Dean Smith - Confirmed

[RamboandBruno]

He’s spent nearly 200 million in 2 years and we still look like relegation fodder without grealish.

He won’t be trusted with another £200m

And you know this how?

[Toronto Villa]

Right now for me what is most frustrating is that Dean Smith is acting like he stumbled upon a formation that has proven itself to work much of the time, but come hell or high water he won’t or doesn’t know how to change it when it doesn’t. So he keeps with it irrespective of the fact that other sides have scouted it and in most instances completely nullified it.

Having endured so much shit even during MON and certainly since, what we all hoped for when we arrived is that he would be astute enough to have different approaches in his repertoire. That he would be open minded enough to change not just players but systems based on the opponent and the in game situation. There is little evidence right now that he can do that or what is absolutely obvious, that if he doesn’t have Jack he really doesn’t know how to get the others to a level to compete against most sides in the league.

[Nii Lamptey]

Just getting ready to head off down to join the mob on Trinity Road with my pikestaff calling for Smith's head.

But stopped to consider this:

2018 - appointed manager
2019 - play off promotion winners
2020 - keeps us in the Prem/League Cup runners up
2021 - solid mid table position.

Then I asked myself - how many of today's Villa starting squad would make the Liverpool squad and vice versa?

Decided to put the pikestaff back in the shed.

We clearly don't have sufficient in tems of individual quality or strength in depth.

Smith could be doing better, but given what he has to work with, I'm not going to complain too much.

2018 - Appointed manager 10 October 2018, taking over from Spud head.
2019 - Won just 2 out of 14 matches without Grealish (just SIX OUT OF FORTY TWO POINTS?!!), despite having one of the costliest squads in the 2nd tier of English football, before Grealish returned from injury and dragged us back into the Premier League as Playoff promotion winners with a 10 game winning run.
2020 - Somehow claw our way to a second season in the Premier League
2021 - 3 seasons later, he still doesn't have the foggiest how to put out a team that doesn't include Jack Grealish.

Dean Smith is paid to do a job - A job that he SHOULD be doing better. He's persevered with a formation and tactics that hasn't worked for nearly 4 months.
He stumbled on a winning formation and lineup last week, which would have been perfect today, yet he reverts to the same dysfunctional 'Smith 11' against the Champions who 1) Were there for the taking today if we'd put out the right team and 2) Weren't going to sit down and take it lightly, based off our previous encounter.

His inability to change a game or spot players who aren't contributing or are liabilities is becoming increasingly worrying.

Yes, we're doing better than a lot of us expected after last season's debacle, but that's because the bar was set way lower than it should have been. We could (and should!) be doing better.

[Rudy65]

He’s spent nearly 200 million in 2 years and we still look like relegation fodder without grealish.

He won’t be trusted with another £200m

And you know this how?

Generally because billionaire owners don’t have much tolerance for mediocrity

[paul_e]

Just getting ready to head off down to join the mob on Trinity Road with my pikestaff calling for Smith's head.

But stopped to consider this:

2018 - appointed manager
2019 - play off promotion winners
2020 - keeps us in the Prem/League Cup runners up
2021 - solid mid table position.

Then I asked myself - how many of today's Villa starting squad would make the Liverpool squad and vice versa?

Decided to put the pikestaff back in the shed.

We clearly don't have sufficient in tems of individual quality or strength in depth.

Smith could be doing better, but given what he has to work with, I'm not going to complain too much.

2018 - Appointed manager 10 October 2018, taking over from Spud head.
2019 - Won just 2 out of 14 matches without Grealish (just SIX OUT OF FORTY TWO POINTS?!!), despite having one of the costliest squads in the 2nd tier of English football, before Grealish returned from injury and dragged us back into the Premier League as Playoff promotion winners with a 10 game winning run.
2020 - Somehow claw our way to a second season in the Premier League
2021 - 3 seasons later, he still doesn't have the foggiest how to put out a team that doesn't include Jack Grealish.

Dean Smith is paid to do a job - A job that he SHOULD be doing better. He's persevered with a formation and tactics that hasn't worked for nearly 4 months.
He stumbled on a winning formation and lineup last week, which would have been perfect today, yet he reverts to the same dysfunctional 'Smith 11' against the Champions who 1) Were there for the taking today if we'd put out the right team and 2) Weren't going to sit down and take it lightly, based off our previous encounter.

His inability to change a game or spot players who aren't contributing or are liabilities is becoming increasingly worrying.

Yes, we're doing better than a lot of us expected after last season's debacle, but that's because the bar was set way lower than it should have been. We could (and should!) be doing better.

This just reads like you're upset that he managed to achieve his goals when it looked like he might not, which is a very strange way to look at it.

His first year he wasn't even set a target a promotion so he over-achieved. His second year I doubt anyone would've demanded more than staying up and this season the consensus (almost everywhere) was that safely in midtable with games to spare would be a good season and that's exactly where we are.

So many people on here are happy to stick the boot in for him not changing the shape or not making subs early enough, etc but they'd all be just as critical if we were changing the shape game after game and not winning so I just don't buy it. Just be honest with yourselves, you want to win more games and are upset that it isn't happening and you then latch on to anything you can see to explain how we'd do it if only Smith did exactly what you think he should.

[Nii Lamptey]

This just reads like you're upset that he managed to achieve his goals when it looked like he might not, which is a very strange way to look at it.

His first year he wasn't even set a target a promotion so he over-achieved. His second year I doubt anyone would've demanded more than staying up and this season the consensus (almost everywhere) was that safely in midtable with games to spare would be a good season and that's exactly where we are.

So many people on here are happy to stick the boot in for him not changing the shape or not making subs early enough, etc but they'd all be just as critical if we were changing the shape game after game and not winning so I just don't buy it. Just be honest with yourselves, you want to win more games and are upset that it isn't happening and you then latch on to anything you can see to explain how we'd do it if only Smith did exactly what you think he should.

You're wrong - Most of us would love nothing more than to see Dean Smith succeed at Villa. We just don't feel as optimistic about his prospects as some on here.

Could most of us honestly say that if we had seen our team perform abysmally for 4 months straight with no clue or answers, and then suddenly stumble on a lineup and formation where everything just clicked, you wouldn't try and bottle that and use it to your advantage in the next game?

I'm in utter disbelief that Barkley came on instead of Keinan Davis today. I truly think that we would have won that game if we'd have put out the Villa team that finished the Fulham game.

Years of failure have lead us to accept times like these, and should 'count ourselves lucky' we're in the position we're in. What's the point in that - We're fans of a team who play competitive sport? I want to see entertaining football and WIN things - Why bother otherwise?

[Ads]

We haven't been abysmal for 4 months. We weren't abysmal today.

[SoccerHQ]

This just reads like you're upset that he managed to achieve his goals when it looked like he might not, which is a very strange way to look at it.

His first year he wasn't even set a target a promotion so he over-achieved. His second year I doubt anyone would've demanded more than staying up and this season the consensus (almost everywhere) was that safely in midtable with games to spare would be a good season and that's exactly where we are.

So many people on here are happy to stick the boot in for him not changing the shape or not making subs early enough, etc but they'd all be just as critical if we were changing the shape game after game and not winning so I just don't buy it. Just be honest with yourselves, you want to win more games and are upset that it isn't happening and you then latch on to anything you can see to explain how we'd do it if only Smith did exactly what you think he should.

You're wrong - Most of us would love nothing more than to see Dean Smith succeed at Villa. We just don't feel as optimistic about his prospects as some on here.

Could most of us honestly say that if we had seen our team perform abysmally for 4 months straight with no clue or answers, and then suddenly stumble on a lineup and formation where everything just clicked, you wouldn't try and bottle that and use it to your advantage in the next game?

I'm in utter disbelief that Barkley came on instead of Keinan Davis today. I truly think that we would have won that game if we'd have put out the Villa team that finished the Fulham game.

Years of failure have lead us to accept times like these, and should 'count ourselves lucky' we're in the position we're in. What's the point in that - We're fans of a team who play competitive sport? I want to see entertaining football and WIN things - Why bother otherwise?

He's succeeded though?

The remit when he came in was to get us up and keep us up and he's done that. There was nothing saying we had to win the championship with 100 points and as frustrating and poor as last season was at times again we just about made it.

This season I'd have happily settled for mid table back in September and again we've comfortably achieved that. Just never thought our defensive would be the best it's been in over a decade so to me when you post top 6 defensive stats you need to be in the shake up and in the end we'll finish well short of that.

My reservations are simply whether we'll ever finish say 6th with him as manager and do stuff like qualify for europe and actually win something. These are long term goals of pretty much everyone on here and the owners and Purslow so I think now it's a case of people with long term question marks like me (especially if Grealish moves on in next 2 years) and wondering how many years we need to wait to find out.

Big summer ahead regardless with recruitment as this is the tough part to get right.

[LukeJames]

He’s spent nearly 200 million in 2 years and we still look like relegation fodder without grealish.

Played 25
Won 4
Drawn 9
Lost 12
For 26
Against 39.
Points 21

[Nii Lamptey]

We haven't been abysmal for 4 months. We weren't abysmal today.

Absymal is probably a little strong a word as defensively we've been excellent.... but we should be winning way more games than we have been. Way too many missed opportunities through lack of flexibility in tactics/formation/personel.

'Blunt' is probably more apt a word.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

One of the youngest squads in the league says the future is bright.
This view that he's just lucky to have a Grealish and doesn't really have much of a clue is a bit like saying Graham Taylor was just lucky to have Platt.
My pikestaff and bedsheet are staying locked away.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Keep it civil please.

Quite right Legion and that includes someone that does his utmost to antagonize other posters at every opportunity
And as for Smith and a change of tactics ........What tactics?

He'll never win. He isn't clever enough.

Clive, how are doing mate? It's been a while!

all good thanks buddy ...hope you are too
Some things don't change do they?

[Ads]

In the past 10 games we've won 3, drawn 3 and lost 4, taking 1.2 points per game in the process; we've become very mid-table.

I think COVID has had an impact on us as much as anything.

[Lastfootstamper]

We haven't been abysmal for 4 months. We weren't abysmal today.

4 months ago we were in the middle of a run that would earn Smith the manager of the month award.

[RamboandBruno]

Just getting ready to head off down to join the mob on Trinity Road with my pikestaff calling for Smith's head.

But stopped to consider this:

2018 - appointed manager
2019 - play off promotion winners
2020 - keeps us in the Prem/League Cup runners up
2021 - solid mid table position.

Then I asked myself - how many of today's Villa starting squad would make the Liverpool squad and vice versa?

Decided to put the pikestaff back in the shed.

We clearly don't have sufficient in tems of individual quality or strength in depth.

Smith could be doing better, but given what he has to work with, I'm not going to complain too much.

2018 - Appointed manager 10 October 2018, taking over from Spud head.
2019 - Won just 2 out of 14 matches without Grealish (just SIX OUT OF FORTY TWO POINTS?!!), despite having one of the costliest squads in the 2nd tier of English football, before Grealish returned from injury and dragged us back into the Premier League as Playoff promotion winners with a 10 game winning run.
2020 - Somehow claw our way to a second season in the Premier League
2021 - 3 seasons later, he still doesn't have the foggiest how to put out a team that doesn't include Jack Grealish.

Dean Smith is paid to do a job - A job that he SHOULD be doing better. He's persevered with a formation and tactics that hasn't worked for nearly 4 months.
He stumbled on a winning formation and lineup last week, which would have been perfect today, yet he reverts to the same dysfunctional 'Smith 11' against the Champions who 1) Were there for the taking today if we'd put out the right team and 2) Weren't going to sit down and take it lightly, based off our previous encounter.

His inability to change a game or spot players who aren't contributing or are liabilities is becoming increasingly worrying.

Yes, we're doing better than a lot of us expected after last season's debacle, but that's because the bar was set way lower than it should have been. We could (and should!) be doing better.

This just reads like you're upset that he managed to achieve his goals when it looked like he might not, which is a very strange way to look at it.

His first year he wasn't even set a target a promotion so he over-achieved. His second year I doubt anyone would've demanded more than staying up and this season the consensus (almost everywhere) was that safely in midtable with games to spare would be a good season and that's exactly where we are.

So many people on here are happy to stick the boot in for him not changing the shape or not making subs early enough, etc but they'd all be just as critical if we were changing the shape game after game and not winning so I just don't buy it. Just be honest with yourselves, you want to win more games and are upset that it isn't happening and you then latch on to anything you can see to explain how we'd do it if only Smith did exactly what you think he should.

I think Smith could of done some things better in his time mangling villa and it’s true our record is much better with a Grealish in the side. But you know, no shit Sherlock, he’s our best player by a mile, and let’s see other teams do without their best player for such lengthy periods. I would guess Spurs would be around where we are without Kane for the same period this season.

I think it’s fairly clear now that we have a reasonably good season largely down the defence, which is light years away from where it was. That defence has been built by smith and his team since we came up, apart from Mings. Surely he gets credit for that? 

Smiths done the job that’s been asked of him so far and to only look at the positive periods being down to Grealish is a bit harsh.
Saying that, I think it’s clear the wingers aren’t performing consistently enough and therefore he does need to be more flexible and use Davis maybe a bit more.
Only Man City next then!!