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Author Topic: Dean Smith - Confirmed  (Read 1522199 times)

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5280 on: December 14, 2019, 06:36:58 PM »
I thought he would be tactically smarter than he is. I’m really disappointed that he only has one way of playing and come hell or high water he is going to stick to it.

He's always played 4-2-3-1/4-3-3. At Walsall it was Romaine Sawyers as number 10 (he's playing a bit deeper at WBA now) and was same at Brentford. Would play two wide players although one was usually tucked in as we see when Jack plays out wide.

Don't think I can ever remember Walsall playing 3 at the back and I saw a decent amount of games in his five years there. Given how bad we've looked against Wolves and Sheffield's 3-5-2s I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world to match them up as we clearly struggle to find space and keep up with them in the two games.

My big concern all season is he's simply too slow to make changes when games are in the balance. All season it's cost us points. That's the difference between the bog standard survival premier league managers and ones who have potential to be top end managers, Dean looks to me like he'll be in the first category.

Offline Jon Crofts

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5281 on: December 14, 2019, 06:43:21 PM »
Apparently we were the better side defensively today according to Dean. How does that work then?

O’Leary type bollocks.

Offline rougegorge

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5282 on: December 14, 2019, 06:43:40 PM »
If we don't get at least 2 wins from the next 3 games, his position will be even more precarious..

Going back down would be a disaster. We would be starting from square one again as all the good players will leave.

A few years ago Nigel Adkins did a fantastic  job with Southampton getting them into the Prem, but then the board reckoned they could do better and got in Poch in the January of that season, and they weren't in as poor a position at the time.

Presumably our board will more than likely stick with Dean having given him that extended contract?

Offline KevinGage

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5283 on: December 14, 2019, 06:44:41 PM »
Without knowing what they work on in training, I'm not going to advocate he suddenly switches to three at the back if he's never done that in competitive games or preparation before.  You do that, and players suddenly start to feel they're in pig in a poke territory and the bit of confidence we have will soon evaporate.

If he's not comfortable doing it, avoid.  But we need fresh impetus, even if it's within his favoured 4-3-3 etc. 

We've had iffy results before, but this is a bad spell of form.  It's a blessing that Jan is only two weeks away.  I hope new personnel are lined up and ready to come in, and we don't just wing it until Jan 31.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5284 on: December 14, 2019, 06:48:44 PM »

Seriously though, if we're sliding this fast it'll have to happen with the majority of the transfer window still available, and it'll need to be a manager who has a defined, organised style and knows how tough it is to grind out cheap results in this league. I can only really think of Benitez.
If we're talking about replacements now, I'd love to see Pochettino managing Villa.

Offline KevinGage

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5285 on: December 14, 2019, 06:53:23 PM »
Well Pep has a break clause in his contract, maybe we can negotiate.

I'm not sure what will transpire over the next few months but I'm pretty certain Pochettino, Van Gaal or Diego Simeone won't be in the Villa dugout anytime soon.

Offline villa `cross the mersey

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5286 on: December 14, 2019, 06:53:23 PM »
I thought he would be tactically smarter than he is. I’m really disappointed that he only has one way of playing and come hell or high water he is going to stick to it.
He certainly doesn't appear to be the progressive manager we all thought we were getting - Benitez would be a viable alternative - I'm just so disappointed that he appears to be going down a similar route to previous managers .......ie offering lame excuses to cover his own shortcomings - tactical nous for example - that said, the squad appears unfit compared to other teams

Online N'ZMAV

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5287 on: December 14, 2019, 06:55:09 PM »
it's like Martin O'Neill again, in the sense that there's no plan B.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5288 on: December 14, 2019, 06:55:34 PM »
After watching today's game, the issues that concern me are that Smith has to change his one-plan strategy and become more adaptable. Also, I felt today that not sussing out and nullifying the SheffU 'out-ball' game (Norwood to Baldock) seemed naive. I don't get why playing Grealish on the left wing can be beneficial in any way. And, bringing on three subs but not changing the game-plan (they were just 3 straight replacements) seems wasteful and non-productive.

In my view, playing 4-3-3 isn’t working: our fullbacks are better wingbacks and I’d applaud a go at 3-5-2, with a narrower midfield and the wingbacks exploiting the wide space.

Smith's capability is seriously under review now. That is clear.

Offline VillaAlways

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5289 on: December 14, 2019, 07:04:04 PM »
it's like Martin O'Neill again, in the sense that there's no plan B.
And everyone in between

Offline Rudy65

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5290 on: December 14, 2019, 07:14:30 PM »
SJM has been largely shit this season.

Having injections before every games apparently

Offline themossman

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5291 on: December 14, 2019, 07:14:58 PM »
I don’t think smith’s a bad manager but the point getting made in all these threads is right - the difference between good championship managers and the next level is the ability to change tactics between and during games. Smith doesn’t seem to have that and his language suggests there’s virtue in sticking rigidly to an approach which obviously isn’t the case.

Offline TheMalandro

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5292 on: December 14, 2019, 07:43:59 PM »
SJM has been largely shit this season.

Having injections before every games apparently

That would explain the crazy comment.

Offline Fred Crump

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5293 on: December 14, 2019, 08:07:44 PM »
I am a massive Smith admirer and I don’t like criticising him, but Mr E over in the post match thread has done a really good bit of analysis in my view. A bit more flexibility and picking the right players and formations for particular games would enable him to get the best out of the squad he’s got. I still think we will be ok , but these next few games are critical. We have to find a way of getting Jack more central, but not too deep, giving SJM a rest and getting runners beyond Wes. Then sign Bowen and a competent striker in January and we will be ok

Offline Fred Crump

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #5294 on: December 14, 2019, 08:09:56 PM »
... or maybe on this thread , I dunno.

 


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