Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Smithy]

We’ve improved each season under Smith. How many times have we been able to say that in recent years? If he keeps that up then he’ll deservedly keep his job.

I think this is where I am, too.  The second half of the season has been hugely disappointing, yes, and the team isn't performing very well right now, but when you take a step back and look at overall improvement, season on season, Smith more than deserves another crack next year.

I think if we're hovering in mid-table, and not performing much better than currently by Xmas, then he'll be under pressure.  But if Jack is fit and playing, and we acquire a couple of quality first-11 players, then I genuinely expect us to push on again next season and to be in the mix for European places. 

I sometimes think we forget the way we've bought players over the last couple of years, after a decade or more of buying players around their peak who were only going to get worse. In those days we'd see a player play half a dozen times and know with a fair degree of confidence that that's as good as we're going to get from them. 

That's not the case with most of our players now.  We've got one of the youngest sides in the league, these are players who will improve and are improving.  Yes, we've also seen enough to say some of them won't be good enough for us long term, but there IS improvement to be seen just in the squad we already have.  Add some more quality in the summer and we can take another step forward next season.

I think Smith deserves to keep taking us forward, until such time as he isn't.

[Toronto Villa]

We’ve improved each season under Smith. How many times have we been able to say that in recent years? If he keeps that up then he’ll deservedly keep his job.

That's why there is literally no chance of him being fired.

[paul_e]

We’ve improved each season under Smith. How many times have we been able to say that in recent years? If he keeps that up then he’ll deservedly keep his job.

That's why there is literally no chance of him being fired.

It's why I'm willing to cut him some slack, almost everyone on here (90%) polled for us to finish mid-table or bottom half in a thread called 'realistic expectations' and even the worst case outcome from here will see us around the middle of that range. I get that the very good early season form had people hoping for more but none of us seriously thought that was realistic in the summer.

Next season we need to be top half and challenging for Europe so the pressure will be on for spells like this to be much shorter and handled better but this year we all expected inconsistency, just not so clearly dividing the season into 2 halves.

[chrisw1]

I still like Smith and would keep him. 

But we're not the only team with injuries and our form since Christmas isn't really acceptable.  If we don't pick up some results before the end of the season then he may be under a bit more pressure in the summer than people think, and as that would then be half a season of relegation form it would be difficult to argue that he shouldn't be.

[Meanwood Villa]

He's delivered what was expected of him every season. If Europe is the aim next season he's earned the right to have a crack. I think he'll get the whole of next season barring a relegation scrap (which hopefully won't happen)

[Steve67]

He does indeed deserve the chance to be here next season as there is undeniable progress under Dean Smith.  However, he also needs to improve the quality of our play and should not be bullet proof.

[RamboandBruno]

We’ve improved each season under Smith. How many times have we been able to say that in recent years? If he keeps that up then he’ll deservedly keep his job.

That's why there is literally no chance of him being fired.

It's why I'm willing to cut him some slack, almost everyone on here (90%) polled for us to finish mid-table or bottom half in a thread called 'realistic expectations' and even the worst case outcome from here will see us around the middle of that range. I get that the very good early season form had people hoping for more but none of us seriously thought that was realistic in the summer.

Next season we need to be top half and challenging for Europe so the pressure will be on for spells like this to be much shorter and handled better but this year we all expected inconsistency, just not so clearly dividing the season into 2 halves.

Agree with this. But do also think another shoddy showing against the baggies and a defeat, really isn’t helping his cause. Pressure will be on as well, as after last nights result, it does feel win or bust for them.

[WarszaVillan]

It should be recognised that Leicester's win over West Brom yesterday means we mathematically can't be relegated. A sign of real progress surely.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Why do we have so many players short of form?
Who is responsible for getting the most out of the squad?

Or are we saying that without Grealish we have a relegation level team and none of this is the fault of the manager?

Interchange form with confidence and it's pretty obvious, results have dropped and seen us fall away from a potential challenge for the top 4/6 and as a result the confidence and form has dipped across the squad. I just think we need to find a bit of confidence going forward (and I think in reflection McGinns goal might help with that).

The worrying thing for me is the massive drop in our performances probably since the undeserved defeat at Old Trafford. We've picked up points and enjoyed a few smash & grabs but we've never managed to put in another decent performance like we were delivering up until the new year.

Right now Dean deserves to have next season but now is not the time to make that judgement. We've still a few games to play and hopefully we'll see a return to form and put to bed the idea of replacing him. We've seen what this side is capable of, now would be a great time to remind us all.

[dave.woodhall]

It should be recognised that Leicester's win over West Brom yesterday means we mathematically can't be relegated. A sign of real progress surely.

Without looking, guess how many Premier League games we've played in the last ten years where you could say that?

[ChicagoLion]

Why do we have so many players short of form?
Who is responsible for getting the most out of the squad?

Or are we saying that without Grealish we have a relegation level team and none of this is the fault of the manager?

I don't think we do have a relegation level team without Jack.  We're all bemoaning the results since he's been out, but despite this, and the fact the rest of the midfield has gone off the boil, we'd be 16th.  So flirting with relegation, but better than 4 other teams.

So flirting with relegation is not a relegation level team?

[Nelly]

I'm really loathe to change manager. Even the talk of it stings me. I'm for stability and hopefully gradual, incremental progress. Steadily building the squad and an overall upward improvement. For me even talk of Europe is premature. This is our second season back. Lets try and get properly established. When we got promoted, many said we were promoted too soon, our squad could barely cope with the Premier League. I imagine we are well ahead of the plan.

In my opinion we're allowed to have a poor run, because 1) that's football, we're not Man City where we win every single game or look incredible in every single game and 2) changing managers isn't a guarantee of anything. If anything, from our relegation season it worries me more than anything else.

Villa are a big club and that brings expectations and demands, I fully get that, but I wonder if we need to think about the fan culture at Villa. I wonder if there had been crowds at games if some would have been booing by now. We've been hammered by mediocrity for about two decades, so I think all some of us know is to sack the manager.

[WarszaVillan]

It should be recognised that Leicester's win over West Brom yesterday means we mathematically can't be relegated. A sign of real progress surely.

Without looking, guess how many Premier League games we've played in the last ten years where you could say that?

11

[ChicagoLion]

Why do we have so many players short of form?
Who is responsible for getting the most out of the squad?

Or are we saying that without Grealish we have a relegation level team and none of this is the fault of the manager?

Interchange form with confidence and it's pretty obvious, results have dropped and seen us fall away from a potential challenge for the top 4/6 and as a result the confidence and form has dipped across the squad. I just think we need to find a bit of confidence going forward (and I think in reflection McGinns goal might help with that).

From his press conference today Smith was asked about the impact of the covid break and potential long-covid and his reply was that there's no evidence of fitness troubles from it but the forced break did hurt our momentum. He also said that the form of players like Bert, AEG and Ross all dropping off at the same time that Jack got injured is why we're struggling going forward. He did say though that almost any team would obviously miss a player of the level Jack is.

What was also interesting is that the journalists that mentioned Man City seemed to be talking about a good performance but a poor result and Smith mentioned that other than the 2 avoidable goals Martinez didn't have much to do and they didn't create many shots but that we need to be more competitive in attack.

I can't disagree with any of that, when I was talking about the covid break a few days ago I never once said it was a fitness thing or used the virus as an excuse i was just pointing out that something in the team changed during that break and we've not been able to turn it around.

so you are unable to answer the questions.

[dave.woodhall]

It should be recognised that Leicester's win over West Brom yesterday means we mathematically can't be relegated. A sign of real progress surely.

Without looking, guess how many Premier League games we've played in the last ten years where you could say that?

11

Nowhere near.