Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Three Spires Villa]

I am so happy to be wrong. In January I thought we were gone and discussed with friends that it might be better if he went. I put up an idea of Fat Sam for a 10 game period to keep us up pre COVID. I really thought Dean had done all he could. Well the facts are opinions aside, we came up under Dean, and stayed up under Dean so well done and I was wrong and it feels fantastic 😆

[simboy]

Yep

From a position of 14th in the Championship to Premiership survival via the playoffs and a cup final, with a (I think) 12 player squad including three keepers on promotion in 18 months. He kept us up with a very limited squad, recovering a 7point gap. Smith deserves to be sacked, doesn’t have a clue and really hasn’t achieved anything.

[Footy-Vill]

Give Deano the time he'll see us right.
I thought he was most honourable how he offered condolences to Mullins and Howe in relegation . (In his post match staying up  interview referred to them)
Class act .

[algy]

Give Deano the time he'll see us right.
I thought he was most honourable how he offered condolences to Mullins and Howe in relegation . (In his post match staying up  interview referred to them)
Class act .

Yeah, I was struck by that. Nice touch from a decent chap.

[RamboandBruno]

I’m delighted for Smith and like him a lot as a person,
he got us up and kept us up and for that he deserves our thanks

but I’ve still some major doubts over his management this season which haven’t gone away  because we stayed up
Just being honest

I think this is fine and everyone’s entitled to their opinion. On the whole I’ve been a huge supporter of his since his appointment even through the dark days of post Xmas 2018. Even so post Leicester away and post wolves at home, I thought maybe he could/possibly should go as he seemed to have lost his way. He did seem a bit out of his depth at times this season, but for me you could visibly see him grow into the role, tactically and mentally the last month or so. Standing back now the seasons over, despite the ups and downs of the team and his management, a 10 game winning run, Wembley win for the play off final, narrow Wembley defeat in one of the major domestic cups to a great side and staving off relegation with a team thrown together, is for me a pretty impressive 21 months.
A few top draw signings and I think we’ll do ok next year.

[Footy-Vill]

Give Deano the time he'll see us right.
I thought he was most honourable how he offered condolences to Mullins and Howe in relegation . (In his post match staying up  interview referred to them)
Class act .

Yeah, I was struck by that. Nice touch from a decent chap.

Smith is One of the good guys in football.
I was struck how Micah Richards on sky few games back outed him saying Smith was too nice. That he doesn't have a go at the players - like that's the only way to manage ?!
I guess Richards was expecting coaches to have a go at players I guess.
Sure Dean is strong enough to get his point across without ranting and throwing things.
Too intelligent and emotionally controlled for that.
Richards also had respect in Smith said how straightforward Deano was in saying "you're not up to my level required to play football so you won't play"

I think Dean Smith straightforward approach and treating players like adults and sports professional is spot on.
I never enjoyed any coach shouting at me and Richards should understand life and sport has moved on to a level of communication of respect . So he's not understanding this yet was lauding Smith for being straightforward.

I have Deano communication style everyday of the week ahead of those antiquated Kevin McDonald types.
And felt Richards should recognise the difference in how a coach can motivate a player / team

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I’m delighted for Smith and like him a lot as a person,
he got us up and kept us up and for that he deserves our thanks

but I’ve still some major doubts over his management this season which haven’t gone away  because we stayed up
Just being honest

He's a very, very lucky boy. Let's hope he learns a lesson on ten over the coming months.

[russon]

I hear Paul Ince has bought a house in Lichfield , just sayin 😬

[Fred Crump]

I hear Paul Ince has bought a house in Lichfield , just sayin 😬

Aaaargggh !!! There are some things so awful you just don’t joke about them !! 

[Legion]

Lichfield's not that bad.

[Fred Crump]

Lichfield's not that bad.

Chortle. We may have just started a run on property prices though ...

[in exile]

I hear Paul Ince has bought a house in Lichfield , just sayin 😬

Must be Jack's replacement.
So now we know the truth, he has bought a house in Cheshire and he's off.

[Sexual Ealing]

Decent interview with the boss: Clicky

[kippaxvilla2]

The inside story of the masterplan that saved Aston Villa

Aston Villa news | Dean Smith has lifted the lid on Villa's Premier League survival


It came right down to the wire but in the end Dean Smith and Aston Villa managed to achieve their goal last season - of finding safety in the Premier League.

On the final day, against West Ham, it took just a few moments following the final whistle for Villa to confirm their place in the 20/21 season.

The team took some flack throughout the campaign, but a desire to improve and the perfect opportunity to do so was utilised by the team and Smith.

That started out with some home truths, though.

"I just got the coaches' heads together. Myself, Richard O'Kelly, JT [John Terry] and Neil Cutler and tried to figure out with the analysts why we felt we had conceded so many shots and big chances (expected goals), and goals,” said Smith during a walk and talk interview with Villa's club website.

"We came up with a plan. I felt we had to be harder to beat rather than just going all out to win games.

"I felt players needed a meeting with me one-to-one for me to tell them how I thought they;d done and for me to listen to them, to get their thoughts on how they thought they had done and what they needed to improve on."

"We ended up having group meetings then. In small groups we discussed defensive patterns and shapes, what they feel, what I feel we could improve on. Then I got them to analyse their own performances in a group. They then, as small groups, had to feed back to me with their thoughts.

That type of self-reflection as a group can be needed - but it can also be painful, with Smith admitting himself that it wasn't the easiest thing to do, although it was needed. With Villa's season in tatters after a crushing loss at Leicester before the lockdown, a new approach was needed.

[Was it brutal?] A little bit, yeah," winced the head coach. "But it was needed. The players needed to know where I wanted to go. They also needed a pointer, and direction. I felt after that relegation that the players felt they were a relegated team. I had to change that, however I could."

A new Villa emerged after lockdown, and while they had some help (thanks to a goal-line issue with Hawkeye against Sheffield United), Villa pushed themselves to safety - with Smith keeping stuck on course thanks to expected goals (xG), despite some early worries.

xG was able to help Villa stick to their new plan, with clear improvements emerging in the underlying metrics of each game post-lockdown.

"We kept Sheffield United to 0.3 expected goals which takes some doing. I talk about expected goals, but it's only a marker. Lots of things happen in games. Then we played Chelsea who had plenty of the ball and beat us with a deflected goal 2-1.

"Again, our expected goals was 0.7 to their 0.8. With that as a marker, I could say that we were improving defensively."

Smith's use of expected goals in post-match interviews led to frustration from fans - who wanted to see actual results, instead of 'expected' ones. The former was the only way Villa were going to get points, but the latter kept the team believing.

"The results weren't coming. We got two points from the first four games, but all the players felt that they were defending better. The big problem was that we weren't converting our chances. We created a lot of chances at the start of the season, but conceded a lot as well."

It wasn't always the case that Villa would start the season - again - though. With the global pandemic hitting a peak, talks did centre around stopping the 19/20 season entirely. However, Smith kept focused on his main goal, of keeping Villa solid, and keeping them up - with a cool head.

"It's my job - I've been in professional football since I was 16. I've gone from game to game looking to win. You have short-term goals and long-term goals and I have never lost sight of that.  It was a tough time for a lot of people. I realised early that the lockdown could give us a great opportunity to reset ourselves. We had ten games to change ourselves and get out of trouble."

"I've trained myself to have a certain emotional control. I remember getting the Walsall job and losing the game one-nil. I went into the dressing room after and had a go at the lads, then walking into my own room before going into the press conference. I had a headache and thought 'I don't need this!' then I just thought - I need the players again next week, do they need me ranting at them when I can just have a day away and speak then a bit more rationally about the game?"

"I went for the latter thing. You're not going to get anything straight after a game. On the sideline they need to see somebody who is in control. If I'm not in control, it allows them to not be in control."

Time away for reflection is key to Smith's planing at Villa - and that involves recreation, and the famous 'dog-walking'.

"Golf, I play off 12, I have a regular group I play with to take my mind off things, but don't play enough to get the handicap down. It's a thinking game, you have to think yourself around the course. I played chess as a young lad, so I've always been a strategic thinker. It gives me time away.

"I've spoken about the dog walks, I've got a working Cocker Spaniel. He needs a walk. We've been to Scotland and I looked at my watch - we did 23,000 steps so he's certainly had a walk! It's great for thinking time.

"I remember talking to Neil Lennon - Bolton manager at the time - and he said 'why are you so calm all the time?' It's the dog. They have such an impact and he thanked me later! Win, lose or draw, it's unconditional love the moment you walk through the door. You need that, and the time away. It's all consuming, is football.

"I looked at myself when Jack [Grealish] scored that goal against West Ham and it looked like a lot of stress was released. We got the job done, but that was the important thing.

That has now set up a second season at the top for Villa and Smith, who likely won't have a large break in the middle of the season this time around. They need to start as they mean to go on.

"We've learned lessons, players and staff alike. When we do have our downtime, we have to get our own headspace. We don't have a position target. Our points tally last year was nowhere near what we set out to achieve. The goals are to improve. Getting 0.4 of a point extra per game gets you into the top 12. Those small margins you need to work on, we're working hard to get that right.

"Our objective last season was to stay up, we did that but by the skin of our teeth. We do not want to go through that again, we want to be a club that is progressing.

"We want to improve and get better. I've always thought one of my strengths is that I can improve players. I think everyone wants to learn and get better. That's what we need to focus on as coaches, improving those players and making sure they are getting better. If they get better, Aston Villa gets better and we can stay in our jobs."

There will still be a few changes for Villa though - who will start the season without fans in the stadium, a big miss for Smith.

"It's not that good. I hope we can get them back in, in some shape or form. Six games at a full Villa Park would've been a help for us - but we got through it. Our fans help us get over the line. I hope they are back in some capacity. That's what makes football."

[kippaxvilla2]

Beat me to it sorry SE.