Dean Smith - Confirmed

[TheMalandro]

I’ll take 6th three years in a row. 👍

Would you take the 10 years that followed it?

If the answer is yes, I imagine he likes hot wax on his balls too.

[SoccerHQ]

Isn't he talking about summer 2010? As IIRC Dunne and Collins signed last day in 2009 season so no time for Dublin jolly that season given they were playing for countries in the international breaks.

Pretty sure when we started 2010 season people were alarmed how out of shape Dunne was and then 6-0 Newcastle happened and all hell brook loose.

Yes O'Neill was very old school which is what the likes of John Terry picked up on when he said our energy would dip after 60 minutes which is usually if you're only training 2-3 days a week.

Probably shows why he's done little since he left us with many teams doing double sessions at all ends of the table.

[Steve67]

I’ll take 6th three years in a row. 👍

Would you take the 10 years that followed it?

If the answer is yes, I imagine he likes hot wax on his balls too.

I hope we are in better hands now. Crazy ten years, hopefully never to be repeated.

[LeeB]

I’ll take 6th three years in a row. 👍

Would you take the 10 years that followed it?

If the answer is yes, I imagine he likes hot wax on his balls too.

I hope we are in better hands now. Crazy ten years, hopefully never to be repeated.

I look at the thing with the benefit of hindsight and would say 3 6th places, is that all? Given what we had to suffer for it after, and what was spent.

[West Derby Villan]

For me the jury is still out in terms of whether it makes sense to play three at the back and also whether two strikers is the best way to accommodate the better quality players we now have.

But two things I'm certain about:
1. We  need to be able to be at least competent playing more than one formation and that hasn't been the case for years (so a positive for the manager and his coaches)
2. Dean Smith has easily enough credit in the bank (for me) for him to explore making one or both options work.

One other thing, get the right defensive CM and we could successfully exploit 4-1-3-2. That would still allow the fullbacks (especially Cash) to get forward as none of our attacking wide players are out and out wingers - other than perhaps AEG and he is now a back-up option for me.

Russ, I certainly agree with this

[Ian.]

I’ll take 6th three years in a row. 👍

Would you take the 10 years that followed it?

That's the thing, it was not built to sustain at all and it would have all fallen apart whether he flounced off or not.

[WarszaVillan]

I’ll take 6th three years in a row. 👍

Would you take the 10 years that followed it?

That's the thing, it was not built to sustain at all and it would have all fallen apart whether he flounced off or not.

The squad was more than good enough to build on, maybe after a season or so of mediocrity.  But Learner had lost interest.

[Risso]

And money.

[Ian.]

I seem to remember a large portion of that squad couldn’t give a toss either, instead starting fighting with the management and then decided they didn’t like Houlier, all on ridiculous contracts and no other club wanted them.

[paul_e]

I’ll take 6th three years in a row. 👍

Would you take the 10 years that followed it?

That's the thing, it was not built to sustain at all and it would have all fallen apart whether he flounced off or not.

The squad was more than good enough to build on, maybe after a season or so of mediocrity.  But Learner had lost interest.

A lot of them were in their 30s and on big money, that was a big part of the problem over the next 4-5 years, we had no room in the wage bill and couldn't generate funds by selling fringe players. We made it worse by adding shit like Ireland and N'Zogbia and funded it by letting our better players go without much of a fight.

[Sexual Ealing]

Oh please. He has a hand in it all though doesn’t he? It’s such a myth that Dean has nothing to do with it. 

The director of football and the recruitment department are a myth?

[Sexual Ealing]

So Smith didn't recommend the signing of Konsa and Watkins then, two players who played for him at Brentford. Hmmm, OK then.

If I recommend some ex-colleagues to my new employer, that doesn't make me the director of HR.

[caster troy]

I'm reserving judgement on the tactics debate until we've seen a sustained period where most of our attacking players have been fit. Bailey, Traore, Buendia and even Philogene-Bidace have had injuries and/or international duty, so we haven't had many good options in the wing position. Maybe Traore could have played, but he's been horrific when he's come on a sub from what I've seen. I'm not sure Deano has much faith in El Ghazi these days either, so I can see why he's persisted with 3-5-2. You have to assume that once Bailey is fit he will start every game, so the options are either to switch to 433, drop Watkins/Ings in his place or (god forbid) keep 3-5-2 and play him at wing back instead of Targett. Hopefully he will make the right call, and be flexible based on the opposition.

[Clampy]

So Smith didn't recommend the signing of Konsa and Watkins then, two players who played for him at Brentford. Hmmm, OK then.

If I recommend some ex-colleagues to my new employer, that doesn't make me the director of HR.

It's hardly the same thing really.

[Allan C]

But he does decide the type of player he needs.
So maybe he thinks he doesn’t need a DM.
If it was a priority I am pretty sure we would have one.

Not necessarily if they can’t get the ones they’re chasing. I’d rather they wait to get the right one then buy one who is substandard