Dean Smith - Confirmed

[DB]

I said get the fat waiter a week ago I see that as the only hope of staying up, give him a decent amount to get a couple in and try and offload whatever we can.

Agreed. He did well on a tight budget at Newcastle, so maybe with a bit of cash in Jan he can get us going. Smith just looks out of his depth the more the season progresses l, I really want him to succeed but I can't help thinking he is another Ch-ship manager that can't do it in the Prem.

[Sexual Ealing]

There's just something immensely offputting about FSW.

Throughout his tenure at Newcastle, any criticism was met with a shrug of the shoulders and a 'what do you expect?' level of contempt.  Bruce with even less control over signings seems to be doing as well there.

Any time I caught Newcastle back in the top flight on his watch, his sole intention seemed to be to kill the game as a spectacle and hope to nick something.

His overall record can't be ignored, but not for me.

I wouldn't be completely stunned of Smudger turned it around from here. A win and a draw from the next two and we could be back up and running.

He needs to drop Wesley for the next match, mind.  For the player's own good as well as ours.

Agreed. Benitez is just Pulis if he'd been to finishing school.

[ChicagoLion]

Smith has shown no flexibility or imagination or willingness to see what is going wrong and change it.
Where do you go with someone who repeatedly makes poor decisions and sticks to them?
I have not wanted a manager to succeed more, but his stubbornness is his downfall and I can not see how he is going to get out of this. It is now a matter of when not if.
Very very sad.

[olaftab]

Smith will not be sacked in the short term. We are likely to stick by him even if we .........d. However I think Dean will resign if we lose our next two games.

[OzVilla]

So after half the season gone we’e in the relegation places, still look tactically naive, look less fit than other teams, only play 1 formation despite not having the right players to play it, our 2nd half performances have been a disaster, our in game management has cost us points on its own and the team has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on. 

On the plus side, he’s honest, he doesn’t bullshit in post match interviews, seems a really nice bloke and is a diehard Villa fan. 

If we were talking about managing a Sunday pub team you’d be inclined to stick with him but on any professional level I’m sorry to say I’m struggling to find reasons for him to stay. He needs 2 wins quickly to steady the ship or he’ll be gone and deservedly so unfortunately.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Unlike Bruce, it appears Dean Smith has a plan A that he coaches (though it didn't look like that yesterday). Just like Bruce unfortunately, Dean has no plan B. 4 away points all season should tell you that 433 away from home is not working and that something else needs to be tried, if only to secure draws. The worrying thing now is that our 433 has been sussed out at home and if it takes another half a season to work this out then we are
f-cked. Revert to 3 cbs if you want your full backs to bomb on. Play with Jack or Jota just off Wesley if you want to persevere with him but for f-cks sake do something different! 6 points from the next 2 games is an absolute must!

[VinnieChase84]

Rafa and Purslow hate each other so that one won’t be happening

[Demitri_C]

This might sound ridiculous but if smith goes id seriously try get wenger in.

If we promise him cash and ambition i think he may be interested.

[Bobby Boy]

How we set up against Norwich will let everyone know what has been learned from Southampton. Continuing with a 433 would be criminal.

Dean isn't making the most of what he has. Go 442 with Kodjia playing off Wesley. Be more compact in midfield, less open and let's see what happens.

Norwich aren't great but they are quick and slick on the counter. Play the same way as yesterday and they will play through us.

Let's change. After yesterday we have nothing to lose.

[brian green]

As for Wenger,  he knows that Villa Park is littered with the careers of Frenchmen.  A black hole into which his kinsmen disappear.

(See Secret Santa)

[PaulWinch again]

Full on crisis time now. Dean, your system is not working and we are getting worse. Work out a different game plan or we are toast.

[TonyD]

So is Dean suddenly going to change his formation, drop the clown Wes, play Jack in the middle, use subs properly, have a plan B and get the team fit?

Is he bollocks. 

Get rid while still have a chance to stay up. 

[TonyD]

I also think we need a next manager poll.

[passport1]

Yep the owners need to know who our new messiah is.

[Roysmert]

done.