Where Has It All Gone Wrong?

[ChicagoLion]

He’s part of a structure that has bought a load of players not suitable for a successful season in the PL

He’s partially at fault for that but only partially, he’s been asked to make a silk purse from a sows ear and hasn’t managed it. He did a magnificent job in getting us to the PL and for me he’ll go down as being one of my favourite managers ever.

The sows ear from his own pigheadedness over playing Wes week in week out in the same system.
T

[kippaxvilla2]

Reflecting on it manager after manager they never seem to help themselves.

They can’t see our forward is terrible and devoid of confidence.  Answer keep on playing him.

He can’t see that playing the most gifted midfielder of the modern generation out wide is wholly ineffective. 

He can’t see that 4-3-3 needs the occasional tweak especially at this level and especially with the amount of goals we leak.

[kippaxvilla2]

Reflecting on it manager after manager they never seem to help themselves.

He can’t see our forward is terrible and devoid of confidence.  Answer keep on playing him.

He can’t see that playing the most gifted midfielder of the modern generation out wide is wholly ineffective. 

He can’t see that 4-3-3 needs the occasional tweak especially at this level and especially with the amount of goals we leak.

[tony scott]

Weakness in defence ,is a major problem, when you consider that Dean was a centre back in  his playing career, and J T was managed and coached by some of the best managers and coaches in the history of the premier League. What an earth is going on it seems almost wilfull.

[mr underhill]

The reason is simple - repeating 2015's recruitment policy and expecting a different result

[frank black]

A good striker would’ve helped.

[N'ZMAV]

No clear and obvious plan on who is meant to lead player recruitment, I think it should work best when the manager goes to the board/chairman/Director with a list of players he wants to scout/sign.... Benrahma, Maupay etc..... clearly, under Suso, Purslow et al it's they're picking the players, and the head coach somehow shoe-horns them into his plan A formation and style of playing, and when he can't get them into his tactics, he then tries to shoehorn other signings into this style.

There is a clear lack of too many things in this group.....
Leadership - there's no real captain - yeah, we all love a fairytale, and for Jack to have the armband, winning the play-offs etc was all great... but it may be a burden for a 24 year old with a horrific experience in his previous Premier League life to carry.

Experience - the only real Premier League experience in this squad is Elmo, Neil Taylor and Tom Heaton - players that are more used to losing in the Premier League than winning.

Attacking options - how low must DS think of Kodjia to keep Wesley up top - show's what a pathetic bunch of forwards we have at this level.... every team in the Premier League has a striker that would get into our team, even Newcastle - Dwight Gayle....
The wide options are flakey - Jota, couldn't stay in the Blues team, El Ghazi did naff all most weeks in the Championship, and Trezeguet.... the other Trezeguet would be better.

CBA to go on

[OzVilla]

A really good Striker would converted draws into wins and defeats into draws. These missed opportunities created a concern which permeated throughout the rest of the side.

Whatever we do this window it must involve a good striker. That tells you everything.

[Flamingo Lane]

Now would not be the best time to be giving games to 'the youngsters', but it is a concern that we appear to have none that are even close to knocking on the door.

[Legion]

There is a possibility that a couple might be involved against Fulham.

[eamonn]

We'll play a heavily weakened team at Fulham. The seniors will be fooked after the Christmas period and the extra days training they've had to do as penance for their shite performances.

[London Villan]

Lack of Premier League experience, on and off the pitch. Coupled with having very limited attacking options. Which most of us flagged as an issue at the start of the season.

That said, we are far from dead yet. 3 clever signings could sort this mess out.

[Demitri_C]

Shocking decision to gamble with just wesleg as our only striker.

Gambling on trezuget and jota who had no pl experience whatsover.

Not signing maupay. What a massive cockup that was.

[SW9-VILLA]

Gambling on trezuget and jota who had no pl experience whatsover.

Not signing maupay. What a massive cockup that was.

Maupay had no PL experience? Would you have wanted him in the summer?

Our problems are bad recruitment and not having a plan B to change the game.

[paul richard]

Dean Smith’s Aston Villa epitaph will be spelt W E S L E Y.