.

Hasn’t pretty much everyone wanted a progressive manager? Who has argued against a progressive manager? I think what has happened is most people got behind whoever was appointed because what choice did we have and by that point ultimately there were no alternatives once the appointments were made.

It’s wonderful that Dean Smith embraces modern concepts and wants to not only improve the team but himself. It’s really the least we should expect a manager to do as part of his professional development. That so many don’t, especially British managers shows exactly why we have been left behind as a nation.

I’ve been impressed him so far (as we all have) but it won’t always be smooth sailing. It will be great to see how this season pans out and then if he is able to compete at the top level. Given the right support he can do well. Look at someone like Eddie Howe at a much smaller club. Dean Smith won’t take this for granted like Bruce did. Bruce felt he had arrived. Dean Smith wants to keep improving and that is very encouraging for all of us.

[Duncan Shaw]

Who knows where this will end up but it's been a very encouraging start.

It sure has and I don't want to get carried away, but it just seems the "right fit" maybe in a way we haven't seen since Sir Brian was in charge.

[mr underhill]

I'm crossing everything that that is the case. Dean needs to shake things up for Wednesday though - Grabban will rip us a new one if we play like that again defensively.

[chrisw1]

Good stuff so far, keep it up Smithy.

I do think some people are getting a bit over excited though - there's a long, long way to go yet.

[Diablo]

I'm crossing everything that that is the case. Dean needs to shake things up for Wednesday though - Grabban will rip us a new one if we play like that again defensively.

Yeah I agree Forest are one of the form teams in the League (only behind Norwich) and unbeaten in 5.

[luke95]

One thing I loved about Smith yesterday was he never left the pitch at full time till every single player was congratulated even waited for Grealish & Cafu to finish their on pitch interviews.

[brian green]

In a nutshell for me it is clear that Dean wants the job not the money.   All our managers since and including MON have been mercenaries.  They have been bought off the shelf marked "Experienced, Safe Pair of Hands" or in Sherwood's case "Inexperienced but well regarded by the London Media close friend of the Villa CEO.".  At last we have owners prepared to buy from the "Young, Dynamic, Ambitious, Hard working" shelf.  We must value him.

[paul_e]

Hasn’t pretty much everyone wanted a progressive manager? Who has argued against a progressive manager? I think what has happened is most people got behind whoever was appointed because what choice did we have and by that point ultimately there were no alternatives once the appointments were made.

It’s wonderful that Dean Smith embraces modern concepts and wants to not only improve the team but himself. It’s really the least we should expect a manager to do as part of his professional development. That so many don’t, especially British managers shows exactly why we have been left behind as a nation.

I’ve been impressed him so far (as we all have) but it won’t always be smooth sailing. It will be great to see how this season pans out and then if he is able to compete at the top level. Given the right support he can do well. Look at someone like Eddie Howe at a much smaller club. Dean Smith won’t take this for granted like Bruce did. Bruce felt he had arrived. Dean Smith wants to keep improving and that is very encouraging for all of us.

I don't think that first line is true at all. Plenty of people have argued for us to go after people like Bruce, Fat Sam and Moyes when we've been looking, those types of managers always get a decent amount of support on the polls here and on the radio phone-ins, etc. Some people just want the safest option and generally that gets you managers who have an established style and aren't really going to do anything different.