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Author Topic: Dean Smith - Confirmed  (Read 1522743 times)

Offline kippaxvilla2

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  • Location: Back in Solihull
Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9300 on: July 11, 2020, 07:11:18 PM »
He did say the aim was to finish 1st.  I thought it was a bit ambitious but at least it showed the right mentality.

Offline Big Ming

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9301 on: July 11, 2020, 07:16:40 PM »
I remember at the start of the season I was really looking forward to it because I'd bought into the Smith myth of no matter what the opposition we will always go and give it a go and try and win the game

What on earth happened
It was bullshit from the get go.  You can't afford to be gung ho, all game every game, and definitely not in the PL.
Don't want to kick him when he's down (and almost out) but his interviews never sound convincing.

You always feel there's a bit of a bullshitter in there.

Offline Villan82

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9302 on: July 11, 2020, 07:19:04 PM »
If I'm honest, when he first came in and talked of the whole league 'sitting up and taking notice of villa' there were alarm bells ringing for me. Especially when we went on the dreadful winless run soon after.

All credit to him, he turned that around and gave us great times with the 10 game run and promotion. But, a lot of the other bits- before and after - have been unconvincing.

Offline pauliewalnuts

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9303 on: July 11, 2020, 07:22:03 PM »
That he’s been allowed to appear back in the side looking like that is simply beyond understanding and I’m quite a clever bloke.  Who is it that looks at him and says ‘yep he’s in shape and ready to fight for our survival.’  It’s really, really unprofessional.  Everyone I’ve spoken to not linked to Villa have noticed it.

Similarly he thought Drinkwater's fitness levels were acceptable.

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9304 on: July 11, 2020, 07:25:24 PM »
Danny Drinkwater is like me on the driving range. Brilliant in practice (apparently) utterly shit when actually playing.

Offline kippaxvilla2

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9305 on: July 11, 2020, 07:29:25 PM »
Why is that at the end of every Villa Manager’s tenure we are talking about unprofessional standards, poor fitness levels, lack of application and meek acceptance of shitness.

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9306 on: July 11, 2020, 07:35:42 PM »
Why is that at the end of every Villa Manager’s tenure we are talking about unprofessional standards, poor fitness levels, lack of application and meek acceptance of shitness.

I mentioned it the other day, our players seem far too comfortable with the trappings of being a PL player. To them, they've made it. Why stress, just enjoy it.

Offline algy

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9307 on: July 11, 2020, 07:39:17 PM »
It's killing me to say it, but I can't see how Dean can have a future at the club. It's not so much the relegation, it's the manner of it. There's no sign that he can get the team to fight for their place at the top table, to overperform, to pull off the incredible. We'll need that to break in to the top 6 and he sadly doesn't have it.

Hopefully Purslow has used the last few months wisely and has a replacement lined up who does have those qualities. I think Dean has been the best appointment in the last decade (admittedly in a weak field), but we apparently need better. We should be targeting managers who are proven at a Top 6 standard club in a quality, competitive league (England, Germany, Italy, Spain). No "potential", just go straight for existing, proven talent.

We _can_ waltz the Championship next season - I don't think the squad is as weak as it looks, even sans-Jack. Another year and I suspect Wes, Konsa, Luiz will look like absolute bargains. Maybe Marv & Trez when they're in a side that's doing the business on the pitch.

Online OzVilla

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9308 on: July 11, 2020, 10:20:47 PM »
Why is that at the end of every Villa Manager’s tenure we are talking about unprofessional standards, poor fitness levels, lack of application and meek acceptance of shitness.

I mentioned it the other day, our players seem far too comfortable with the trappings of being a PL player. To them, they've made it. Why stress, just enjoy it.

Conor Hourihane is a good example for me. I like him, think we’ve  played better with him in and maybe I’m being harsh but do you recall at the start of the season him seeking out a random bloke who sent him a tweet from about 5 years ago saying he’d never be a PL footballer. Well not only did it come over as slightly petty I’m thinking, ‘hang on let’s see if you can hold down a place and perform before it warrants firing backs tweets to people.’ 

Offline ChicagoLion

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  • Literally
Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9309 on: July 11, 2020, 10:27:08 PM »
Why is that at the end of every Villa Manager’s tenure we are talking about unprofessional standards, poor fitness levels, lack of application and meek acceptance of shitness.

I mentioned it the other day, our players seem far too comfortable with the trappings of being a PL player. To them, they've made it. Why stress, just enjoy it.

Conor Hourihane is a good example for me. I like him, think we’ve  played better with him in and maybe I’m being harsh but do you recall at the start of the season him seeking out a random bloke who sent him a tweet from about 5 years ago saying he’d never be a PL footballer. Well not only did it come over as slightly petty I’m thinking, ‘hang on let’s see if you can hold down a place and perform before it warrants firing backs tweets to people.’
The bloke was right.

Offline David_Nab

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9310 on: July 11, 2020, 10:50:22 PM »
Watching Sheffield Utd just now.

Average squad.

Fit, motivated and organised.
you have to have that, it’s a given to compete.
Good teams work hard first, everything comes from that.

And that is the really disappointing thing about Dean - even if you can forgive the shit tactics, the bad use of Grealish, the piss poor game management, all of that stuff, you would at least expect to see some fitness and fight from the team.

There has been pretty much none of that, we've not looked really fit enough at any point this season, our fitness levels and application have been dreadful, nothing like good enough - these are things that should be an absolute given, a starting point.

Look at the state of McGinn since he has come back, for example. He looks Richard Dunn sized.

If we thought he had the players looking like they'd run through brick walls, like they could compete for 90 minutes, it would have bought him a lot more respect, but he has not, not at any point. That's really, really poor.

Turns out McGinn injured himself again ,another stress fracture  and didn't train during lockdown hence his poor conditioning

Offline The_ads

  • Member
  • Posts: 642
Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9311 on: July 11, 2020, 10:54:52 PM »
Watching Sheffield Utd just now.

Average squad.

Fit, motivated and organised.
you have to have that, it’s a given to compete.
Good teams work hard first, everything comes from that.

And that is the really disappointing thing about Dean - even if you can forgive the shit tactics, the bad use of Grealish, the piss poor game management, all of that stuff, you would at least expect to see some fitness and fight from the team.

There has been pretty much none of that, we've not looked really fit enough at any point this season, our fitness levels and application have been dreadful, nothing like good enough - these are things that should be an absolute given, a starting point.

Look at the state of McGinn since he has come back, for example. He looks Richard Dunn sized.

If we thought he had the players looking like they'd run through brick walls, like they could compete for 90 minutes, it would have bought him a lot more respect, but he has not, not at any point. That's really, really poor.

Turns out McGinn injured himself again ,another stress fracture  and didn't train during lockdown hence his poor conditioning

Then why the fuck is he playing?

Offline brontebilly

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  • GM : 09.06.2024
Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9312 on: July 11, 2020, 11:48:01 PM »
Watching Sheffield Utd just now.

Average squad.

Fit, motivated and organised.
you have to have that, it’s a given to compete.
Good teams work hard first, everything comes from that.

And that is the really disappointing thing about Dean - even if you can forgive the shit tactics, the bad use of Grealish, the piss poor game management, all of that stuff, you would at least expect to see some fitness and fight from the team.

There has been pretty much none of that, we've not looked really fit enough at any point this season, our fitness levels and application have been dreadful, nothing like good enough - these are things that should be an absolute given, a starting point.

Look at the state of McGinn since he has come back, for example. He looks Richard Dunn sized.

If we thought he had the players looking like they'd run through brick walls, like they could compete for 90 minutes, it would have bought him a lot more respect, but he has not, not at any point. That's really, really poor.

Turns out McGinn injured himself again ,another stress fracture  and didn't train during lockdown hence his poor conditioning

There is no excuse for McGinns conditioning. Seems like he had KFC on speed dial during the lockdown.

Offline ROBBO

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  • Posts: 7408
  • Location: MELBOURNE
  • GM : 15.01.2025
Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9313 on: July 12, 2020, 01:59:02 AM »
The failure of management over the last decade is the players that we believd were not good enough to play for Villa, yet have gone on and had success at other clubs and will be playing in the premiership next season.

Offline Three Spires Villa

  • Member
  • Posts: 1991
Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #9314 on: July 12, 2020, 05:40:34 AM »
Watching Sheffield Utd just now.

Average squad.

Fit, motivated and organised.
you have to have that, it’s a given to compete.
Good teams work hard first, everything comes from that.

And that is the really disappointing thing about Dean - even if you can forgive the shit tactics, the bad use of Grealish, the piss poor game management, all of that stuff, you would at least expect to see some fitness and fight from the team.

There has been pretty much none of that, we've not looked really fit enough at any point this season, our fitness levels and application have been dreadful, nothing like good enough - these are things that should be an absolute given, a starting point.

Look at the state of McGinn since he has come back, for example. He looks Richard Dunn sized.

If we thought he had the players looking like they'd run through brick walls, like they could compete for 90 minutes, it would have bought him a lot more respect, but he has not, not at any point. That's really, really poor.

Turns out McGinn injured himself again ,another stress fracture  and didn't train during lockdown hence his poor conditioning

Then why the fuck is he playing?

I haven’t heard that, is this true about John?

 


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