Dean Smith - Confirmed

[DB]

The recruitment didn't help him but I have not seen enough this season to convince me he should stay on if we stay up. If we go down then not sure, But Ithink the club will keep him on.

[KevinGage]

If he fails to keep us up I’m happy for him to stay as I think he’s a great candidate for getting us back up. If we stay up I don’t think he’s such a great choice for consolidating a mid table finish next year.

I think either way he deserves a chance.

He might deserve a chance.

Shouldn't automatically mean he gets one. The job is too big to limit our future chances of progression by going all Corinthian Casuals.

Football seems to be one of the few industries where you appoint a guy to do one specific job and shut yourself off from the notion that it might take a different guy with a different skillset to take it on further. That call usually only gets made after a bad sequence of results forces the issue.

I wouldn't be distraught to see him remain but depending on budget and the owners intentions for the future we owe it to ourselves to make sure we have the best possible candidate for establishing Villa back among the leading lights in football.

Out pattern of play and set up this season doesn't suggest to me Smith would be that guy.

[Nunkin1965]

I can’t see Smith being sacked after (hopefully) keeping us up and getting us to a Cup Final.
He may have a short fuse with the owners next season though.

[dave.woodhall]

This idea of going so far then bringing in some mythical better manager. If it's that easy who doesn't everyone do it?

[KevinGage]

Clubs do it all the time.  We did it with Smith in place of Bruce, for example.

[paul_e]

No, Bruce went because he failed to do the job he was appointed for twice and was well on the way to failing a 3rd time.

[mr underhill]

Slightly unfair WBA went up last night on the same number of points we had two years ago. I entirely agree, though, that he failed in the end but most do.

[dave.woodhall]

Clubs do it all the time.  We did it with Smith in place of Bruce, for example.

We didn't have a better one lined up, which is what some think should happen.

[Nunkin1965]

I think I’ve posted before that I’m hoping for a repeat of the Sir Graham scenario of a tough return to the top flight where there was a big majority to sack him and he turned it around with an impressive following season.
Not sure if I’m correct but a streaky 1-0 over Derby County (did Platty round the keeper to score?) sent us on our way upwards and transformed the fortunes of SGT.

[OzVilla]

Yep, 1-0 over Derby in September 89, Saunders missed some sitters for Derby that day too. Just after Beelzebub demolished us against QPR iirc.

[dave.woodhall]

Yep, 1-0 over Derby in September 89, Saunders missed some sitters for Derby that day too. Just after Beelzebub demolished us against QPR iirc.

He was also getting a load of stick towards the end of the previous season, particularly after we lost at QPR on (I think) Easter Monday.

[PeterWithesShin]

When the QPR game ended we'd won 7 of the last 35 league games, we lost 7 of the next 35.

[Damo70]

Clubs do it all the time.  We did it with Smith in place of Bruce, for example.

The same Bruce who's rather limited Newcastle team is ten points ahead of Dean Smith's?

[PeterWithesShin]

Clubs do it all the time.  We did it with Smith in place of Bruce, for example.

The same Bruce who's rather limited Newcastle team is ten points ahead of Dean Smith's?

John Docherty finished 13 points ahead of SGT in 1989, it proves nothing.

[Ian.]

I'm pretty sure most said at the start of season if we stay up and finish 17 he's achieved his goal, some even said they would keep him even if we went down, as was the feeling that we never even contemplated promotion February last year.

In both cases that would have been a tough season with lots of low points along the way, so I am surprised that so many would want him ousted if we achieve a result on Sunday.