Dean Smith - Confirmed

[mr underhill]

our defensive woes stem from the fact that our defense is awful. Better players might have helped win us more points.

[Toronto Villa]

I don’t think our defence was awful earlier in the season. We were in most games to the very end and had the manager figured out how to help his defenders by making smarter tactical decisions, astute subs, shoring up the midfield when required, then as Risso suggests we’d easily be a good number of points better off and sat safely in mid table. The defence instead over time was exposed and their confidence destroyed. Of course they’ve made mistakes but it hasn’t been helped through terrible management and coaching.

[dave.woodhall]

If he keeps us up, I'd be inclined to give him the start of next season.

Even if he does and there is someone available legitimately better then we owe to ourselves to not bow to sentiment. Thanks for getting us up and at keeping us up but we have to move on.

I agree totally with this. There’s no place for sentimentality or even loyalty in the modern game.

And how many times does that happen?

[itbrvilla]

our defensive woes stem from the fact that our defense is awful. Better players might have helped win us more points.

We don't score enough either.

[paul_e]

I don’t think our defence was awful earlier in the season. We were in most games to the very end and had the manager figured out how to help his defenders by making smarter tactical decisions, astute subs, shoring up the midfield when required, then as Risso suggests we’d easily be a good number of points better off and sat safely in mid table. The defence instead over time was exposed and their confidence destroyed. Of course they’ve made mistakes but it hasn’t been helped through terrible management and coaching.

You also have to consider the number of chances for them to make key mistakes. We've allowed teams to put us under too much pressure which has meant the chances for a defender/keeper to make a mistake are much higher and as a result make them much more likely. I don't think it necessarily makes them bad players, it just means we need to find ways to break pressure. Since the restart we've been a little bit better at it but there's still improvements to make and that's where an attacker with incredible pace makes a big difference as any forward ball can become dangerous.

[LeeB]

I don’t think our defence was awful earlier in the season. We were in most games to the very end and had the manager figured out how to help his defenders by making smarter tactical decisions, astute subs, shoring up the midfield when required, then as Risso suggests we’d easily be a good number of points better off and sat safely in mid table. The defence instead over time was exposed and their confidence destroyed. Of course they’ve made mistakes but it hasn’t been helped through terrible management and coaching.

You also have to consider the number of chances for them to make key mistakes. We've allowed teams to put us under too much pressure which has meant the chances for a defender/keeper to make a mistake are much higher and as a result make them much more likely. I don't think it necessarily makes them bad players, it just means we need to find ways to break pressure. Since the restart we've been a little bit better at it but there's still improvements to make and that's where an attacker with incredible pace makes a big difference as any forward ball can become dangerous.

He may have been unimaginative and stuck in 70's dogma, but Martin O'Neill certainly understood that last line very well.

[chrisw1]

I don’t think our defence was awful earlier in the season. We were in most games to the very end and had the manager figured out how to help his defenders by making smarter tactical decisions, astute subs, shoring up the midfield when required, then as Risso suggests we’d easily be a good number of points better off and sat safely in mid table. The defence instead over time was exposed and their confidence destroyed. Of course they’ve made mistakes but it hasn’t been helped through terrible management and coaching.

It's amusing how one of the big critisisms of Bruce was making negative substitutions when we were winning that let teams back in to games.  Smith's original philosophy of attack is the best form of defence was lauded as a breath of fresh air. 

Of course Smith has made some errors and we've let points slip.  But it's not always as simple as chuck a few more defensive players on and take the points, surely we learn't that from the Bruce years?

[ChicagoLion]

It’s our defending, not necessarily our defenders. We were conceding more chances than anyone, that is about the way the team is set up defensively.

The recent change is that our full backs are not getting forward and the role and form of Luiz.

[sickbeggar]

The Bruce revisionism is baffling. Newcastle are currently exactly where they finished under the last guy despite Mr. Potato Head spending 40million on a striker who makes Samatta look prolific.

[ChicagoLion]

The Bruce revisionism is baffling. Newcastle are currently exactly they finished under the last guy despite Mr. Potato Head spending 40million on a striker who makes Samatta look prolific.

Bruces subs were not nearly criticised as much as Smiths because he was not as useless as Smith at making them.

[ROBBO]

I don't buy the terrible defence argument, any defence would crumble when you have such a weak midfield and forward line, when was the last time before the last game when we dominated possesion, it's all very well to look at how many goals we've conceeded but overlook how few we've scored.

[kippaxvilla2]

For all his faults Bruce improved the game management side.  After a couple of goes of being scared  I never thought we would let a lead slip in the last few minutes as we had become so accustomed Over the years. 

The flip side of it was certain games I never ever was confident we would get back into a game we had gone one down in.  The play off final for example.  The crapping ourselves in the last twenty minutes has returned with a vengeance.

[sickbeggar]

The Bruce revisionism is baffling. Newcastle are currently exactly they finished under the last guy despite Mr. Potato Head spending 40million on a striker who makes Samatta look prolific.

Bruces subs were not nearly criticised as much as Smiths because he was not as useless as Smith at making them.

I'm not about to argue Bruce was all bad and smith is all good. It's just a general reminder of how much an idiot Bruce can be. I mean could you imagine if we'd come up that season under Bruce and he then presents Joe Linton as Abraham's  40m replacement? i mean at least Wesley has some sort of goalscoring record that hints at potential. Linton couldn't even get to double figures in the Austrian league. God knows what the Newcastle fans make of it

[Steve67]

Our defending as a team is crap but this is NOT just about the defenders.  We don't hold the ball up in attack, we don't chase the ball down and defend from the front.  We have a lack of physicality in midfield and if anyone needs further evidence of what that means, just look at the Chelsea and Man United goals against us.  Also, our defenders lack concentration and make stupid individual mistakes, oh, and the keepers of late, have been dire.  The spine of the side is in need of addressing.  Mings needs a proper partner, we need a defensive midfielder in front of the back four, we need harder working wingers and a centre forward who works a damn sight harder than Samatta. 

[AV82EC]

Our defending as a team is crap but this is NOT just about the defenders.  We don't hold the ball up in attack, we don't chase the ball down and defend from the front.  We have a lack of physicality in midfield and if anyone needs further evidence of what that means, just look at the Chelsea and Man United goals against us.  Also, our defenders lack concentration and make stupid individual mistakes, oh, and the keepers of late, have been dire.  The spine of the side is in need of addressing.  Mings needs a proper partner, we need a defensive midfielder in front of the back four, we need harder working wingers and a centre forward who works a damn sight harder than Samatta.

But apart from that......