Dean Smith - Confirmed

[mr underhill]

Dean's fucked  - he knows it , the players know it and we know it. Just listen to that post match interview. When you stop and analyse it, the defense  ships too many goals, the midfield is too lightweight and the forwards are just useless. We have one stand out player and brilliant as he is, he isn't going to keep us up single handed.

[Damo70]

But Brian you were at the front of the charge saying a Bruce type manager was the last thing we needed in the PL and the days for that type of dinosaur football is long gone.  Are you prepared to throw all that principle away to get into bed with the Devil (an Alardyce / Moyes or the like)?

Allardyce is a far better manager than Bruce will ever be, and does not deserve to be labelled a dinosaur. I think he would keep us up and then establish us midtable next season.

I have already said that Allardyce would keep us up this season and take us forward next season. He did it with Blackburn, Sunderland, Palace and Everton. I don't understand why so many people look down their nose at him given his track record. He is far from a dinosaur and was ahead of his time regarding sports science after his spell in the USA. Stuff the long term and concentrate on the next four months for now. Reevaluate and regroup in the summer.

[achilles]

We either sack him before the window closes or keep him till the end of the season (and let him try and get us back up next season)!

To be honest I have no problem with Allardyce either, he has proved that he gets results!

[KevinGage]

But Brian you were at the front of the charge saying a Bruce type manager was the last thing we needed in the PL and the days for that type of dinosaur football is long gone.  Are you prepared to throw all that principle away to get into bed with the Devil (an Alardyce / Moyes or the like)?

Allardyce is a far better manager than Bruce will ever be, and does not deserve to be labelled a dinosaur. I think he would keep us up and then establish us midtable next season.

I hoped we wouldn't be having this sort of discussion but there is logic to it.

Sadly.

With our lack of draws we'd need to grind out at least five wins between now and the end of the season. 

[Mellin]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

[Toronto Villa]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

[Drummond]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

And that squad have been drilled, and drilled, and drilled, together for over 3 years.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

Indeed. Rule Number One for survival in your first season in the PL is be hard to beat. Build from a solid defence.

Dean's Rule Number One is to play open attacking football and hope to score more goals than the opposition.

[Toronto Villa]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

And that squad have been drilled, and drilled, and drilled, together for over 3 years.

No doubt Drummond. I’m not taking away from the magnitude of the task at hand when recruiting and integrating as many players as we did. But given that the system of 4-3-3 is far too open for the PL for a club in our position. It was tactically naive to go in our first season back with only that plan which is what he stuck with until very recently. And especially when you consider we had an experienced striker at the top to glue our attacks together.

[Luke8]

It's the lack of draws that have hurt us. We've actually only won one less than Wolves and Sheff Utd, but they turn defeats in to draws and we turn draws in to defeats.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it's the defence that has really letting us down. Wolves have only scored 3 more goals than us, Sheff Utd have scored 4 less than us but we've conceded more than double than them. Only Norwich have conceded more - two more.

We're the ninth highest scorers in the league with the second worst defence.

In part it goes to personnel. We have the worst grouping of full backs in the division. We have made horrible mistakes at the back across all of our CB’s. And then we don’t play as a group, so often there are massive gaps between our midfield and forwards. I would have thought the priority would have been just as you described Sheff Utd. They have a lot of league one and Championship players who have been coached really well and are not punching well above their weight in the PL. They have incredible discipline and a well thought out structure. We don’t and it shows week after week.

Sheffield United have had the distinct advantage that six of the first team are now into at least the third season at the club. And they have only really had to add one/two players into their first team for this season.
Wilder is an exceptional coach who has them playing their system really well but it definitely helps that most of them have been doing it for a while.

Edit - Sorry, just noticed that Drummond made the point a lot quicker and more succinctly than I did.

[paul_e]

But Brian you were at the front of the charge saying a Bruce type manager was the last thing we needed in the PL and the days for that type of dinosaur football is long gone.  Are you prepared to throw all that principle away to get into bed with the Devil (an Alardyce / Moyes or the like)?

Allardyce is a far better manager than Bruce will ever be, and does not deserve to be labelled a dinosaur. I think he would keep us up and then establish us midtable next season.

I have already said that Allardyce would keep us up this season and take us forward next season. He did it with Blackburn, Sunderland, Palace and Everton. I don't understand why so many people look down their nose at him given his track record. He is far from a dinosaur and was ahead of his time regarding sports science after his spell in the USA. Stuff the long term and concentrate on the next four months for now. Reevaluate and regroup in the summer.

It's pretty simple, it's because he's a wanker. That he got his dream job and fucked it up by taking dodgy money says everything you need to know about him.

[brontebilly]

But Brian you were at the front of the charge saying a Bruce type manager was the last thing we needed in the PL and the days for that type of dinosaur football is long gone.  Are you prepared to throw all that principle away to get into bed with the Devil (an Alardyce / Moyes or the like)?

Allardyce is a far better manager than Bruce will ever be, and does not deserve to be labelled a dinosaur. I think he would keep us up and then establish us midtable next season.

With our current playing squad Allardyce or Guardiola wouldn't keep us up. Our midfield has been torn apart since week one despite every possible combination being tried. No we have no forward to even attempt and go direct with either.

A more experienced manager wouldn't have tolerated our two farcical signings in the last week possibly but we are going down without another three or four in capable of starting the majority of our remaining games. Starting with Saturday. Irrespective if Smith stays or goes that has to be the priority.

[ChicagoLion]

Smith is not going anywhere.
The time to sack him was after the Watford defeat and following Southampton.
That might have given a new manager with different contacts to do something to have an impact.

[wince]

Disappointed with the results but can we, as a club, continue the 18 month cycle of changing managers? It seems we consistently get the wrong manager or we break them down. Something must be bubbling away under the surface as new players, new managers and even new owners are not having an impact. I’ve said before but who is training our players? This is the only consistent thing I can think of. Dean needs to be less stubborn and get a plan b because we are not drawing games. That is the key and what saved Lamberts dire brand of football. If we can’t win just don’t bloody lose!