Dean Smith - Confirmed

[brian green]

My friend's son is goalkeeper captain of a non league club and nice bloke that he is I would not trust him to post a letter.

[Rico]

Two or three more results like yesterday and we will be in full on crisis. The meaning evil will have a broken Villa badge on the back page and Talk Shite will be asking how long before Smith gets the bullet.

I have no other reason other than a gut feeling but I think we may be seeing a power struggle in progress. Like I say no other reason other than a strange déjà vu feeling of been here before. You don't go from playing like Barcelona (bit of an exaggeration I know) one week to Nuneaton Borough the next. Trouble is the managers never seem to win when it comes down to a clash of personalities.

[Ads]

Power struggle between who?

[Risso]

Power struggle between who?

Possibly between one or two of our big time charlies who think they are better than they actually are and our nice guy manager who might not be used to dealing with such characters?  Something doesn't seem right at the moment.

[Rico]

Senior pro's (Bruce's players) and management.

Like I say it's only a gut feeling, but it's a bad feeling that I have right now.

[Mister E]

Power struggle between who?

Possibly between one or two of our big time charlies who think they are better than they actually are and our nice guy manager who might not be used to dealing with such characters?  Something doesn't seem right at the moment.

And isn't that one reason we brought Terry back into the fold? - he played with these arseholes and should be able to provide a bridge between 'management' and them.
And: we saw this in Houllier's day - a manager trying to do things differently and more rigorously. If this is what's happening, I applaud it and accept that there may be further pain before it gets better.
If there is dissent amongst the squad, lance the boil, offload the dissenters and build from there.

Easily said, I know ....

[brian green]

I think Risso is right  but I suspect it is about money.  I have learned over many years that money is frequently the cause of unexplained discord.  What is the issue?  I don't know but if Bolaise is on £80k a week (rumoured) and (say) Keinan Davis is on £2k a week there are bound to be undercurrents of discord.  Or Whelan on £40k and O'Hare on £500 a week.

[Rico]

Totally agree.  Maybe it's the Houllier years that's been nagging at my subconscious. Trouble is he ended up having a heart attack and we never recovered. Maybe it's the beer that I've been supping that's making me melancholy but If Dean Smith doesn't turn it around in the next three or four games I honestly believe he'll be done for.

[Taylor]

I think Risso is right  but I suspect it is about money.  I have learned over many years that money is frequently the cause of unexplained discord.  What is the issue?  I don't know but if Bolaise is on £80k a week (rumoured) and (say) Keinan Davis is on £2k a week there are bound to be undercurrents of discord.  Or Whelan on £40k and O'Hare on £500 a week.

But surely this is the same at any club, o'hare and Davis aren't first team regulars. Would they have that much say in the dressing room? Don't Leeds or Norwich have players on more money than other squad players?

[Toronto Villa]

I don’t buy the money thing at all. Last season Terry, Snodgrass, Grabban, Jedinak, Whelan etc would all have been on great money relative to much of the rest of the squad. But you saw how tight knit a group it was. We don’t have genuine leaders. And I’m not talking about blokes who’ve been captain like Hourihane or Lansbury. Actual leaders of the club. Strong personalities that when the going gets tough can motivate or simply those that are well organized and highly disciplined. We don’t have the talent to overcome those weaknesses.

[Ads]

Isn't this just what Smith does?

Goes from red hit form for 7 or 8 games to a winless spell? I'm really seeing no evidence of a power struggle.

[footyskillz]

Power struggle between who?

Possibly between one or two of our big time charlies who think they are better than they actually are and our nice guy manager who might not be used to dealing with such characters?  Something doesn't seem right at the moment.

One issue though could be that these players aren't all up to learning the new methods and taking the information on board .

As they have established their playing style rather than them being totally big time

I did think something in that the established players are perhaps feeling some Smith's idea are more for up and coming and youth

That an established manager like Bruce has been shifted aside who just kept it simple and basic

Some of these players enjoyed that easy style perhaps

Not saying it was ill disciplines as Bruce had an organisation in team last season

This season is a mess and maybe players are getting disillusioned.

Coaches coming in with new ideas

The rotating captain thing , watching Man City and Chelsea videos.
May not be every ones shirt of choice

On coaching
So what's JT actually doing . A young inexperience coach.

And O'Kelly who hasn't worked with this level and quality of player before .

I think comes down to players not fitting system but these could be other factors in getting the team and squad together.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Power struggle between who?

Possibly between one or two of our big time charlies who think they are better than they actually are and our nice guy manager who might not be used to dealing with such characters?  Something doesn't seem right at the moment.

You could be onto something there Risso - I don't think he has had to deal with such players ( extremely high paid one's) at previous clubs - I should imagine he was the highest paid  employee at Walsall and Brentford. Before judging him he needs to be allowed time to bring in his own players
You don't think he has fallen out with Terry?

[SoccerHQ]

Guess likes of El Ghazi, Elphick, Adomah and Kodjia will have various issues atm with the manager.

All can be easily binned off end of the season.

1 on loan, two out of contract and Kodj will have just a year left.

Think we'll see a huge squad overhaul in five months time. Just hope we can get it right for once.

[footyskillz]

I think Risso is right  but I suspect it is about money.  I have learned over many years that money is frequently the cause of unexplained discord.  What is the issue?  I don't know but if Bolaise is on £80k a week (rumoured) and (say) Keinan Davis is on £2k a week there are bound to be undercurrents of discord.  Or Whelan on £40k and O'Hare on £500 a week.

But surely this is the same at any club, o'hare and Davis aren't first team regulars. Would they have that much say in the dressing room? Don't Leeds or Norwich have players on more money than other squad players?

If you're  talking  money some players would be on a lot more than the manager in his career.

The level of credentials rather than respect is something that may be questioned by these players.

I do think Smith would cull any big time charlies though the issue could be JT and where he sits in this.

Smith has praised Whelan and Jedinak for their professionalism

Hutton respected too.

I think the discord could be with those who won't get a look in ahead of loan players