Dean Smith - Confirmed

[paul_e]

Fucking hell 😂

Sigh.

You've given no baseline for the statistics to compare to.
You've given nothing to set context for them.

Without doing either they're meaningless.

In one of the many parts of my posts you didn't bother quoting I gave you both (for this season only) by stating points stats for the entire season split into what I see as 3 clear sections, up until covid, post covid with jack and without. I then gave an additional stat of the change in goals scored pre and post covid and there is a stark difference, even accounting for the 7-2 anomaly.

Onto last season, he missed 2 games and we lost them both but it was part of a run of 3 defeats and we had 3 defeats (or more) in a row 3 more times so you can't suggest any causation.

So the only period where Jack being out (and coming back) had a clear and provable impact was in the championship where Smith was using what was mostly Bruce's squad.

This is why the stats you gave mean nothing, they're not wrong, they just don't have any use.

[Risso]

While there may be lies, damn lies and statistics, I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to say that without Jack, we're largely rubbish.

[Sexual Ealing]

Whilst I never want Jack to leave us, I also don't think it would be the end of the world if he did. DS always struck me when he was at Brentford as a coach who had 'systems', where players were interchangeable. You can't really do that when you have one of the best players in the world - you build the team around him, naturally.

I think we'd see the best of Dean after a couple of windows without Jack.

The above is obviously much less preferable than keeping Jack, and having him fit, for as long as possible.

[Toronto Villa]

There is not a chance that he will be sacked.

I love Dean and want him to stay for the foreseeable future, but I keep thinking of this:
https://www.sbnation.com/2018/1/23/16921324/jason-kidd-fired-bucks-coach-reasons-why

Look at this way. A manager or coaches job is essentially the relationship between gunpowder and dynamite. The job is to stay ahead of the spark which is lit as soon they take the job, and ultimately avoid the explosion which will inevitably happen at some point. As it stands Dean Smith is still well ahead of the spark but it is catching up. And it’s catching up a lot faster than it was before Christmas. Now there are factors that make that spark speed up out of the managers control. But that’s the job.

Dean Smith needs to find a way of keeping ahead of the spark or there will be a big bang.

[RamboandBruno]

Fucking hell 😂

Sigh.

You've given no baseline for the statistics to compare to.
You've given nothing to set context for them.

Without doing either they're meaningless.

In one of the many parts of my posts you didn't bother quoting I gave you both (for this season only) by stating points stats for the entire season split into what I see as 3 clear sections, up until covid, post covid with jack and without. I then gave an additional stat of the change in goals scored pre and post covid and there is a stark difference, even accounting for the 7-2 anomaly.

Onto last season, he missed 2 games and we lost them both but it was part of a run of 3 defeats and we had 3 defeats (or more) in a row 3 more times so you can't suggest any causation.

So the only period where Jack being out (and coming back) had a clear and provable impact was in the championship where Smith was using what was mostly Bruce's squad.

This is why the stats you gave mean nothing, they're not wrong, they just don't have any use.

In addition stats only tell part of the story ever. Grealish coming back was obviously hugely influential in the 10 game run,  but I went to all but a couple of the away games in that run, and Grealish wasn’t our best player or the most influential player in a number of those games. McGinn I would argue was equally if not more influential  as was Mings and Abraham, a combination of players and factors. I would also argue that Grealish didn’t really turn up for either the away West Brom game in the play offs or the play off final.

The beginning of this season when we were flying, was it all Grealish or again a combination of factors. How he was linking up with Barkley and Targett and Ollie, the confidence Martinez gave us at the back.

Speaking of which even before Grealish got injured was he a shoe in for player of the season? I’d say Martinez would be ahead and Konsa close.

Point being with all this, Grealish is important but it’s how the sum of the parts combine that is they key.
The stats tell you none of this and so it’s one dimensional to always come down to this.

I’m bored of defending Smith and feel like some bloody smith evangelical, but I do believe there is some inherent snobbery going on here, and he’ll never be good enough for some.

I also like the complete insight some people have to  the owners thinking.

[Aldridge Villa]

Still seething Davis wasn’t given a start today. Absolutely nothing to lose against a shaky Liverpool defence. Think Dean missed a real opportunity to try something different today.

[Risso]

Whilst I never want Jack to leave us, I also don't think it would be the end of the world if he did. DS always struck me when he was at Brentford as a coach who had 'systems', where players were interchangeable. You can't really do that when you have one of the best players in the world - you build the team around him, naturally.

I think we'd see the best of Dean after a couple of windows without Jack.

The above is obviously much less preferable than keeping Jack, and having him fit, for as long as possible.

He's got a system of sorts now, it's called taking off Trez and bringing on El Ghazi (or vice versa) on or around the 70th minute. 

[Taylor]

I realise that this is in no way a reflection of quality, but I still find it surprising that in the top English league, no one has mentioned that DS is the top placed English manager,

[Brazilian Villain]

WTF is going on in these threads lately? so much bitching it reminds me of pissed up Villa fans fighting each other at Wembley....

Still a lot of raw emotion after yesterday's sad news.

[Risso]

I realise that this is in no way a reflection of quality, but I still find it surprising that in the top English league, no one has mentioned that DS is the top placed English manager,

Tallest dwarf territory there.

[Taylor]

I realise that this is in no way a reflection of quality, but I still find it surprising that in the top English league, no one has mentioned that DS is the top placed English manager,

Tallest dwarf territory there.

Ha ha. Fair point.

[brontebilly]

His loyalty to Traore is the biggest puzzler. I can't recall the last decent performance he put in for us. The home game v Palace maybe. He has been awful for what seems like months.

[Risso]

His loyalty to Traore is the biggest puzzler. I can't recall the last decent performance he put in for us. The home game v Palace maybe. He has been awful for what seems like months.

I don't get it either. He's completely blinkered, sticking rigidly to 4-3-3 while rotating the three underperforming wingers into two spots. What's the worst that could happen if he tried something slightly different? I'm not suddenly expecting a switch to a diamond with two false 9s or whatever, but after a good cameo last week, would Davis really have provided as little as Traore did from the start, or Barkley did after coming on? Why not give some of the kids a chance on the bench instead of old has beens like Taylor and Elmo?

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

WTF is going on in these threads lately? so much bitching it reminds me of pissed up Villa fans fighting each other at Wembley....

Still a lot of raw emotion after yesterday's sad news.

Puts football into perspective. RIP DMX.

[SamTheMouse]

He got us promoted at the first time of asking. He kept us in the top flight. He's currently leading us to mid-table security, and this is only his third season with us.

Personally, I think the bloke's a fooking hero.