Dean Smith - Confirmed

[PaulWinch again]

Yesterday showed how lost Dean is. He had about turn and put two up front, but didn’t appear to have given any consideration to how the team would provide service to them.

[Des Little]

If we were to sack Deano, Dyche would also be my pick, for the very reasons stated in recent posts. It’s not beyond reason that he may come even if we did go down; there aren’t many bigger jobs that he’d realistically land if he were to remain in the Prem, and Benítez stayed on at Newcastle despite relegation, and his stock was considerably larger then than Dyche’s is at present.

[hilts_coolerking]

Yesterday showed how lost Dean is. He had about turn and put two up front, but didn’t appear to have given any consideration to how the team would provide service to them.

In his defence, Targett going off early didn't help in that regard.  Davis and Samatta must have groaned when they saw Taylor coming on.

[pauliewalnuts]

I’m really surprised anyone would turn their nose up at Dyche. It must be recently bias because what he’s done with Burnley puts him leagues ahead of Smith and all our managers post Houllier.

Good point but at the same time, being better than the managers we have had the last few years is surely the faintest of faint praise

[cdbearsfan]

I'd be happy with Dyche. He has worked wonders with Burnley, over a significant period. Generally when we are awaiting a new manager we all, myself included, get excited at a variety of exotic and amazing candidates only to be disappointed when we end up with some uninspiring imbecile like Sherwood or McLeish.

Taking a successful manager from an established Premier League club would be a statement of intent. Much more so than the inevitable appointment of John fucking Terry.

[PaulWinch again]

Yesterday showed how lost Dean is. He had about turn and put two up front, but didn’t appear to have given any consideration to how the team would provide service to them.

In his defence, Targett going off early didn't help in that regard.  Davis and Samatta must have groaned when they saw Taylor coming on.

That’s true, but if he was solely relying on Targett that was never going to work.

[Big Ming]

A new manager 'bounce' would be a bit handy round about now.

[ChicagoLion]

Has there been any rumblings from the dressing room?

[CT]

Has there been any rumblings from the dressing room?

Only when John McGinn fell off the physios table.

[rougegorge]

With Watford losing, it's probably even more of a time to try something different. It would be very wrong to use the current inadequacies of other teams around us to make an excuse for continuing as we are.

[KevinGage]

Dyche or Hughton would be the obvious candidates.

To keep on trend with the fancy foreigners, Benfica manager Bruno Lage (yes, had to google him) has that all important English experience, having been assistant at Sheff Wed and Swansea in recent years.

Nuno's replacement at FC Porto Sérgio Conceição might be bored of only having six tough fixtures per year and could fancy a stint in sunny Birmingham.

Rúben Amorim at Sporting Lisbon has a £20 million buy out clause and only took over in March this year, so I'd say there's as much chance of us getting him as we have of Pochettino.  I know next to nothing about all three (Conceição played for Lazio, that's about it).  Rudy Can't Fail might be able to fill in the blanks here.

Speaking of Pochettino -as great a deal as that looks for Southampton now - prior to that he'd been sacked by low ranking Espanyol. Koeman took on his good work after he too had had an underwhelming spell in Portugal. NES had been sacked by Porto when Wolves went for him and so on.

So the powers that be might need to consider a candidate that has already achieved in club football and has had a recent blemish.  Or in the case of Pochettino, has a way of playing and (urgh!) philosophy that trumps his lack of experience.

[hilts_coolerking]

Dyche or Hughton would be the obvious candidates.

Personally I would find that massively underwhelming.

[KevinGage]

Both could get us up and probably keep us up. 

But it won't be total football.   What we're getting at the moment doesn't even look like football in any recognisable form (which you could have written so many times over the last 20 years), so I'd take it.

Yes I'd want better. Edens seems to place a lot of faith in stats so that will inform his decision, Sawis takes the fanboy approach and wants the pull of a big name even if blatantly unsuitable (Henry) and Purslow has to mediate between the two.  The wisdom of crowds  - or too many cooks.

[themossman]

I’m really surprised anyone would turn their nose up at Dyche. It must be recently bias because what he’s done with Burnley puts him leagues ahead of Smith and all our managers post Houllier.

Good point but at the same time, being better than the managers we have had the last few years is surely the faintest of faint praise

Yes also a fair point.

[Big Ming]

Assuming we decide to go for change,  two month contract with a massive bonus for keeping Villa up would seem sensible, whoever they choose.