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Author Topic: Dean Smith - Confirmed  (Read 1521929 times)

Offline Monty

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10545 on: October 24, 2020, 04:26:41 PM »
We altered our tactics at Leicester on 20 minutes and were the better side for the remainder of the game.

Exactly.

Who was it who said that everything in football is complicated by the presence of the opposition? You can have a great plan, just sometimes the other guys have a better one. Or you both have a decent plan but one team manages to execute it better on the day. Or both. Or neither.

Sure Smith didn't have a good day yesterday, but that happens - Klopp had a pretty bad one against him not long ago, and as with the Merseyside derby we'll find out a lot about this Villa team by how they react against Southampton.

Offline themossman

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10546 on: October 24, 2020, 04:35:44 PM »
It might be hair splitting but I’d say the changes Vs Leicester were adjustments to his way of playing not a real change in approach.

I don’t disagree Monty. Sometimes it’s just about the opposition’s strengths rather than anything you did wrong. Maybe the bench is just not good enough like Risso said. But you must admit the lack of adjustment during the game last night when the outcome looked predictable was notable, and consistent with smith’s main perceived weakness.

Offline Monty

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10547 on: October 24, 2020, 04:49:29 PM »
It might be hair splitting but I’d say the changes Vs Leicester were adjustments to his way of playing not a real change in approach.

I don’t disagree Monty. Sometimes it’s just about the opposition’s strengths rather than anything you did wrong. Maybe the bench is just not good enough like Risso said. But you must admit the lack of adjustment during the game last night when the outcome looked predictable was notable, and consistent with smith’s main perceived weakness.

It was, for sure, but so was the high line conceding too many chances consistent with Klopp's, or Bielsa's failure to answer Nuno's changes on Monday, or Pep's team banging their heads against a brick wall today. Managers can only have the strengths and weaknesses that they do; the reason my opinion has changed on Smith is that his strengths appear much stronger this season than we've seen before, and that's with winning 10 in a row and a cup final thrown in.

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10548 on: October 24, 2020, 05:15:05 PM »
Every team with the exception of Everton have had bad results this season. Last night was ours. Doesn’t make our side bad or Dean Smith inept after starting 4 straight wins. It happens, he was out coached, our team was outplayed. What happens next week is most important and has Leeds found a weakness that will be exploited or will we adjust and beat Southampton?

Offline gpbarr

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10549 on: October 25, 2020, 07:45:56 AM »
This.

Leeds is now in the past, just a bad day all around. Picking it apart isn’t that helpful when the reality is that everyone was poor.

If this Villa team is different, and what we think they are, then they will show that next week.

Offline RamboandBruno

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10550 on: October 25, 2020, 08:17:02 AM »
Smith changed his tactics throughout last season, from his favoured 433, to 541 or 352, to try and combat our seeming slide towards relegation. He found a more defensive, pragmatic formula that worked post lockdown, where we relied more on set pieces for a lot of our goals. This season he’s turned McGinn into a more deep lying midfielder and asked Trez and Grealish to support overlapping full backs.
The idea Smith sticks to one way of playing is just not accurate.
On Friday we could debate he should of done this or that, to change the shape here or there. He did hook Trez a lot earlier than normal, but honestly I’m not sure anyone on the bench for that game would of made a fat lot of difference. The obvious choice would be hourihane for Barklay, but I just don’t see how that kind of speedy physical game, was a game for Connor.
Southampton play a similar way to Leeds so it will be interesting to see whether our game plan is flawed against this style of play or whether Friday was a one off.

Offline Mellin

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10551 on: October 25, 2020, 08:44:05 AM »
This is by no means a criticism of Smith who I rate highly, but Leeds notoriously overload the fullbacks and we did very little to protect against that. I know it's hard to change a winning team, but felt 3-5-2 was the way to go. If not from the start then certainly as the game wore on and it became clear they had Targett and Cash exposed. Engels in for Trez and Grealish off Watkins. Would've been a very brave call though and obviously may not have worked.

Offline Steve67

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10552 on: October 25, 2020, 09:35:54 AM »
Dean with really honest with his appraisal and with Shakespeare to assist with the continual improvement, I think he will learn from it and we will be fine this season.  Frustrating and brilliant in equal measure, but that's the habit of an emerging side, until we tip in to good and then make fewer bugger ups.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10553 on: October 25, 2020, 02:45:37 PM »
This is by no means a criticism of Smith who I rate highly, but Leeds notoriously overload the fullbacks and we did very little to protect against that. I know it's hard to change a winning team, but felt 3-5-2 was the way to go. If not from the start then certainly as the game wore on and it became clear they had Targett and Cash exposed. Engels in for Trez and Grealish off Watkins. Would've been a very brave call though and obviously may not have worked.
My thoughts as well.
Traore and Cash as wingbacks would be very powerful. My only concern is whether our third CB would be good enough: if we'd bought Tuanzebe or another mobile CB in the summer, I'd be promoting 3-5-2 rather harder than now.

Offline Risso

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10554 on: October 25, 2020, 03:19:14 PM »
This is by no means a criticism of Smith who I rate highly, but Leeds notoriously overload the fullbacks and we did very little to protect against that. I know it's hard to change a winning team, but felt 3-5-2 was the way to go. If not from the start then certainly as the game wore on and it became clear they had Targett and Cash exposed. Engels in for Trez and Grealish off Watkins. Would've been a very brave call though and obviously may not have worked.
My thoughts as well.
Traore and Cash as wingbacks would be very powerful. My only concern is whether our third CB would be good enough: if we'd bought Tuanzebe or another mobile CB in the summer, I'd be promoting 3-5-2 rather harder than now.

Impossible to say that Traore would be any use as a wing back I reckon, doesn't look like he's got much tackling in him.

Offline Bobby Boy

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10555 on: October 25, 2020, 03:30:37 PM »
Hope Dean is watching Southampton today. Their intensity is not a million miles away from Leeds'. Can't allow our midfield to be so open otherwise we'll be asking for trouble.

Online CT

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10556 on: October 25, 2020, 03:33:15 PM »
Hope Dean is watching Southampton today. Their intensity is not a million miles away from Leeds'. Can't allow our midfield to be so open otherwise we'll be asking for trouble.

They look really decent don’t they?! Plus they beat us easily twice last season too.

Hopefully we’re up to the challenge on both sides of the touchline.

Offline Toronto Villa

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10557 on: October 25, 2020, 03:38:14 PM »
This is by no means a criticism of Smith who I rate highly, but Leeds notoriously overload the fullbacks and we did very little to protect against that. I know it's hard to change a winning team, but felt 3-5-2 was the way to go. If not from the start then certainly as the game wore on and it became clear they had Targett and Cash exposed. Engels in for Trez and Grealish off Watkins. Would've been a very brave call though and obviously may not have worked.
My thoughts as well.
Traore and Cash as wingbacks would be very powerful. My only concern is whether our third CB would be good enough: if we'd bought Tuanzebe or another mobile CB in the summer, I'd be promoting 3-5-2 rather harder than now.

Impossible to say that Traore would be any use as a wing back I reckon, doesn't look like he's got much tackling in him.

Plus he plays down the right so that’s clearly a preference for him coming in from that side. Sticking him on the left and having defensive duties isn’t something I am sure I want to see. And frankly Targett has been fine this season and if we are upgrading him get a proper FB/WB that has been playing that role very well across his career. Square pegs round holes isn’t the way to go.

Offline Mister E

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10558 on: October 25, 2020, 04:17:39 PM »
This is by no means a criticism of Smith who I rate highly, but Leeds notoriously overload the fullbacks and we did very little to protect against that. I know it's hard to change a winning team, but felt 3-5-2 was the way to go. If not from the start then certainly as the game wore on and it became clear they had Targett and Cash exposed. Engels in for Trez and Grealish off Watkins. Would've been a very brave call though and obviously may not have worked.
My thoughts as well.
Traore and Cash as wingbacks would be very powerful. My only concern is whether our third CB would be good enough: if we'd bought Tuanzebe or another mobile CB in the summer, I'd be promoting 3-5-2 rather harder than now.
Impossible to say that Traore would be any use as a wing back I reckon, doesn't look like he's got much tackling in him.
I'm sure I read somewhere that played there for his last club.
« Last Edit: October 25, 2020, 04:21:38 PM by Mister E »

Offline ChicagoLion

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Re: Dean Smith - Confirmed
« Reply #10559 on: October 25, 2020, 05:03:17 PM »
Hope Dean is watching Southampton today. Their intensity is not a million miles away from Leeds'. Can't allow our midfield to be so open otherwise we'll be asking for trouble.

They look really decent don’t they?! Plus they beat us easily twice last season too.

Hopefully we’re up to the challenge on both sides of the touchline.
I think the secret is do not concede first.

 


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