Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Bad English]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

[Risso]

It's a tricky one - we're getting close to the point we were at with MON where we can buy players who are as good as the ones we've already got but we don't have the funds (due to FFP) or the Champions League allure to bring in players who will genuinely take us to the next step.

Selling Jack for a fortune would address the first point but make it less likely short-term that we'll make Europe.

MON just kept filling the squad with top 10 players who were never good enough for the top 4 and we all saw how that ended.

I think (hope) the strategy is to bring in young players with promise and develop them in to top 4 quality, but that doesn't happen overnight and we're going to have plenty of frustrating results and performances on the journey.  Lambert tried the same but wasn't good enough to develop the players.  Smith has at least shown he's capable of developing players so in that respect I'm minded to give him more time.

The other way of looking at it is to say which other manager (who's available) could get more out of this group of players?  I'm not sure there's anyone obvious.  The issue is the quality of the players, not the manager.

You never know who's available until there's a vacancy. Some people were saying "who will want to manage us if we sack Bruce, who got us to the play off final and steadied the ship?" Then we appointed Smith, who was in a job and therefore technically not available but when Bruce was sacked, he suddenly made himself available. As to who would come in next, who knows, it depends on the ambition of the owners going forward, but a Premier League club, with no debt and ambitious owners with a record of backing the manager is never going to be short of applicants.

[ChicagoLion]

Without a crystal ball to see what can happen in the close season it is difficult to Imagine us starting next season with the verve we started this one with.
If we start off as we are ending then we are going to have a problem.
But lets see what additions come in, if we are struggling like we currently are by Christmas then Dean could have a problem

I can not see him being given that long.
We now have ambitious owners that want to see progress and half’s season of relegation form is not going to cut it.
The pressure will be on if he doesn’t get some performances over the last 6 games.

[Axl Rose]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

[LeeB]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

[Axl Rose]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

[ez]

If the poor form continues and carries over into next season Smith will be gone then, after about 6 games in.

[CT]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

Tough against City though mate. They hog the ball for the entire game.

[caster troy]

I'm disappointed Dean isn't giving more of our youngsters a chance in what seems to be ideal conditions. Low risk, no crowd pressure, squad hit by injuries and loss of form. Maybe plan A was to loan them out next season first, but whats the harm in giving them a go now? We didn't see Kaine Kesler at all when Cash was injured, we have no in form or fit wingers but theres no sign of Louie Barry even on the bench. We have two England u19 creative midfielders that can't get 20 mins despite no Grealish, Sanson and Barkley turning into a hungover sunday league player.

Jacob Ramsey has shown you can step up at that age without looking out of place. For example if Kesler could do the same at right back we could sell Guilbert in the summer and add funds for the top targets we need.

[algy]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

Come on, that's enough of that. We need to get bacon track.

[ez]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

Come on, that's enough of that. We need to get bacon track.

We're scratching around for results at the moment.

[Axl Rose]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

Tough against City though mate. They hog the ball for the entire game.

Sow what? Their tactics boared me rigid.

[kippaxvilla2]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

Come on, that's enough of that. We need to get bacon track.

We're scratching around for results at the moment.

He needs to sign a very solid Danish Player in the summer.  We look smoked out at the moment.

[Mister E]

Aren't most managers "streaky" ones? You lose a game, you lose a little confidence;

Over time this can lead to rasher tactics.

Or a pig's ear of substitutions.

Dean needs to find a cure.

He needs to gRind out a result anytime soon.

Come on, that's enough of that. We need to get bacon track.

We're scratching around for results at the moment.

He needs to sign a very solid Danish Player in the summer.  We look smoked out at the moment.

I'm hoping we re-find our sizzle and start grilling a few opponents.

[Mister E]

I'm disappointed Dean isn't giving more of our youngsters a chance in what seems to be ideal conditions. Low risk, no crowd pressure, squad hit by injuries and loss of form. Maybe plan A was to loan them out next season first, but whats the harm in giving them a go now? We didn't see Kaine Kesler at all when Cash was injured, we have no in form or fit wingers but theres no sign of Louie Barry even on the bench. We have two England u19 creative midfielders that can't get 20 mins despite no Grealish, Sanson and Barkley turning into a hungover sunday league player.
Jacob Ramsey has shown you can step up at that age without looking out of place. For example if Kesler could do the same at right back we could sell Guilbert in the summer and add funds for the top targets we need.

Several people on here have said - after the CV-19 break in January and with the acquisition of 40 points - that we should be using this time to develop the squad and give the best of the kids some game-time. There would be very few downsides if done well; with big potential upsides. Would we, for example, have leaked loads of goals last night if Chuk had come on instead of Ross? - I think not! We may even have been more attacking.