Dean Smith - Confirmed

[Deano's Mullet]

Beat Chelsea and I think we can say its been a great season.

[chrisw1]

So pleased with the performance last night.  Bringing Konsa in completely nullified Son and having Marv there showed what a difference a proper solid DM could make.

I've certainly been critical of Smith and our run since Jan, but huge credit to him and the team last night.  A positive end to the season is just what we need and hopefully a decent performance in front of fans at the weekend will round off the season nicely.

[Drummond]

Beat Chelsea and I think we can say its been a great season.

I don't think we need to do that to make it a great season.

[Mister E]

Deano shows tactical nous with his starting XI: who'd have thought it?!
I hope we can finish with a win against Chelski: that would make up for some of the disappointment of this season (yes, I know it's been a good season, but we have been through a pretty barren sequence of games).

[Drummond]

24 points clear of relegation. 17 points ahead of where we were last season..

If only we'd been able to sustain our early form, if only Grealish hadn't been injured. But it's looking good and we're heading the right way.

[Villan82]

Credit to all concerned for yesterday. Would be great to end with a win against Chelsea and really go into the summer with our optimism up!

[Mister E]

24 points clear of relegation. 17 points ahead of where we were last season..

If only we'd been able to sustain our early form, if only Grealish hadn't been injured. But it's looking good and we're heading the right way.

Which is why we need to bring in players that take the pressure off our Jack.
Pereira and Buendia should do it; along with a strong holding MF.

[Nev]

Nothing has changed for me from Sunday. Smith is as capable of getting the result he did last night as he is the one on Sunday but to keep his role, and stating the bloody obvious, he needs more of the former and less of the latter. Hopefully that will come with a developing squad and his own personal development as a manager and I think he more than deserves the opportunity to do this.

He'll go eventually, all managers do, but to judge him solely on his misgivings rather than the positive aspects of his tenure is myopic, biased and unfair and to me smacks of snobbery and an overwhelming desire of some to say "I told you so".

As ever Sir Graham had it right, you stand and fall on your results, it will be no different for Smith.

[Deano's Mullet]

Beat Chelsea and I think we can say its been a great season.

I don't think we need to do that to make it a great season.

I did mean to put Really great but my phone must have deleted the word. I am v happy with how it’s gone but beat Chelsea and it’s icing on the cake.

[KevinGage]

We all know the things we don't do well.

But if some of those younger players are still learning then so is Smith, in a way. He's been in management for 10 years but only the last two in the top flight. His reticence to change things in games is probably a fair criticism. But the ones advocating subs/ change of formations etc from the comfort of forums such as these (as I do) do so with no downside. With better/ more reliable players to introduce from the bench, we might see a change to his approach next season. He has shown he is open to change at various stages over the last three seasons.

I liked the way his sides were set up at Brentford but he wouldn't have been my first choice as Villa manager back in October 2018 (he'd have been in the top 3, mind). Part of my concern then was he had never taken a side to promotion and - at a club like Villa - if you go on any sort of losing run the knives are out. Nice bloke, I reasoned. But could be pulled under the juggernaut when things go wrong. See Sunderand, Wednesday and many other examples. I felt the job needed a stronger character.

Yet he got up up from a near hopeless position in February of his first season with the pressure on. He kept us up last season when we looked out of it - again under huge pressure with all the implications  relegation brings.   

We've seen glimpses this year of a genuinely dangerous, fluid attacking side who could trouble the top 4-6. This is the first summer I can recall that we don't need major surgery. A solid, physical presence in midfield and a top class right winger/ right midfielder allied with what we already possess should put us in contention for a European spot next year.

[not3bad]

Beat Chelsea and I think we can say its been a great season.

I'm not confident we'll beat Chelsea. They're still playing for a top 4 position whereas we'll finish 11th whatever happens on Sunday.

Therefore I'll call it now: It's been a great season!

[Ketzster]

It was very good last night. If they can find a way of keeping Grealish fit, I’m Smith in. If they can’t and we have these long spells without Grealish, I’m Smith out. I know that losing your best player never helps but he should have done more to find a way of playing without him. When he has had Grealish fully fit this season, barring the odd poor performance, the football has been excellent. Saying that, we can’t keep having these prolonged periods of poor form if Smith loses Grealish

[chrisw1]

Nothing has changed for me from Sunday. Smith is as capable of getting the result he did last night as he is the one on Sunday but to keep his role, and stating the bloody obvious, he needs more of the former and less of the latter. Hopefully that will come with a developing squad and his own personal development as a manager and I think he more than deserves the opportunity to do this.

He'll go eventually, all managers do, but to judge him solely on his misgivings rather than the positive aspects of his tenure is myopic, biased and unfair and to me smacks of snobbery and an overwhelming desire of some to say "I told you so".

As ever Sir Graham had it right, you stand and fall on your results, it will be no different for Smith.

This is all a bit pompous Nev.  Who exactly has judged him solely on his misgivings rather than the positive aspects of his tenure?  I think most people who have criticised him (on here certainly) have done so with full acknowledgment of his achievments with us.  Commenting on a manager's / team's performance over half a season isn't biased, myopic or unfair.  It's making a reasoned judgment over an extended period of time.  Yes he'll be judged on his results.  And rightly so.  I'm sure we all hope that they will be mostly like the first half of this season not the second.

[sickbeggar]

24 points clear of relegation. 17 points ahead of where we were last season..

If only we'd been able to sustain our early form, if only Grealish hadn't been injured. But it's looking good and we're heading the right way.

yep. Points won is the only real accurate way you can gauge improvement or not. We have improved under Smith - that is a fact as the equivalent of 5 extra wins shows. if we can get another 10 or so points on this seasons total next season then i'll be satisfied because that will put us in the best of the rest group which after 3 seasons in the premier, and 4 seasons since we were in disarray isn't bad going.

[Nev]

Nothing has changed for me from Sunday. Smith is as capable of getting the result he did last night as he is the one on Sunday but to keep his role, and stating the bloody obvious, he needs more of the former and less of the latter. Hopefully that will come with a developing squad and his own personal development as a manager and I think he more than deserves the opportunity to do this.

He'll go eventually, all managers do, but to judge him solely on his misgivings rather than the positive aspects of his tenure is myopic, biased and unfair and to me smacks of snobbery and an overwhelming desire of some to say "I told you so".

As ever Sir Graham had it right, you stand and fall on your results, it will be no different for Smith.

This is all a bit pompous Nev.  Who exactly has judged him solely on his misgivings rather than the positive aspects of his tenure?  I think most people who have criticised him (on here certainly) have done so with full acknowledgment of his achievments with us.  Commenting on a manager's / team's performance over half a season isn't biased, myopic or unfair.  It's making a reasoned judgment over an extended period of time.  Yes he'll be judged on his results.  And rightly so.  I'm sure we all hope that they will be mostly like the first half of this season not the second.

In general terms I believe the inference is that he has taken us as far as he can and I don't think we are at that point yet.