Dean Smith - Confirmed

[mallo]

And the sleeves on the shirts are incredibly tight on the forearms

[brontebilly]

Given the resources at his disposal relative to the rest of the league, he did a terrible job. Most of the time we played some awful stuff. Really crap football where he was bailed out by last minute heroics and moments of individual magic. And he combined his blandness with a condescending attitude to anyone who would dare to criticize him. Like somehow we were lucky to have him.

I don’t hate him. He played his part in stabilizing the club at a shit time. But let’s not suggest for a second he did anything more than that or anything extraordinary that say, a Neil Warnock couldn’t have done.

Wolves surely had more resources than us? Boro spent big money under Gary Monk too without success. The likes of Fulham and Cardiff were better balanced teams than we were but can't agree that we weren't good to watch.

We scored shed loads of goals that season, including hammering Wolves at home. Grealish when he came back from injury, Grabban and Snodgrass were superb. Hourihane scored a load of goals from midfield. Chester and Terry playing out from the back.

If success is judged solely on getting us promoted then yes Bruce failed. I'd argue the truth is a bit more nuanced than that. Running out that piss head McCormack, rehabilitation of Grealish and signing of McGinn were a decent legacy alone. He made stupid recruitment mistakes when under pressure the last summer, Thierry Henry being strongly linked to come in at the time hardly helped, but overall his reign was very much a positive for me.

[LeeB]

Given the resources at his disposal relative to the rest of the league, he did a terrible job. Most of the time we played some awful stuff. Really crap football where he was bailed out by last minute heroics and moments of individual magic. And he combined his blandness with a condescending attitude to anyone who would dare to criticize him. Like somehow we were lucky to have him.

I don’t hate him. He played his part in stabilizing the club at a shit time. But let’s not suggest for a second he did anything more than that or anything extraordinary that say, a Neil Warnock couldn’t have done.

Wolves surely had more resources than us? Boro spent big money under Gary Monk too without success. The likes of Fulham and Cardiff were better balanced teams than we were but can't agree that we weren't good to watch.

We scored shed loads of goals that season, including hammering Wolves at home. Grealish when he came back from injury, Grabban and Snodgrass were superb. Hourihane scored a load of goals from midfield. Chester and Terry playing out from the back.

If success is judged solely on getting us promoted then yes Bruce failed. I'd argue the truth is a bit more nuanced than that. Running out that piss head McCormack, rehabilitation of Grealish and signing of McGinn were a decent legacy alone. He made stupid recruitment mistakes when under pressure the last summer, Thierry Henry being strongly linked to come in at the time hardly helped, but overall his reign was very much a positive for me.

We had no reason not to start that season on fire but it took us ages to get going, by which point we had too much ground to make up, and when we did get close after battering Wolves, we got stuffed at home by QPR FFS.

[chrisw1]

I can't see much difference in the style of football we play either now than under Bruce, the odd game of 'exciting' football

Wow. 

Just spotted that this has been picked up on Twitter, you might go viral!
https://twitter.com/TheTremontiPick/status/1198677983743168512

[LeeB]

I can't see much difference in the style of football we play either now than under Bruce, the odd game of 'exciting' football

Wow. 

Just spotted that this has been picked up on Twitter, you might go viral!
https://twitter.com/TheTremontiPick/status/1198677983743168512

All these years and I never knew Stevie Wonder was a Villa fan.

[Drummond]

It was Bruce signings that got us up, as pointed out by DS after the Play Off Final.

So he was doing a shit job then and couldn't manage and coach the players he bought.

The style and approach is (literally) in a different league thanks to Smith. Results are similar but I'd put that down to the aforementioned different league.

[PeterWithesShin]

I can't see much difference in the style of football we play either now than under Bruce, the odd game of 'exciting' football

Wow. 

Just spotted that this has been picked up on Twitter, you might go viral!
https://twitter.com/TheTremontiPick/status/1198677983743168512

I disagree with what Flin5tone says but what a wanker move posting it on Twitter.

[AsTallAsLions]

I can't see much difference in the style of football we play either now than under Bruce, the odd game of 'exciting' football

Wow. 

Just spotted that this has been picked up on Twitter, you might go viral!
https://twitter.com/TheTremontiPick/status/1198677983743168512

I disagree with what Flin5tone says but what a wanker move posting it on Twitter.

Agreed.

[PeterWithe]

Never had a particular axe to grind with Bruce, he managed to get in some very talented players, and then seemingly had little plan on how to set them up into anything more than an expensive group of individuals. He was quite open about not understanding or seeing the benefits of modern tactics. Which is why the more inquisitive Smith did far better with those similar resources.

He didn’t do as well as we all thought he should have done, he won’t be the last. He’s had a very profitable managerial career based on being a solid player at a high profile club and a motivator, a nice bloke. I think clubs will now be looking for far more in a manager.

[Flin5tone]

Thanks for highlighting the Twitter post

Apparently I need a slap for having an opinion on football managers.

[Risso]

I think he's summed up by his last pre-season.  In his own inimitable style, he wittered on about "having a little go at playing three at the back" which he did for most if not all of pre-season, before ditching it completely for the start of the season.  Then as soon as results started going against him, it was all the fault of the fans.

[Damo70]

He could be top of the league and it wouldn't alter that his 'style' of football is shit. Has always been shit. And will always be shit.

My local was pretty much a 50/50 mix of noses and Villa fans when Bruce was at the sty. Even though Small Heath were probably doing as well under him as I could remember in my lifetime the noses I drank with hated the style of football.

[chrisw1]

I can't see much difference in the style of football we play either now than under Bruce, the odd game of 'exciting' football

Wow. 

Just spotted that this has been picked up on Twitter, you might go viral!
https://twitter.com/TheTremontiPick/status/1198677983743168512

I disagree with what Flin5tone says but what a wanker move posting it on Twitter.

It's not me!

[chrisw1]

Thanks for highlighting the Twitter post

Apparently I need a slap for having an opinion on football managers.

To be fair with 10 likes and 1 retweet you haven't got too much to worry about.

[PeterWithesShin]

I didn't mean to imply it was as I assumed it wasn't you but rather some sad twat.