Dean Smith - Confirmed

[garyshawsknee]

A back 4 containing Mings, Axel and Chester is strong on paper. Jack, McGinn and Hourihane worked before. We know what Tammy can, it's our lack of wide options that is worrying and the games running out too.

[Diablo]

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.

No point playing death metal when the crowd want classical and nobody listens to death metal any more.

But then you have a band who can only play death metal and the show must go on so...

I think Bruce was our Death Metal

And on the subject of the Footyskillz insightful or not debate ? I'm definitely in the insightful camp (some people just need to tune in and turn on).

[brontebilly]

A back 4 containing Mings, Axel and Chester is strong on paper. Jack, McGinn and Hourihane worked before. We know what Tammy can, it's our lack of wide options that is worrying and the games running out too.

There isn't a hope of us going on the sort of late run to nick a playoff spot. Crap and all as our options are, they are still miles better than many squads above us in the division. We are effectively replicating the free pass Bruce was given in season one with Smith this season.

[old man villa fan]

A back 4 containing Mings, Axel and Chester is strong on paper. Jack, McGinn and Hourihane worked before. We know what Tammy can, it's our lack of wide options that is worrying and the games running out too.

There isn't a hope of us going on the sort of late run to nick a playoff spot. Crap and all as our options are, they are still miles better than many squads above us in the division. We are effectively replicating the free pass Bruce was given in season one with Smith this season.

Football is a team game and we are struggling to put an effective team on the pitch. It is easy to put 11 individuals on the pitch but getting them to perform as a team is the difficult part and it usually it takes time at this level.

[tomd2103]

Perhaps he sits behind the dug out and therefore doesn't take him a lot of effort to do both.  It's not impossible to imagine that with things going as badly as they are, that two people who were thrust together and didn't really know each other before maybe aren't getting on as well as they might?

Can see Terry leaving at the end of the season.  Not due to a fall out with Smith, but to get his own gig somewhere. 

[mr underhill]

with us? , only in jest before the opprobrium commences

[john e]

Rosler and Warburton were successful at Brentford (with better win ratios than Smith). Where are they now?

I get it. He did ok at a smaller club. He's a Villa fan. But, his players or not, he has to do better than he is doing at the moment. We're not only not winning, we look like we're going backwards!

Dean Smith has a track record of building teams to play in a certain way. We've seen first hand what those teams look like every time we've played Brentford in this league. He did it at Walsall then made the step up to do it at Brentford. There's no reason to think he won't do the same at Villa Park. But patience is the key. I'm certain the squad we're currently seeing will be unrecognisable in the near future but for fuck's sake give the man a chance to prove himself.

I know this is the new mantra we trot out when things are going bad, the Bruce mantra was the 4 promotions

I agree with it and want to see it happen
but I would still like to see some small evidence of improvements now

I'm not asking for a long winning run whilst playing beautiful football, just maybe a team performance where the players don't look like strangers and know the basics of pass and control of a football which had been missing for quite a while now

just some little hopes that Smiths philosophy can even with our bunch of ne'er-do-wells drag something out of them that isn't pure shit

and the whole thing doesn't just rely on the - lets magically get a whole new bunch of different and better players together and we will be great and get some usefull results

we need a better manager than that, let's hope we got one

[mr underhill]

I've seen one really good performance at home this season - the win against Birmingham. The Forest draw was entertaining, but a comedy of errors. I thought about missing tomorrow but will go more in ope than expectation. We need a Birmingham type performance tomorrow.

[footyskillz]

This is an interesting observation from a Brentford forum site.   

John Terry spent the game bending the 4th official's ear, or standing as far away from Dean Smith as possible or flouncing back to his seat. The only communication between him and Dean Smith was after a spell of pressure (a spell LOL, probably most of the game) Smith turned to Terry and told him to advise his defenders. Terry did this wirly thing with his fingers and pointed, it was very bizarre, I had to laugh, WTF was that meant to mean. On another occassion, when Villa were going forward, 2 of the defenders looked at Terry and strugged, looking like a couple of lost kids on a pitch not knowing what to do. I've never seen a pro footballer do this before. All in all, Smith & Terry are NOT working well together, their body language and lack of communication said it all. Villa were cr@p

If this brentford thing is accurate then it confirms my concerns about the level of coaching JT has.
It's entry level and has been concerning.
I flagged this up weeks ago. Oh good example of insight !

The observation maybe exaggerated but provide some logic to the inept displays from the defence.

That said the defensive nature has actually improved so maybe this bitter bee is just stirring the Smith /JT pot as they wish they had a taste of our sweet honey!

Up the villa !!

[Richard]

I've noticed the GK coach is the one nearest Smith most of the time which I find a bit strange when it should be Kelly or JT

[villa `cross the mersey]

I've noticed the GK coach is the one nearest Smith most of the time which I find a bit strange when it should be Kelly or JT

They are probably having a laugh about they would never have spent £7 million on such a pile of shit whilst at Brentford only joking, I think LK is a wonderful acquisition and will be our GK for many years to come

[footyskillz]

How true were those Fonseca and Faria rumours before Smithy had the job.
? ( And all that Henry Stuff)

These are all would be coaches to fit into some alleged footballing strategy the villa now have with a Sporting director.

So that means a head coach is expendable as the next coach comes in who would have a similar football playing style.

One thing with Smith is that he doesn't have any success or  record of dealing with big players.

I  think it's clear villa changing the structure to have less of such players and more players who can develop with potential or sell on

And I think we do need to be aware that without promotion the ffp thing will really become an issue where the seemingly foundations of planning are based on a far smaller scale - termed 'sustainable'.

Yes Dean smith can cater for the smaller players and up and coming and that shows that's the path headed down in order to compensate for ffp.

The football will become fun and entertaining on a consistent basis. However the status may be lost .

It's really a need for a push to go up this season or we get a basically development team something like a Southampton of premier league who will sell on players .

Or worse (with respect) a Brentford style status of being a well run club that develop players to be sold and being stable in championship.

[SheffieldVillain]

It's really a need for a push to go up this season or we get a basically development team something like a Southampton of premier league who will sell on players .

Or worse (with respect) a Brentford style status of being a well run club that develop players to be sold and being stable in championship.

Interesting points footy. I'd say this though.

Most teams in the premier league to one degree or another have become teams who will sell on players. Mahrez - too big for Leicester, moves onto City, they buy in Maddison who is being linked with Spurs. Everton - bought in Lukaku, too big for them, moves onto United. And so on. Even in their own way Spurs - sold Bale and Modric which financed a number of new young signings.

As to the second, we've just spent £7m on a goalkeeper and £4.5m on a right back, as well as offering £12m for Mepham. I don't think you need worry about us aiming for a Brentford style policy of having to make do with frees and £500k signings to sell on.

[XXVilla]

It's really a need for a push to go up this season or we get a basically development team something like a Southampton of premier league who will sell on players .

Or worse (with respect) a Brentford style status of being a well run club that develop players to be sold and being stable in championship.

Interesting points footy. I'd say this though.

Most teams in the premier league to one degree or another have become teams who will sell on players. Mahrez - too big for Leicester, moves onto City, they buy in Maddison who is being linked with Spurs. Everton - bought in Lukaku, too big for them, moves onto United. And so on. Even in their own way Spurs - sold Bale and Modric which financed a number of new young signings.

As to the second, we've just spent £7m on a goalkeeper and £4.5m on a right back, as well as offering £12m for Mepham. I don't think you need worry about us aiming for a Brentford style policy of having to make do with frees and £500k signings to sell on.

The only non selling clubs are Real Madrid and Barcelona

[hilts_coolerking]

I think the definition of a selling club is one that routinely sells its best players, as opposed to occasionally.