Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Demitri_C]

For me he has two legaue games to save his job.

Offering him a new four year contract was straight out the tony xia management structure. A utterly poor decision as it was far to early to reward him knowing we havent been great in the PL

[cdbearsfan]

Going down would clearly be a disaster and I find the attitude of rather go down and keep Dean than stay up without him utterly bizarre.

I'm not sure anyone has said that.

I cannot believe you lot are onto this thread.

I'd rather go down with Smith than sack him, to be honest - and I'm confident the club share that mentality.

If you've paid attention to any of Purslow's interviews, you'd know that we've begun a long-term project, with Smith at the heart of it.

We need some key additions in January and a plan B, not another several years of managerial roundabout.

Well said.

Agreed
I bought into the long term project idea because I was fed up of Aston Villa being on the bloody managerial merry go round for years on end.

There's three.

[cdbearsfan]

Smith cant even blame VAR that much we wouldnt be better off points wise

How do they work that out? Is the assumption that any penalty that was cancelled would have been scored? How do they work out the points value of a VAR red card?

Or that Kevin Friend is a c***.

A good point, well made.

[hilts_coolerking]

For me he has two legaue games to save his job.

Offering him a new four year contract was straight out the tony xia management structure. A utterly poor decision as it was far to early to reward him knowing we havent been great in the PL

I just don't see what could be learned from two more games that we don't know already.  If he wins them both, great, but what if he then loses the next three?  Alternatively, if he loses them it'll just confirm what they already suspect and we'll have wasted more time for a new manager to come in and start getting the points we need.  This is a time for a quick decision, one way or the other.

[Fred Crump]

Guilty as charged. I don’t want us to go down obviously,  but to me the whole ‘ Premier League is everything’ attitude isn’t that important. Aston Villa is. There are lots of Man City fans who are glad they are where they are now but who still supported them when they were in the third division. I’m not criticising those who passionately want to stay up at all costs, it’s just that I have a different, probably old fashioned, view of things.

[mr underhill]

If we were to have had as quick decision he would have gone like the geezer at West Ham. The pornos acted quickly. We haven't, so I think he might be safe.

[Fred Crump]

 Full disclosure. My dirty secret is that I rather enjoyed the championship with some proper clubs, grounds and supporters. There, I’ve said it...!

[TonyD]

For me he has two legaue games to save his job.

Offering him a new four year contract was straight out the tony xia management structure. A utterly poor decision as it was far to early to reward him knowing we havent been great in the PL

I just don't see what could be learned from two more games that we don't know already.  If he wins them both, great, but what if he then loses the next three?  Alternatively, if he loses them it'll just confirm what they already suspect and we'll have wasted more time for a new manager to come in and start getting the points we need.  This is a time for a quick decision, one way or the other.

Can’t see the point of giving him two more games.  He has proved to be so unbelievably stubborn and inept.   Letting him go asap would give the players a lift as they look increasingly exasperated as most of us.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

I know that this is a message board for people to express opinions - fair enough - but there is some nonsense posted on here.

I'm unhappy with our present position, everyone is. But those that say "unacceptable" "out of his depth" "two games to save his job" etc. have to offer an alternative.

The presumption for many appears to be we are doomed to relegation if Smith remains in charge and certain to be saved if there is a change. I don't buy that.

On the basis of the likely candidates available and the inevitable disruption to a squad largely assembled under the current regime, what evidence does anyone have that we will get more points with a new manager than with keeping Smith?

There is none (evidence that is. And no matter how fervently expressed, an opinion is not evidence).

Sacking Smith now will be a punt - and a punt that continues the cycle of attempting short-term fixes to paper over the cracks. It may not be so immediately visible, but the continuation of that approach is what is eroding the stature of our club.

That's not what I want to see. UTV.

[ChicagoLion]

I don’t have a problem with that Fred. There are so many things I dislike about the PL thing, plastic fans, TV hype VAR and the financial bias towards the so called Top Clubs.
The problem I have is with the implications of another relegation.
I look at Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday Derby Forest and think that could be us. We still have the chance to be relevant in fact it’s a chance I thought we had blown.
So given the choice It’s the Premier League because I think the alternative could be so much worse.

[Lastfootstamper]

For me he has two legaue games to save his job.

Offering him a new four year contract was straight out the tony xia management structure. A utterly poor decision as it was far to early to reward him knowing we havent been great in the PL

I just don't see what could be learned from two more games that we don't know already.  If he wins them both, great, but what if he then loses the next three?  Alternatively, if he loses them it'll just confirm what they already suspect and we'll have wasted more time for a new manager to come in and start getting the points we need.  This is a time for a quick decision, one way or the other.

For all we know, that's already been taken.

[TonyD]

Not sacking Dean is a punt - if we’re talking about staying up.

[Drummond]

Going down would clearly be a disaster and I find the attitude of rather go down and keep Dean than stay up without him utterly bizarre.

I'm not sure anyone has said that.

I cannot believe you lot are onto this thread.

I'd rather go down with Smith than sack him, to be honest - and I'm confident the club share that mentality.

If you've paid attention to any of Purslow's interviews, you'd know that we've begun a long-term project, with Smith at the heart of it.

We need some key additions in January and a plan B, not another several years of managerial roundabout.

Well said.

Agreed
I bought into the long term project idea because I was fed up of Aston Villa being on the bloody managerial merry go round for years on end.

There's three.

No. They say they'd rather go down with Smith than sack him. Not that they'd prefer that to staying up with another manager.

There's a big difference.

[Drummond]

Going down would clearly be a disaster and I find the attitude of rather go down and keep Dean than stay up without him utterly bizarre.

I'm not sure anyone has said that.

Yes they have.

You're in panto mode.

[cdbearsfan]

Going down would clearly be a disaster and I find the attitude of rather go down and keep Dean than stay up without him utterly bizarre.

I'm not sure anyone has said that.

I cannot believe you lot are onto this thread.

I'd rather go down with Smith than sack him, to be honest - and I'm confident the club share that mentality.

If you've paid attention to any of Purslow's interviews, you'd know that we've begun a long-term project, with Smith at the heart of it.

We need some key additions in January and a plan B, not another several years of managerial roundabout.

Well said.

Agreed
I bought into the long term project idea because I was fed up of Aston Villa being on the bloody managerial merry go round for years on end.

There's three.

No. They say they'd rather go down with Smith than sack him. Not that they'd prefer that to staying up with another manager.

There's a big difference.

I wish our defence could move the goalposts as well as that...