Dean Smith - Confirmed

[john e]

does it matter much what the formation is or the system you play if most of the players can't receive the ball and control it or keep possession of it under pressure

[Drummond]

I don’t want him sacked but he needs to get more out of the players he’s currently got. We can’t keep saying that it’s not his team or players. If he has aspirations to be a successful manager then this excuse is just not good enough.

We can keep saying that. Because it's true.

And people saying to change the system to suit the players are barking up the wrong tree. Why play Steve Bruce football again? It doesn't bloody work.

Well this doesnt bloody work either

Because its short - term thinking to expect it to.

[villa `cross the mersey]

does it matter much what the formation is or the system you play if most of the players can't receive the ball and control it or keep possession of it under pressure

Which begs the question - Why do these so called professionals receive such high financial rewards if they can't even master the basic things in the game ?

[john e]

does it matter much what the formation is or the system you play if most of the players can't receive the ball and control it or keep possession of it under pressure

Which begs the question - Why do these so called professionals receive such high financial rewards if they can't even master the basic things in the game ?

I don't know
But in our case it's mainly idiotic managers and idiotic recruitment policy

[Chris Smith]

does it matter much what the formation is or the system you play if most of the players can't receive the ball and control it or keep possession of it under pressure

Which begs the question - Why do these so called professionals receive such high financial rewards if they can't even master the basic things in the game ?

I’m sure they can do it in training. The problem comes when they are up against younger, quicker, smarter, fitter players their limitations are exposed. Until the squad is reshaped and have a pre-season with Smith little will change.

[XXVilla]

I don’t want him sacked but he needs to get more out of the players he’s currently got. We can’t keep saying that it’s not his team or players. If he has aspirations to be a successful manager then this excuse is just not good enough.

We can keep saying that. Because it's true.

And people saying to change the system to suit the players are barking up the wrong tree. Why play Steve Bruce football again? It doesn't bloody work.

Well this doesnt bloody work either

Because its short - term thinking to expect it to.

It’s not short term thinking to expect to be in the top half of the Champoinship whoever our manager or players are. He should be able to get a tune out of this lot.

[Steve67]

There's no guarantee that Smith is the answer. I think I've seen enough to make me hope and believe things can improve.

But, and the poster who wants him sacked now wanted him sacked a month or two back, would have seen Farke sacked long ago. Wilder sacked last season for their run of form. Johnson sacked numerous times over at Bristol. Wagnar sacked at Huddersfield for not improving them in year 1. Monk sacked at the Blues for their awful start.

At some point we've got to back a plan. It doesn't mean you accept the form or performances now, but you understand the context.

Cultural changes take time. China have been engaged in a cultural revolution since the 70s, building high rises to draw peasents out of the countryside, to live in cities and place a demand for an increase to the service economy for the new urban workers. Britain took 100 years in the 19th century to do the same. The leap from Bruce to modernity is on a similar scale.

A pre-season helps, but the more you look around this league the overwhelming difference is legs, running, ticker, whatever you want to call it. We're relying on full backs, central midfielders and wide men who have none.

The player threads are full of it and rightly so. We have the right idea, whether we have the right man time will tell.

I think it's foolish to accept the run, but doubly so to not afford this manager the opportunity of his peers. I think it will work out.

Excellent post Ads.

Yep, spot on Ads. Great post.

Great post and sums up where I am too.

Footyskills, what planet are you on my friend?

[mr underhill]

Keepy Uppy Uranus

[Allan C]

that's the Leeds squad broadly similar to last season's that finished in mid table obscurity?

Yes that’s the one and is that not precisely the point???

[mr underhill]

to be honest Allan i can't remember - if I misinterpreted your post, apologies. My head hasn't recovered from watching our new left back yet.

[Clampy]

I'm with ads on this. We've annoyingly gone backwards from the first few weeks he was here but he showed then how bloody well his teams can play and there's no reason why we can't get back to that kind of level. We need to keep a bit of faith I think.

[PaulWinch again]

I think anyone sensible doesn’t want Smith sacked, clearly. However, he needs to start showing he can adapt, adjust and have more than one string to his bow. The squad can’t play his preferred style, they were an embarrassment last night, he needs to find a way of getting the best out of them in the short-term. It’s not a good squad, but I don’t believe it’s as bad as we have played on numerous occasions in the last few weeks.

[CJ]

I'm with ads on this. We've annoyingly gone backwards from the first few weeks he was here but he showed then how bloody well his teams can play and there's no reason why we can't get back to that kind of level. We need to keep a bit of faith I think.

Second/thirded. Exactly how I feel

[four fornicholl]

Should Smithy not have been able to negate Brentford if it was his team?
Or more likely he can only piss with the cock he's got.

[ROBBO]

It is clear from kick off that all opposition attack the flanks they have watched our games and seen how poor our full backs are, playing Hause at left back was a crap decision he is a central defender if you want to destroy a players confidence coming back off a long lay off then play him out of position, it is something that Bruce would have done.
This is still the Bruce squad and we would be crazy to think of sacking Smith, give him the summer and half a season to see where we are.