Dean Smith - Confirmed

[curiousorange]

I never had you down as being born in the nineteenth century Louise.

Sorry I missed this post!

Simple explanation.
Time travel, mr. u.
I was off visiting 2057 when the Villa won the FA Cup again.  Oh, the celebrations!

The FA Cup, by that time, being a pre-season tournament played in a mostly empty stadium in China's twentieth smallest city over the course of an afternoon.

[KRS]

I don't think he has hidden behind the loss of Grealish. I think everybody has created a hiding place for him. Smith hasn't said much about why it's not working and until the article in the last couple of days hasn't really gone into detail about what the plan is or why we're playing like we're playing. Yet somehow he's beyond reproach. Some things he can't control, but there is loads he can. That's what I'm most annoyed about - the acceptance of the idea that Smith simply can't get a tune out the squad because they're too dumb or unathletic to do what he wants them to.

Just because they are wearing the famous claret and blue doesn't make them good players. We have to be honest and admit that these players are proper shite...they are mid table Championship players at best and that's why we are where we are, and that's why missing the likes of Grealish and Axel at this level makes such a difference.

[Louzie0]

I never had you down as being born in the nineteenth century Louise.

Sorry I missed this post!

Simple explanation.
Time travel, mr. u.
I was off visiting 2057 when the Villa won the FA Cup again.  Oh, the celebrations!

The FA Cup, by that time, being a pre-season tournament played in a mostly empty stadium in China's twentieth smallest city over the course of an afternoon.

Oi! MarsUK Superbus Systems were tough opposition.

[curiousorange]

No, that doesn't work for me. They may be limited but most of them were here under Bruce and came within a game of promotion. That doesn't make them good, or even make the football good, but they did work in a certain system and are certainly capable of the basics. Why should Smith get a nod of sympathy for not recognising that?

[mr underhill]

he shouldn't Curious but we had a better team. Johnstone was better the Terry Chester partnership was better, Hutton and Elmo were playing better and were given much more protection by Albert and Snoddy, Hourihane was scoring , Grabban came in and did well, etc  etc.

[KRS]

Well that doesn't work for me...the team last season was much stronger with the likes of Johnstone, Terry and Snodgrass. We all know that there wasn't much of a "system" or style of play under Bruce...it was all very much as clueless as what we're seeing now, expect we have a weaker squad and have suffered major long term injuries to 3 of our best players. What is left is a very average team that is just about where it belongs. If you want to point the finger of blame then the players need to take more responsibility for their incompetence in doing the basics rather than Smith.

[ChicagoLion]

No, that doesn't work for me. They may be limited but most of them were here under Bruce and came within a game of promotion. That doesn't make them good, or even make the football good, but they did work in a certain system and are certainly capable of the basics. Why should Smith get a nod of sympathy for not recognising that?

Worked a system and capable of the basics, time does a funny thing to the memory
And we had Snodgrass Terry  Grabban.

Oh yes and a decent goalkeeper

[hilts_coolerking]

Well that doesn't work for me...the team last season was much stronger with the likes of Johnstone, Terry and Snodgrass. We all know that there wasn't much of a "system" or style of play under Bruce...it was all very much as clueless as what we're seeing now, expect we have a weaker squad and have suffered major long term injuries to 3 of our best players. What is left is a very average team that is just about where it belongs. If you want to point the finger of blame then the players need to take more responsibility for their incompetence in doing the basics rather than Smith.

So we have to endure this shite until such time as Smith decides he's got a squad of his own?  How long is that going to take?  How much is it going to cost?  For me he's got to demonstrate that he can work in testing circumstances as well as at times when he feels everything is in his favour.

[ozzjim]

Smith is a passenger until the summer. Then he hits the driving seat with his own squad. Guardiola spoke last week about how hard it is to change a style of play. Stick with him, support him and see what happens next season.

[Three Spires Villa]

I don't think he has hidden behind the loss of Grealish. I think everybody has created a hiding place for him. Smith hasn't said much about why it's not working and until the article in the last couple of days hasn't really gone into detail about what the plan is or why we're playing like we're playing. Yet somehow he's beyond reproach. Some things he can't control, but there is loads he can. That's what I'm most annoyed about - the acceptance of the idea that Smith simply can't get a tune out the squad because they're too dumb or unathletic to do what he wants them to.

Just because they are wearing the famous claret and blue doesn't make them good players. We have to be honest and admit that these players are proper shite...they are mid table Championship players at best and that's why we are where we are, and that's why missing the likes of Grealish and Axel at this level makes such a difference.

That’s ok, but just because the manager is a Villa fan doesn’t mean he can do no wrong

[XXVilla]

Smith is a passenger until the summer. Then he hits the driving seat with his own squad. Guardiola spoke last week about how hard it is to change a style of play. Stick with him, support him and see what happens next season.

That was Guardiola though

[ChicagoLion]

I don't think he has hidden behind the loss of Grealish. I think everybody has created a hiding place for him. Smith hasn't said much about why it's not working and until the article in the last couple of days hasn't really gone into detail about what the plan is or why we're playing like we're playing. Yet somehow he's beyond reproach. Some things he can't control, but there is loads he can. That's what I'm most annoyed about - the acceptance of the idea that Smith simply can't get a tune out the squad because they're too dumb or unathletic to do what he wants them to.

Just because they are wearing the famous claret and blue doesn't make them good players. We have to be honest and admit that these players are proper shite...they are mid table Championship players at best and that's why we are where we are, and that's why missing the likes of Grealish and Axel at this level makes such a difference.

That’s ok, but just because the manager is a Villa fan doesn’t mean he can do no wrong

I could not give a fuck about that and I seriously doubt that holds any water with most Villa fans.

[goldenjimi]

Maybe Smith is going to turn out to be our Lambert at Wolves or Higginbottom at Leeds and we are going to be transformed next season!

[KRS]

Well that doesn't work for me...the team last season was much stronger with the likes of Johnstone, Terry and Snodgrass. We all know that there wasn't much of a "system" or style of play under Bruce...it was all very much as clueless as what we're seeing now, expect we have a weaker squad and have suffered major long term injuries to 3 of our best players. What is left is a very average team that is just about where it belongs. If you want to point the finger of blame then the players need to take more responsibility for their incompetence in doing the basics rather than Smith.

So we have to endure this shite until such time as Smith decides he's got a squad of his own?  How long is that going to take?  How much is it going to cost?  For me he's got to demonstrate that he can work in testing circumstances as well as at times when he feels everything is in his favour.

Yes. Until Jack, Chester and Axel return from injury, then unfortunately the best I can see from this bunch is the odd win or draw every now and again.

The good news is that we will lose most of these wasters in the summer, and we'll have the opportunity to bring in some replacements...but we'll have to hope they are much better and more astute signings that what this new set up identified in January. In terms of costs, it doesn't have to cost the earth...just look at the likes of Leeds, Norwich and Sheff Utd with their bunch of unknowns that are capable of playing like a team.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Unfortunately I don't think he can make wholesale changes. Our best young players are out on loan, and he must know that performances/results will be even worse if he drops these so called first team players.

@VCTM - please don't try and under value the loss of Grealish and Axel, and don't listen to anyone that claims we have the strongest squad in the league. Any team would miss both of those players and they were instrumental to the performances and results when Smith first came in. Without them we are a poor average mid table Championship team because that is the level of the players we have left.

I acknowledge that but if any team\club That  relies too heavily on one or two players you are screwed when they are not available - surely that's the point of a large squad - having adequate replacements - for me the issue is that we don't have a strong Team, prepared to work hard for each other - Leeds, Norwich and Sheffield Utd are tight knit units bursting a gut to get the right results - for us there is the get out that we are missing our two best players but surely that does explain the massive decline in performances since they've been unavailable - maybe that's what we will see next season - a whole new batch of hard working younger players - but it's gonna take longer than a summer to knit them together as a team - two seasons I would guess - will Smith be afforded that time? I think not