Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Axl Rose]

I’m a bit worried he thinks having two up front means you can’t squeeze Jack in. You watch Jack sign for someone this summer on a record fee and sit behind two strikers.

Smith is deluded. I'd use the word 'coward', but it seems to set some people off.

The bloke doesn't know his best formation (and it's almost the end of the season!), and appears to have fewer tactics than the potato.

It'll be a relief when he's relieved of his duties.

Boring, clueless football. Boring, clueless players. Not a good recipe.

[ChicagoLion]

The players on the pitch aren't good enough. Whoever signed them (and I doubt that it was Smith, largely) needs to take ultimate responsibility.

I agree, I also agree with John e above as theses points are not mutually exclusive.
despite some of the recruitment failing, Smith has failed to get enough out of the players that he has had available.

[ChicagoLion]

I’m a bit worried he thinks having two up front means you can’t squeeze Jack in. You watch Jack sign for someone this summer on a record fee and sit behind two strikers.

Makes no sense, he could even play jack as one of them.
Most managers  would be trying to work out how to get the most out of their best player. I doubt if any of them would play Jack out wide.

[geolex]

Smith has many weaknesses as a manager but the main one has to be his inability to proactively make tactical changes to the team mid-game.

We were crying out for a tactical reshuffle at half time, AEG and that dog awful Trez could still be out there and wouldnt have made any impact.

Once Newcastle score, only then does he switch it up. Low and behold we equalise and finish the game very strongly.

That is the most frightening part of this post .... i agree BTW

[geolex]

if he keeps us up he'll have succeeded in both of his seasons, with a cup final thrown in as a bonus.

Couldn't agree more - given where we were when he took over, Smith will absolutely have earned the right to another crack next season if we stay up.  Put it this way, he will have effectively achieved more (and in less time), than Graham Taylor did when he took over.

The one thing I would be looking at though is John Terry's role.  Our biggest single failing this season has been defensive organisation and that it surely in his remit.  Get in a much better defensive coach to work with Smith and I think things would look a lot rosier.
"if we stay up"   look forward to finishing 2nd next season GT did

[Steve67]

Dean got a pass this season by getting us up, largely thanks to the signing of Mings and the return of Jack.  The signings have been poor and that is coupled with Dean's lack of getting the best out of them, motivating them and not knowing his best team.  It also doesn't excuse some of the awful tactics deployed this season, the intransigent thinking and lack of ability to get one over more experienced managers.  If he keeps us up, he'll have done ok. But we need an upgrade on him if we are to move forward because I doubt he will attract the type of players we need.  I also think he has been heavily involved in recruitment as Suso wouldn't have worked on his own for some of the shit we have bought.

[LeeB]

We’re a couple of players short in terms of quality whenever we step onto the pitch, which is part due to the size of the recruitment needed at the end of the summer, the reduced time we had to do it, and the quality of the players signed.

Whatever he does tactically, he’s always got that handicap. How much of that he’s responsible for is up for debate.

That situation was bought about be the hopeless mis-management of the club by the predecessors, which had left us with a hopelessly lopsided squad, half of which were out of contract at the end of the season. That he indentified a left back that had hardly played in 3 years as the man to sort out our defence is to his credit, not a stick to beat him with.

The fact we got up at all last season was a minor miracle given the circumstances, and this season was always going to be a struggle, which it has, but we wouldn’t have the chance to struggle without the manager achieving what he did last year. It should not be forgotten.

Anyway, we’re going to stay up.

[fbriai]

I'm with you, Lee.

[Risso]

We’re a couple of players short in terms of quality whenever we step onto the pitch, which is part due to the size of the recruitment needed at the end of the summer, the reduced time we had to do it, and the quality of the players signed.

Whatever he does tactically, he’s always got that handicap. How much of that he’s responsible for is up for debate.

That situation was bought about be the hopeless mis-management of the club by the predecessors, which had left us with a hopelessly lopsided squad, half of which were out of contract at the end of the season. That he indentified a left back that had hardly played in 3 years as the man to sort out our defence is to his credit, not a stick to beat him with.

The fact we got up at all last season was a minor miracle given the circumstances, and this season was always going to be a struggle, which it has, but we wouldn’t have the chance to struggle without the manager achieving what he did last year. It should not be forgotten.

Anyway, we’re going to stay up.

I'm not sure the management this season has been much better.  They kept an average Championship manager in place, then gave him an extended contract.  They foisted John Terry on Smith, and a Director of Football with no experience or knowledge of English football.  The way they went about the transfer business has been really poor, and a blind man could see that having Wesley as our only front line striker was going to end in tears.  January was a really disappointing transfer window.  Not impressed, one bit. 

[Clampy]

We’re a couple of players short in terms of quality whenever we step onto the pitch, which is part due to the size of the recruitment needed at the end of the summer, the reduced time we had to do it, and the quality of the players signed.

Whatever he does tactically, he’s always got that handicap. How much of that he’s responsible for is up for debate.

That situation was bought about be the hopeless mis-management of the club by the predecessors, which had left us with a hopelessly lopsided squad, half of which were out of contract at the end of the season. That he indentified a left back that had hardly played in 3 years as the man to sort out our defence is to his credit, not a stick to beat him with.

The fact we got up at all last season was a minor miracle given the circumstances, and this season was always going to be a struggle, which it has, but we wouldn’t have the chance to struggle without the manager achieving what he did last year. It should not be forgotten.

Anyway, we’re going to stay up.

I'm not sure the management this season has been much better.  They kept an average Championship manager in place, then gave him an extended contract.  They foisted John Terry on Smith, and a Director of Football with no experience or knowledge of English football.  The way they went about the transfer business has been really poor, and a blind man could see that having Wesley as our only front line striker was going to end in tears.  January was a really disappointing transfer window.  Not impressed, one bit. 

But apart from that, you are reasonably happy.

[hilts_coolerking]

One thing's for sure, Dean's not a quick learner.

[CT]

The sad thing is we expected to try and win every game, always be on the front foot.

Clearly that isn’t always possible, but we’ve retreated as far back defensively as anything served up by Bruce etc. The pressing philosophy has stopped, and now we give the opposition time while we trot around.

I still think there are players out there who could not look into a mirror after a game and say they gave everything they had for the cause, and that doesn’t help Dean one bit.

[villadelph]

so he finally caved to the pressure and goes with two strikers.. only to put out a team completely devoid of any width with three CMs behind Jack.

This guy man.. what on earth is he thinking sometimes? It’s almost like he wanted to say I told you so.

[Risso]

Just sack him.

[DB]

Get a manager in now to see what he has to deal with before the end of the season.