We were promoted a year ahead of schedule apparently, and I wonder if Purslow thought that Dean would make the necessary changes/management improvements over a couple of years and be able to cope with life in the Premier Division? This is perhaps the reason he hasn't been fired? Given Dean had no management experience of top flight football, perhaps it isn't a surprise to Purslow that we aren't doing as well as we might, given the whole new squad thrown in too. I wonder if Purslow is thinking that Smith is the right man to bring us back up and that his year in the Prem will stand him in good stead? I'm hypothesising of course. Purslow is a far better businessman than I am and I would have sacked Dean Smith already, perhaps wrongly as Dean may get better with experience. Time will tell.
Quote from: Villan82 on July 14, 2020, 11:41:07 AMThe reason I have been 'anti' is a simple one.McLeish and Lambert were judged as terrible managers who nearly relegated us when, a few seasons prior, we had been pushing for top four.However, both McLeish and Lambert were always good for either grinding out enough draws (McLeish) when there was a lack of fire-power due to injury or getting big results against your Liverpools, Chelseas, Arsenals etc (more so Lambert). Even Sherwood got us a great win away at White Hart Lane.Smith hasn't delivered on grinding out a point per game average. Games that should have been drawn have been lost through carelessness & the best result against a top side is the draw at Old Trafford. This is why we only have 30 points after 35 games & have been under serious pressure all season.If he wins the next three and keeps us up he will have got us (and himself) out of jail & deserves another crack but I would say he would be on thin ice if it looked like happening again.McLeish & Lambert had better players to work with and most importantly Lambert had a goalscorer.
The reason I have been 'anti' is a simple one.McLeish and Lambert were judged as terrible managers who nearly relegated us when, a few seasons prior, we had been pushing for top four.However, both McLeish and Lambert were always good for either grinding out enough draws (McLeish) when there was a lack of fire-power due to injury or getting big results against your Liverpools, Chelseas, Arsenals etc (more so Lambert). Even Sherwood got us a great win away at White Hart Lane.Smith hasn't delivered on grinding out a point per game average. Games that should have been drawn have been lost through carelessness & the best result against a top side is the draw at Old Trafford. This is why we only have 30 points after 35 games & have been under serious pressure all season.If he wins the next three and keeps us up he will have got us (and himself) out of jail & deserves another crack but I would say he would be on thin ice if it looked like happening again.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on July 14, 2020, 01:03:19 PMQuote from: Villan82 on July 14, 2020, 11:41:07 AMThe reason I have been 'anti' is a simple one.McLeish and Lambert were judged as terrible managers who nearly relegated us when, a few seasons prior, we had been pushing for top four.However, both McLeish and Lambert were always good for either grinding out enough draws (McLeish) when there was a lack of fire-power due to injury or getting big results against your Liverpools, Chelseas, Arsenals etc (more so Lambert). Even Sherwood got us a great win away at White Hart Lane.Smith hasn't delivered on grinding out a point per game average. Games that should have been drawn have been lost through carelessness & the best result against a top side is the draw at Old Trafford. This is why we only have 30 points after 35 games & have been under serious pressure all season.If he wins the next three and keeps us up he will have got us (and himself) out of jail & deserves another crack but I would say he would be on thin ice if it looked like happening again.McLeish & Lambert had better players to work with and most importantly Lambert had a goalscorer.I don't disagree with you there to be honest. Though both did have some very average players, off the top of my head: Westwood, Ahmadi, Bennett, Lichaj, Clark, Sylla, N'Zogbia etc. I would imagine, also, that both would have liked to have worked with Grealish at the stage he's at now.
For me its the goals against column that's done the damage. Sheff Utd have scored the same amount but conceded 32 goals less. Their top scorer is McBurnie with 6. How much of that falls on Dean?
Not conceding has to be the foundation stone of any survival campaign.When we came up at the end of last season, we had a relatively poor goals-against record; and not just a result of Bruce's early-season tenure. So, we had form for defensive frailty, not addressed in this campaign.
My grandson, reading Medieval History suggests that Clive Tydesley should be more correctly, being of Plantagenet stock, Clive De Tyseley, making him one of us.