Dean Smith - Confirmed

[ChicagoLion]

It’s pretty obvious that a few criticizing the shape have never played in defense or maybe at all.

Most football fans of any age will have played at some level, certainly my generation anyway. You don't have any special insight just because you've done it too.

Maybe the difference is playing with for people who know how to organize a team and a defense. There are some bat shit crazy comments about Engels position and the position of the players that make absolutely no sense at all.

[Drummond]

At the time we got Smith, many many people on here were happy that we'd take a risk, try and win rather than try not to lose.

"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" springs to mind.

We're trying win and coming close. The football is much better.

The defeats hurt, possibly more than a 1-0 loss under Bruce, but the wins are so much better.

It's nerve shredding. But we're a better attacking side than we've been for years.

It's high risk stuff mind.

[ChicagoLion]

At the time we got Smith, many many people on here were happy that we'd take a risk, try and win rather than try not to lose.

"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" springs to mind.

We're trying win and coming close. The football is much better.

The defeats hurt, possibly more than a 1-0 loss under Bruce, but the wins are so much better.

It's nerve shredding. But we're a better attacking side than we've been for years.

It's high risk stuff mind.

If I was a neutral I would watch Villa games because it’s exciting stuff usually.
The Spurs game was great to watch until we got done at the end.

[Three Spires Villa]

At the time we got Smith, many many people on here were happy that we'd take a risk, try and win rather than try not to lose.

"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" springs to mind.

We're trying win and coming close. The football is much better.

The defeats hurt, possibly more than a 1-0 loss under Bruce, but the wins are so much better.

It's nerve shredding. But we're a better attacking side than we've been for years.

It's high risk stuff mind.

If I was a neutral I would watch Villa games because it’s exciting stuff usually.
The Spurs game was great to watch until we got done at the end.

This is of course true. Six or Seven points above relegation, I would agree. However, as we are in a relegation fight, points are more important, and I don’t care if we bore draw ourselves to safety.

[Smithy]

At the time we got Smith, many many people on here were happy that we'd take a risk, try and win rather than try not to lose.

"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" springs to mind.

We're trying win and coming close. The football is much better.

The defeats hurt, possibly more than a 1-0 loss under Bruce, but the wins are so much better.

It's nerve shredding. But we're a better attacking side than we've been for years.

It's high risk stuff mind.

If I was a neutral I would watch Villa games because it’s exciting stuff usually.
The Spurs game was great to watch until we got done at the end.

This is of course true. Six or Seven points above relegation, I would agree. However, as we are in a relegation fight, points are more important, and I don’t care if we bore draw ourselves to safety.

That's perfectly reasonable, but what if we go for bore draws and then get relegated? It's not like playing boring defensive football guarantees results.  I'm sure we'd all prefer to win 1-0 in a boring game, than lose 3-2 in an entertaining one, but that's simply not how our manager, and our team, play these days. We don't really have the personnel for it.

It's not that long ago we were all watching boring football and crap results.  Personally speaking, I'm happier watching a team that tries to win, even when they fail, than watching a team sent out to avoid failing.

[Drummond]

At the time we got Smith, many many people on here were happy that we'd take a risk, try and win rather than try not to lose.

"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" springs to mind.

We're trying win and coming close. The football is much better.

The defeats hurt, possibly more than a 1-0 loss under Bruce, but the wins are so much better.

It's nerve shredding. But we're a better attacking side than we've been for years.

It's high risk stuff mind.

If I was a neutral I would watch Villa games because it’s exciting stuff usually.
The Spurs game was great to watch until we got done at the end.

This is of course true. Six or Seven points above relegation, I would agree. However, as we are in a relegation fight, points are more important, and I don’t care if we bore draw ourselves to safety.

That's perfectly reasonable, but what if we go for bore draws and then get relegated? It's not like playing boring defensive football guarantees results.  I'm sure we'd all prefer to win 1-0 in a boring game, than lose 3-2 in an entertaining one, but that's simply not how our manager, and our team, play these days. We don't really have the personnel for it.

It's not that long ago we were all watching boring football and crap results.  Personally speaking, I'm happier watching a team that tries to win, even when they fail, than watching a team sent out to avoid failing.

That's it for me. We're trying to actually win. There are games when it goes tits up obviously, it's not nice but it's the nature of things.

I'd rather we won every game 1-0 too but trying it leads to what we had under Bruce. It was truly horrible. Arsenal were the masters of it back in the day but not many others are.

[Lastfootstamper]

Yup, it's why we still play in front of full houses every other weekend, not just mid-to-upper thirties.

[aj2k77]

"Listen, people keep talking about you can't beat the top teams. It's not rocket science. You play the teams in and around you, they're the type of games you're meant to win or compete in''

Well that won't be enough Dean, so unless you view the games against the better teams differently we are going to end up relegated.

[Mister E]

It’s pretty obvious that a few criticizing the shape have never played in defense or maybe at all.

This is the classic Brucism  - "Fans - what do they know?"

My concern is not necessarily Sunday's game: it is the goals-conceded,  both this season and last.
I'd like to know more about how the coaching team is trying to address our clear deficiency in defending.

[Three Spires Villa]

What I was trying to say was that personally I don’t care how we play, as long as we stop up. I am concerned about the points we have dropped from winning and drawing positions. Our style of play may or may not have contributed to this.

[Smithy]

What I was trying to say was that personally I don’t care how we play, as long as we stop up. I am concerned about the points we have dropped from winning and drawing positions. Our style of play may or may not have contributed to this.

Our style of play definitely contributed to us getting those leads in the first place.

[ChicagoLion]

It’s pretty obvious that a few criticizing the shape have never played in defense or maybe at all.

This is the classic Brucism  - "Fans - what do they know?"

My concern is not necessarily Sunday's game: it is the goals-conceded,  both this season and last.
I'd like to know more about how the coaching team is trying to address our clear deficiency in defending.

It was about the only thing he could organize + the runner to the hip shop.
I would agree about the front post position at corners though.

[LeeB]

"Listen, people keep talking about you can't beat the top teams. It's not rocket science. You play the teams in and around you, they're the type of games you're meant to win or compete in''

Well that won't be enough Dean, so unless you view the games against the better teams differently we are going to end up relegated.

It's been enough so far as we're not in the bottom three, so how can you be so sure?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

"Listen, people keep talking about you can't beat the top teams. It's not rocket science. You play the teams in and around you, they're the type of games you're meant to win or compete in''

Well that won't be enough Dean, so unless you view the games against the better teams differently we are going to end up relegated.

It's been enough so far as we're not in the bottom three, so how can you be so sure?

Judgement can be delayed until the end of the season.

[Duncan Shaw]

"Listen, people keep talking about you can't beat the top teams. It's not rocket science. You play the teams in and around you, they're the type of games you're meant to win or compete in''

Well that won't be enough Dean, so unless you view the games against the better teams differently we are going to end up relegated.

It's been enough so far as we're not in the bottom three, so how can you be so sure?

Judgement can be delayed until the end of the season.

I mentioned this in the post-match thread - the problem is we haven;t been doing that have we.  Play at Bournemouth like we started vs Spuds and we'd have buried them by half time, but we didn't turn up that day.  Same at Watford, Southampton at home etc.