Dean Smith - Confirmed

[eamonn]

Jesus, physiotherapists across the Midlands will be raking it in with all the jerked knees going off this weekend.

Hope it's nowt kinky.

[eamonn]

I know it doesn't really matter, but sometimes Dean's post-match interviews when we lose are pretty...lame.

"Where did it go wrong?" he's asked.

To which h kind of gives this disbelieving shrug and a glib "The first half!". We never got going, we were slow.....yes, Dean we know all that so thankfully the BBC's journalist asks the correct follow-up. "Do you know why that was?" And he doesn't really.

A lot of things he does and says suggest he is an intelligent man. But his lack of pro-activity during games and his level of analysis (to the media/fans at least) afterwards, leaves something to be desired.

[Risso]

And it's nothing we haven't heard before . "No intensity, not what we've been doing in training."  He might as well just have a T-shirt printed saying "I can't cope without Greasy".

[Proposition Joe]

I would be less worried if we had looked more dangerous in the games without Jack for the last 4 months of last season, but we hardly created chances.

This is it. At no point has Deano shown he can set us up to create chances via patterns of play, rather than a magic man orchestrating things from the left.

What is our tactic for opening teams up, for getting through the lines? It can't simply be Mings-Konsa-Cash-Konsa-Mings-Targett-Mings-HOOF.

[Allan C]

Some folk make me feel ashamed to follow my club
We have lost one game and the haters are out already
Pre season has been very unfortunate with cancelled game’s departures of players and staff together with several being unavailable this week
Suggest the haters either get back in their box or go follow another team as they are not true supporters

That was a shit performance yesterday - as bad as I’ve seen for a while. Most of the people around us were pissed off at the performance and complete lack of cohesiveness. If we want to be the top 6 club that a lot on here think we should be, then we have to judge the team as such.

Also, I  think it’s against forum rules to play the “better fan” card by telling people to support another club. You’re no better a fan than anyone else who watched that tripe yesterday.

He’s just giving the opposite extreme opinion to some of the opinions stated on this thread. That’s fair enough on a forum, to hear both sides of the debate. To be honest I’m leaning more on his side. But don’t expect everyone to listen to one extreme without putting an equally extreme view in opposition

I’ve never told a Villa fan who disagrees with me to go and support another club.

True. It’s a very extreme view but then there are equally extreme views on the other side of the debate. Both are too extreme in my view but it’s to be expected.

[Toronto Villa]

Jesus, physiotherapists across the Midlands will be raking it in with all the jerked knees going off this weekend.

I agree with that Lee. It was a very poor first half and a better second half. So not dismissing that we played badly and deserved to be beaten. But all of sudden Targett is shit, Buendia is shit, this and that is shit. Versus it was a bad display and players played way below what we expect of them. And the manager needs to figure this out or he knows he will out of a job. But it was the first game of the season and I am sure we will improve. Reading some stuff on here the seasons over and we may as well set up for a long relegation campaign.

[ozzjim]

No issues with different views, but don't label people as haters or whatever other terms are banded about in the better fan than you style posts, or indeed tell people to go and support someone else.

[eamonn]

I think folk are saying that those players were shit yesterday as opposed to generally which is a fair call.

[PaulWinch again]

Jesus, physiotherapists across the Midlands will be raking it in with all the jerked knees going off this weekend.

I agree with that Lee. It was a very poor first half and a better second half. So not dismissing that we played badly and deserved to be beaten. But all of sudden Targett is shit, Buendia is shit, this and that is shit. Versus it was a bad display and players played way below what we expect of them. And the manager needs to figure this out or he knows he will out of a job. But it was the first game of the season and I am sure we will improve. Reading some stuff on here the seasons over and we may as well set up for a long relegation campaign.

Yes in fairness I blame you TV for your pre-match jinx!

[Scott Nielsen]

Under Smith, the only thing that has ever resolved poor spells of form has been Grealish returning from injury. More concerning is the fact that Smith never even looked close to coming up with a solution when Grealish was out. So I’m not sure where the confidence comes from that Smith will sort it out this time. When Chelsea and Man City were at the beginning of their dominance with new owners, they were ruthless with managers. I always think we might be wasting the opportunity with Smith. The concern is if we finish in the bottom half of the table again and players leave, will the owners have the same enthusiasm or does the opportunity that was there pass us by? I’m really not bothered whether Smith is a Villa fan. We’re all Villa fans and would love the chance to manage the club too, but it wouldn’t mean we are up to the task. I’d much rather have the best possible person for the job

The confidence comes because the signings of Bailey, Buendia and Ings should give us better options this season.

They'll give us different options, which is welcome. Are they a better option than the man they replaced? I doubt that and it's not a reflection on them, rather the size of the hole left behind.

[Risso]

True. It’s a very extreme view but then there are equally extreme views on the other side of the debate. Both are too extreme in my view but it’s to be expected.

One's against forum rules, the other isn't.

[Toronto Villa]

Jesus, physiotherapists across the Midlands will be raking it in with all the jerked knees going off this weekend.

I agree with that Lee. It was a very poor first half and a better second half. So not dismissing that we played badly and deserved to be beaten. But all of sudden Targett is shit, Buendia is shit, this and that is shit. Versus it was a bad display and players played way below what we expect of them. And the manager needs to figure this out or he knows he will out of a job. But it was the first game of the season and I am sure we will improve. Reading some stuff on here the seasons over and we may as well set up for a long relegation campaign.

Yes in fairness I blame you TV for your pre-match jinx!

Haha fuck me I hoped you’d forget. I was however planning on starting the match thread to counter the jinx but the team wasn’t published on time and I had to tee off. So yes blame me. I fucked it all up. Will promise to be better next week.

[ROBBO]

Just seen you know who on Sky saying he will learn so much playing for Guardiola, also that they have such great defenders he can stay forward and not be covering the full back.I wish he didn't look so f'ing happy. One thing is certain though, great players want to play for great managers.

[ChicagoLion]

It looked like a team bonding few days away which we might have organised ages ago. I don't think it was for Jack's benefit and besides, it wasnt exactly days away from the new season either, it was over a week and half ago.

You heard Smith explain the whole goodbye to Jack stuff?
Oh yes 10 days then.

[Villan82]

Just seen you know who on Sky saying he will learn so much playing for Guardiola, also that they have such great defenders he can stay forward and not be covering the full back.I wish he didn't look so f'ing happy. One thing is certain though, great players want to play for great managers.

Judas is continuing to burn bridges and I so hope we never see him near Villa Park as a paid staff member ever again.