Dean Smith - Confirmed

[mr underhill]

I agree but too close for comfort. Changes needed somewhere within the management structure.

[ozzjim]

Smith deserves to continue, I really hope that he has learnt from this season in respect of recruitment and game management.
It has been a miraculous recovery.

I will cut him a lot of slack with recruitment, with how much we had to do on the budget last summer to get a squad together and stay up its an achievement. Add in losing a top keeper and your best striker in 5 minutes half way through, he's done bloody well to turn it round.

On struggling, he's shown that he can get us into winning positions, he's shown he can manage tactically to tighten the way we play, he's improved Konsa, Luiz, Targett etc through the season. I really hope we buy the players that can help him take chances up top that reduce the pressure next season

[JJ-AV]

Love Dean and Up the Villa!

[andyh]

I wanted him originally. I thought he was the perfect man for us.
This season I have gradually changed my mind and in the period between Christmas and the lockdown I thought the job was too big for him, the team was disarray and that he should be relieved of his duties.

But.

The job he has done since the restart and especially the last 4 games is quite incredible.
I know the first part of the restart was not brilliant, but it laid the groundwork for that final push.
The players have grown into this division as has Smith and with some quality additions, some careful pruning of the squad, I think we can be much better next season.

This is a case where the man really does ‘deserve’ to take us into next season, god knows he’s earned it.

[garyfouroaks]

Of course he'll be in charge beginning of next season. I'm just not convinced next year will be anything other than a struggle with him to be brutally honest - all season we lacked any sort of real identity in our play, and when we got a run in at the death it was based on skin-of-teeth, siege defending of the kind that makes me wonder if those advocating for Allardyce didn't get their wish in the end, in a way. Not to diminish this, or to say that I'm not really fond of Deano, I really am. I just remain unconvinced. But perhaps that's all for another day.

I feel the same.

And did he keep us up? Or did Bournemouth and Watford's shocking implosion do that? In the last two seasons we have been the fifth best side in the Championship , and 17th best in the Prem. That is hardly positive momentum. Yes, Smith did do well to achieve promotion- from a division he knew well, and in the play off lottery. I am not belittling his achievements, but the Villa job is not work experience.

He did not make the same impact that Dyche did when he took Burnley up, or Howe when he took Bournemouth up. The team has not been unlucky this season, it has not been good enough. Are we in a much better position to recruit this summer than last? What style of play are we offering new recruits?

Grealish is likely to go. Is Smith the man to replace him and use the money wisely?

[Drummond]

I'm honestly dumbfounded that people still want to sack him.

[rob_bridge]

As every I will listen to realistic propositions if people want him gone. Baer minimum this year was to stay up and just about managed it. Lob in the League Cup final just about par for the course.

[AsTallAsLions]

The only thing I know right now is I never want to experience what we just experienced yesterday (and this season in general, cup final aside) again.

The elation of last-gasp survival aside, if it had gone the other way it would have been completely crushing. I don't really care about Bournemouth or their fans either way, but nonetheless it's easy to imagine how they must feel today, and I've no desire to feel that way again.

As things stand currently, I fear we'll be right back here this time next year unless we change something (the transfer strategy under Suso, the team management under Smith, or both).

[garyfouroaks]

I'm honestly dumbfounded that people still want to sack him.

Why?

In business it is commonplace to hire managers and experts to do a job, a job they do well, and then recruit someone else for the next job.

Ironically, were Smith to go now, his stock would be far higher than if he was sacked for a second dismal PL campaign later on.

[fbriai]

I wouldn't change anything, personally. I wouldn't have done had we gone down either. I was worried when he took over that the job might be too much for him; a scar from the Graham Turner era, I think, but he soon dispelled that.

There aren't many players in the squad that have depreciated in value from when we brought them in and they look more and more like a cohesive unit. There's clearly a good spirit there and they all seem to respect the boss as well. The objective this season was making sure we stayed up. He's done that. Now we can invest again in the summer and kick-on.

At this point, I can't think of a better fit as manager for us. He's one of us, he gets the club completely and he's a top man to boot. It was his first season in the top flight and he himself openly admits that he has been learning as he's gone along.

Getting rid of him now would feel like getting rid of SGT after the first season back in Division 1. I'd back him and let him get on with the job. Besides, changing him would be a big gamble, especially with less than 6 weeks until the start of the season.

[wince]

If you seriously think Leeds and the fucking baggies are going to be a bigger draw for players in the next couple of months than we are then you really need to have a word with yourself.

This. Fuck em.

[hipkiss92]

Of course he'll be in charge beginning of next season. I'm just not convinced next year will be anything other than a struggle with him to be brutally honest - all season we lacked any sort of real identity in our play, and when we got a run in at the death it was based on skin-of-teeth, siege defending of the kind that makes me wonder if those advocating for Allardyce didn't get their wish in the end, in a way. Not to diminish this, or to say that I'm not really fond of Deano, I really am. I just remain unconvinced. But perhaps that's all for another day.

I feel the same.

And did he keep us up? Or did Bournemouth and Watford's shocking implosion do that? In the last two seasons we have been the fifth best side in the Championship , and 17th best in the Prem. That is hardly positive momentum. Yes, Smith did do well to achieve promotion- from a division he knew well, and in the play off lottery. I am not belittling his achievements, but the Villa job is not work experience.

He did not make the same impact that Dyche did when he took Burnley up, or Howe when he took Bournemouth up. The team has not been unlucky this season, it has not been good enough. Are we in a much better position to recruit this summer than last? What style of play are we offering new recruits?

Grealish is likely to go. Is Smith the man to replace him and use the money wisely?

Howe took Bournemouth from League Two to the top flight, kept a similar group of players and momentum through the league and finished 16th in their 1st season in the PL. Dyche got relegated 1st time of asking and has impressed since Burnley returned to the top flight.

No reason Smith couldn't take us to a similar level or beyond with another year of investment.

[Villan82]

Dean Smith has 100% earned another crack.

However, there needs to be progress next season. We need to be winning more games and grinding out more draws.We lost 21 games this season, that needs to be down to less than 16 next season minimum - say 11 wins and 11 draws, what Newcastle did to finish 13th this season.

Progress next year would be finishing north of 14th, never being in a relegation scrap and always feeling that we were taking the points we had earned.

[Chris Smith]

I wouldn't change anything, personally. I wouldn't have done had we gone down either. I was worried when he took over that the job might be too much for him; a scar from the Graham Turner era, I think, but he soon dispelled that.

There aren't many players in the squad that have depreciated in value from when we brought them in and they look more and more like a cohesive unit. There's clearly a good spirit there and they all seem to respect the boss as well. The objective this season was making sure we stayed up. He's done that. Now we can invest again in the summer and kick-on.

At this point, I can't think of a better fit as manager for us. He's one of us, he gets the club completely and he's a top man to boot. It was his first season in the top flight and he himself openly admits that he has been learning as he's gone along.

Getting rid of him now would feel like getting rid of SGT after the first season back in Division 1. I'd back him and let him get on with the job. Besides, changing him would be a big gamble, especially with less than 6 weeks until the start of the season.

Agree with all of that.

[wince]

If the spine of decent players can be added to then we will be moving up the table. Let’s not get cocky that we will be doing a Leicester next season but we should be playing like Burnley and wolves (yes wolves) mindset to get to 40 points and higher as quick as we can. Festering down the foot of table is a no but my god we need a striker who can score.