Dean Smith - Confirmed

[SoccerHQ]

Well I’d dispute that we had any great defensive plan in yesterday’s game. We just shoved everyone behind the ball and it wasn’t that hard for Chelsea. No more so than it would be if they were playing a League 1 or 2 side.

They've struggled against that approach for most of the season though, Lampard said as much in his post match interview. Newcastle beat them 1-0 at home with two shots on target and 1 corner which lead to their goal (in the 94th minute). Bournemouth won at Stamford Bridge with two shots on target. As negative as we were we ha two shots on target in first half yesterday.

Our bigger problem is there's simply no belief in our squad we can defend and concentrate for 90 minutes when in the lead against a top 6/7 team. It all stems from blowing that lead v Arsenal I think and isn't helped by DS basically writing off the games saying loses to likes of Spurs won't define our season. They will if Bournemouth or West Ham get points off Spurs in the run in.

It's easy for people to say we should have a go but we had a good go v Spurs and they could've still scored 5 in that first half (probably would've if Kane had been fit) with simple balls over the top which completely cut out our defence and lead to the penalty.

[Toronto Villa]

All we need now is for Dean to take a trip to Germany or up the road to watch Pep on how to keep the ball. Cue the backwards goal kick in our not too distant future.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Dean’s biggest failing appears to be his inability to arrest a slide.

Again, something that was pointed out to us by Brentford fans when he first joined us.

[VinnieChase84]

If we stay up, he needs to be improved upon, just like a lot of the players, which leads me to get rid of Suso first of all.

Suso is gone for sure

[curiousorange]

Dean’s biggest failing appears to be his inability to arrest a slide.

Again, something that was pointed out to us by Brentford fans when he first joined us.

Seems like a very 'run' manager all told.

[PaulWinch again]

Dean’s biggest failing appears to be his inability to arrest a slide.

Again, something that was pointed out to us by Brentford fans when he first joined us.

Yep. Although that doesn’t really matter, he could have learnt and developed. Unfortunately he hasn’t.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Whilst I understand why the owners wanted to show some loyalty towards Smith, that was a huge business risk and particularly naïve  - we clearly needed someone with experience of managing in the top flight and not hope that Smith would "learn as he went along"
Perhaps the  owners have put too much faith in Purslow - certainly recruitment has been poor, whoever has made the decisions.
For me a ruthless decision was warranted earlier in the season - now is far too late and we are left with the possibility of a clear out of players and management. Hopefully the financial aspects of the club are in order and we don't face the possibility of "going under" again   

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm not sure how loyal our owners are. By all accounts in Lancashire earlier this year, Sean Dyche was being lined up to replace Smith. It was doing the rounds up there long before one or two papers/sites picked up on it.

[wince]

I think we all agreed that we owed smith a chance for getting us up. However too much was weighted on that 10 game run on the back of a real poor run of form. As a team we are either winning or losing. Never really in between and never convincing enough to grind out results. Having a talisman like Grealish means we have one tactic. Get it to Grealish, a player being played out wide when his best position is more central. We lack any real option up front with Davies, an inconsistent forward or Samatta who we haven’t got the best out of yet. So on the back of our season thus far, what realistic chance did we have of turning over Chelsea? We have no fight in us and a decent manager would be trying to get us in games and not letting our heads drop. Smith, nice bloke a genuine decent man, being a fan means he is spared the absolute pelters any other manager would have got. As for Fat Sam? How the mighty have fallen when he is a real consideration but for me it’s too late. See the season out, hopefully we stay up but regardless change and get the right man in. My fear is that we are seen as a graveyard for managers.

[john e]

I'm not sure how loyal our owners are. By all accounts in Lancashire earlier this year, Sean Dyche was being lined up to replace Smith. It was doing the rounds up there long before one or two papers/sites picked up on it.

you would hope we’ve had enough of British type managers by now
they all produce exactly the same sort of football

[David_Nab]

I'm not sure how loyal our owners are. By all accounts in Lancashire earlier this year, Sean Dyche was being lined up to replace Smith. It was doing the rounds up there long before one or two papers/sites picked up on it.

Well 2 Billionaires didnt buy us to watch us playing in the Championship which is why if we drop down I suspect Purslow,Susu and Dean are all likely to be binned off

[Steve67]

Purslow needs to show the owners he means business. His job to do the hiring and firing and some firing is definitely required. He said recently that relegation is a £200 million disaster and yet he sits tight!  We are so nearly ripe for a quality manager to take possession of this now well run club. Lots of money, lack of oomph.

[chrisw1]

Purslow needs to show the owners he means business. His job to do the hiring and firing and some firing is definitely required. He said recently that relegation is a £200 million disaster and yet he sits tight!  We are so nearly ripe for a quality manager to take possession of this now well run club. Lots of money, lack of oomph.

Do you think he should sack him now or at the end of the season?  Realistically nobody would come in now - with a game every 3-4 days there's just no time to work with the squad.  Even if you worked mircales and got someone in by the weekend, they're looking at a maximum of 6 games they can try to influence.

I guess you could give it to Terry as caretaker.  Do you think that would give us a bounce?

Up until Saturday I always felt Smith should get until the end of the season.  Following that surrender I'm less sure, but I don't think there's any sensible alternaive right now.

[ChicagoLion]

You are right it would be Terry

[Alex77]

As much as I wouldn't want Terry I don't see that we have anything to lose.