Dean Smith - Confirmed

[olaftab]

Even before Jack got injured the performances weren't great but Dean has still kept with the same formation, 4-3-3 even though it's no longer working. Einstein's attributed line: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" very much comes to mind. Tactically it's backs to the wall, hoof it up front for Ollie to hold up, watch it come back, repeat and hope to get a snatch and grab win. As you said, it's frustrating 'when you see how well we can play'.

Yes indeed. About mid Jan other teams had worked us out. They knew how to stop Jack and rest is easy. Smith and his team did nothing to change that situation or develop a strategy and tactics to take advantage of opposition going heavy on Jack.
The Jack injury is a laughable episode (again). He has missed 5 matches now when we were initially told  "back next week". So the question is did Smith & Co knew this or were they sitting on their hands totally devoid of medical opinion and hoping that he will return for the next match and absolutely failed to devise a better system to play without him? Either way there is culpability.

[N'ZMAV]

if we don't finish top-half, I'll be disappointed. I've loved the majority of the season and been more than surprised at times. I'll be disappointed because after the start we had, and how we've picked up some very impressive wins - we really should have built on it and not to have would be poor. I like Dean Smith, he's met every objective so far.

[West Derby Villan]

I think it strikes as self entitled to be honest. Very Wolves esq. levels of petulance. Stamping your feet and shouting "don't you know who I am?" achieves nothing.

There's more to the top half of this table than us. What has the team directly above us been doing in our lost decade? Winning the European Cup and title, by signing £60m players.

What about the one above? Developing the best centre forward in Europe, competing in the Champions League, getting rid of the best pound for pound manager in Europe and replacing him with a name as big as Mourinho. Moving into a £1bn stadium that holds 61,000.

What about the team above Spurs, what have they been doing in our lost decade? Spending half a billion and attracting one of the most successful managers in Europe, making preparations to build a new ground.

And West Ham? Getting a new ground for free that is 50% larger than ours. Being able to spend £40m on flops and finally, for this season at least, reinventing Everton of 2007 vintage.

And Chelsea? Winning titles, trophies, playing in Champions League football, spending hundreds of millions.

Leicester? Sliding doors and all that, but winning the title, spending and investing heavily. Showing an avenue to others like us of what can be achieved in time.

The Manchester clubs speak for themselves.

Yes we're loaded, yes we have Grealish, yes we are Aston fuckimg Villa. But glance in the mirror, see where we have been very recently and what clubs who can say "we're fucking Chelsea" or "we're fucking Everton" too and it makes the demands seem ridiculous. It has to be earned.

Spot on Ads, realism and perspective in spades mate

[Toronto Villa]

Last season I was very much in the fire Dean Smith camp. But now even with the recent run of results I’m just not. Not just because we are now doing it without Jack but because the progression we have made means he gets a chance to see if he can build on this season. It is alarming to a point how reliant we are on Jack but it’s hardly shocking is it? What club isn’t reliant on their best player. We don’t have the level of talent at the club to make up the gap in his absence. If Man City lose De Bruyne they have several top players to keep on winning. We simply don’t have that. And it’s also one of the reasons I advocated cashing in on Jack because it will force us to build an all round better team with the funds and anything extra we have. Obviously better if we can build around him.

Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.

[Risso]

Last season I was very much in the fire Dean Smith camp. But now even with the recent run of results I’m just not. Not just because we are now doing it without Jack but because the progression we have made means he gets a chance to see if he can build on this season. It is alarming to a point how reliant we are on Jack but it’s hardly shocking is it? What club isn’t reliant on their best player. We don’t have the level of talent at the club to make up the gap in his absence. If Man City love De Bruyne they have several top players to keep on winning. We simply don’t have that. And it’s also one of the reasons I advocated cashing in on Jack because it will force us to build an all round better team with the funds and anything extra we have. Obviously better if we can build around him.

Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.

That's pretty well where I am. I think he'll get next season, unless we have an absolutely terrible run in and lose 9 games or something stupid like that, which isn't likely.

[brontebilly]

I think one criticism that can be leveled at Smith is how and why he decided to turn McGinn, once one of the best attacking midfielders in the league,  into a very average defensive midfielder.

Moving McGinn further forward could help both  him and villa find their form again. Why doesn’t he do it?

He has been playing further forward recently to be fair but despite his best efforts it's not happening for him. I'm not sure McGinn was ever remotely close to being one of the best attacking midfielders in the division. He got a good start last season for sure, got injured but was very average on his return.

If we could free him up a bit to stay higher up the pitch, we might see a return to form. I'm sick of seeing the likes of Trez, Traore and AEG stinking out our right wing, maybe try McGinn over there with Cash.

[Risso]

It's one goal in nearly 50 games for McGinn now, and apart from some wildly out of control Tonev specials, he doesn't even seem to get any shots off.  Maybe with the wide players so badly out of form we could try him at the tip of or on the right of a diamond?

[PeterWithe]

He hit one last night too well, very powerful but right at the keeper.

[Neil Hawkes]

QUOTE
Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.
UNQUOTE

I take a little umbrage at this comment.
Since he has come in we have continually progressed.
Promoted first year, a year ahead of schedule, as admitted by our CEO.
We where down and out last season, he took a while but addressed that & kept us up; first ever year managing in the top flight.
Second ever season managing in the top flight and we have gone beyond, (so far), expectations; top ten would be a marvellous achievement.
On course for the most clean sheets since when?
So what exactly does everyone find wrong with him?
AND to put it bluntly - fuck getting a big name in, just because we can; how does anyone know exactly what he is capable of, after continual improvement year after year - why does anyone assume he can not get better the longer he stays in charge? (As he has already proved he can continually improve).

[Sexual Ealing]

QUOTE
Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.
UNQUOTE

I take a little umbrage at this comment.
Since he has come in we have continually progressed.
Promoted first year, a year ahead of schedule, as admitted by our CEO.
We where down and out last season, he took a while but addressed that & kept us up; first ever year managing in the top flight.
Second ever season managing in the top flight and we have gone beyond, (so far), expectations; top ten would be a marvellous achievement.
On course for the most clean sheets since when?
So what exactly does everyone find wrong with him?
AND to put it bluntly - fuck getting a big name in, just because we can; how does anyone know exactly what he is capable of, after continual improvement year after year - why does anyone assume he can not get better the longer he stays in charge? (As he has already proved he can continually improve).

Hear hear!

[OCD]

For those calling for his head, which I find bizarre, would you like us to be one of those clubs that changes their manager every 1-2 years like Chelsea? Because that's what changing manager now or in the summer would signal. I would rather gradual and continual progress which means continuity and backing.

[West Derby Villan]

QUOTE
Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.
UNQUOTE

I take a little umbrage at this comment.
Since he has come in we have continually progressed.
Promoted first year, a year ahead of schedule, as admitted by our CEO.
We where down and out last season, he took a while but addressed that & kept us up; first ever year managing in the top flight.
Second ever season managing in the top flight and we have gone beyond, (so far), expectations; top ten would be a marvellous achievement.
On course for the most clean sheets since when?
So what exactly does everyone find wrong with him?
AND to put it bluntly - fuck getting a big name in, just because we can; how does anyone know exactly what he is capable of, after continual improvement year after year - why does anyone assume he can not get better the longer he stays in charge? (As he has already proved he can continually improve).

Totally agree Neil

[brontebilly]

QUOTE
Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.
UNQUOTE

I take a little umbrage at this comment.
Since he has come in we have continually progressed.
Promoted first year, a year ahead of schedule, as admitted by our CEO.
We where down and out last season, he took a while but addressed that & kept us up; first ever year managing in the top flight.
Second ever season managing in the top flight and we have gone beyond, (so far), expectations; top ten would be a marvellous achievement.
On course for the most clean sheets since when?
So what exactly does everyone find wrong with him?
AND to put it bluntly - fuck getting a big name in, just because we can; how does anyone know exactly what he is capable of, after continual improvement year after year - why does anyone assume he can not get better the longer he stays in charge? (As he has already proved he can continually improve).

The stats would suggest the fortunes of the team under Smith are wholly dependent on the fitness of Jack Grealish. We were useless in the championship without him and despite all the investment since that continues to the present day.

I doubt there is a single poster on the site that doesn't want Deano to succeed. But like any coach his record is open to be critiqued. It wasn't too long ago (though it feels like forever pre-covid) that the board appeared to be on the verge of giving him the boot. If this season continues to peter out I don't think our board will let sentiment get in the way of a hard-nosed business decision.

In saying all that, I certainly hope it won't and Grealish will come back and inspire some football worth watching.

[Risso]

For those calling for his head

Pssst. Nobody is.

[RamboandBruno]

QUOTE
Dean Smith doesn’t need us to fire him. He knows that will happen on its own the more we spend. He will get at minimum the next window to improve us again and if we do get better he will deserve to keep his job.
UNQUOTE

I take a little umbrage at this comment.
Since he has come in we have continually progressed.
Promoted first year, a year ahead of schedule, as admitted by our CEO.
We where down and out last season, he took a while but addressed that & kept us up; first ever year managing in the top flight.
Second ever season managing in the top flight and we have gone beyond, (so far), expectations; top ten would be a marvellous achievement.
On course for the most clean sheets since when?
So what exactly does everyone find wrong with him?
AND to put it bluntly - fuck getting a big name in, just because we can; how does anyone know exactly what he is capable of, after continual improvement year after year - why does anyone assume he can not get better the longer he stays in charge? (As he has already proved he can continually improve).

Well said