Austin MacPhee

[Footy-Vill]

Why don't they incorporate Davis into the team if long throws are going to be the way to go?
At least five a presence in the box if we insist on such nonsense

[Risso]

Why don't they incorporate Davis into the team if long throws are going to be the way to go?
At least five a presence in the box if we insist on such nonsense

A fair question Footy.

I don’t mind the long throws as an option, but using them every single time makes therm very predictable and ineffective.

[KRS]

DS has been trying to incorporate him into the team the last few seasons but he’s made of glass and only just back from his latest injury…plus he’s clearly not as good as Watkins, Ings or Archer.

[Footy-Vill]

Why don't they incorporate Davis into the team if long throws are going to be the way to go?
At least five a presence in the box if we insist on such nonsense

A fair question Footy.

I don’t mind the long throws as an option, but using them every single time makes therm very predictable and ineffective.

It's also not the Dean Smith way.
OK we lost a heck a lot of assists with seeking 100m man but trying this brand of football isn't the culture and identity that Smigh has worked on the last 3 years
I know Deano likes to develop and progress with things however this set piece thing is a concern.
It also needs to be reserved for desperation rather than a go to

If only because we don't have any one who is getting on end of it let alone some questionable launches in first place.

[villa for life]

If he loses his job, Deano will have a lot of regrets if he hasn’t been true to himself and has in fact let himself be influenced by stronger personalities and perhaps persuaded to play in a different style/system. That would be a gutting way to lose your dream job.

[Demitri_C]

As useless as he has been lets not forget who bought them in. The buck stops with smith.

It shows to me o reilly and terry added alot of value last year when you see how hopeless we have been the last month

[Duncan Shaw]

As useless as he has been lets not forget who bought them in. The buck stops with smith.

It shows to me o reilly and terry added alot of value last year when you see how hopeless we have been the last month

I would imagine it was a decision made mainly by the sporting director but with Deano's input.
I wonder if part of the issue is Lange wanted to refresh the coaching set-up, hence intending to sideline O'Kelly ( I think the Terry departure was geniunely his choice) and the balance has now skewed.

[tomd2103]

As useless as he has been lets not forget who bought them in. The buck stops with smith.

It shows to me o reilly and terry added alot of value last year when you see how hopeless we have been the last month

Did Dean Smith appoint MacPhee and Danks though or were they appointed by someone else (Lange perhaps)?   

Still would like to know what happened with Terry and O'Kelly over the summer, as something just didn't seem right about their departures. 

[RamboandBruno]

As useless as he has been lets not forget who bought them in. The buck stops with smith.

It shows to me o reilly and terry added alot of value last year when you see how hopeless we have been the last month

Did Dean Smith appoint MacPhee and Danks though or were they appointed by someone else (Lange perhaps)?   

Still would like to know what happened with Terry and O'Kelly over the summer, as something just didn't seem right about their departures.

I would say Terry is ambitious and just felt it was time to move on. The ROK one was more interesting, wasn’t there rumours he was offered a role with the youth set up, practically a demotion if true. None of us know, but this doesn’t strike me as totally a Smith decision, gives his long term ties with O’Kelly, i would of thought the sporting director had a great deal of input. Must of been a very hard conversation to have with a friend as well as a colleague.
The worrying thing for me, is when i read the Ashley Preece piece, with all my reservations about the bham mail and he’s not exactly Percy, but even with all that, it all just struck me as accurate. A hectic touchline, lots of noise and different messages, Dean Smith sticking with Shakespeare whilst McPhee runs up and down the touchline.
It just all seems a mess and to be honest far from easily resolvable. When i read the article my heart sank a bit as i thought there is literally no way out of this for Smith, other than losing his job. It’s not feasible to sweep the board with his coaching team and start again mid season, the only way to do this is, if he goes as well. Southampton now has disaster written all over it, a place we traditionally struggle, no Luiz, Ramsey, Ings, Konsa, Sanson possibly not if there is a covid link. It smells of a comprehensive defeat and that has to be the end then. I never want to see us lose and I’ve been a strong supporter of Smith on here, but even if we somehow get a draw or unlikely win, it feels like prolonging the inevitable, part of me really doesn’t want to see Deans last stand at Villa Park. 

[Drummond]

If there are lots of voices then Smith needs to tell someone to shut up. However, we don't know what everyone is saying,unless they are shouting that loud that we do?

[AV82EC]

He is in charge, it’s down to him to determine who talks and who doesn’t. And when. Previous profiles of him have him down as a very inclusive and co-operative type of manager who very rarely loses his temper. Well it sounds to me like he needs to go into a bit of directive management and start drawing some boundaries with his coaching team and the players, until he gets clarity and a sense of purpose around the direction we need to be heading. From the outside it does look like a bit of a confused mess. Come on Deano, time to find your inner Malcolm Tucker.

[SoccerHQ]

Doesn’t have a history of high profile clubs…Cowdenbeath, St Mirren, Heart of Midlothian and FC Midtjylland. Also assistant coach for Northern Ireland before moving to Scotland. Basically the level of domestic and international teams that you’d expect the kind of shit tactics we’re now seeing at Villa Park being used.

Midtjylland are that Danish club Brentford own aren't they? So can only guess DS was sort of aware then of him and perhaps recommended him as a replacement once Terry and O'Kelly went.

Our coaching set up was very strong last season, again nowhere near this season.

When you look at the long throws the only one that has really worked was the Ings one v Newcastle and that was an amazing finish that rarely happens.

It's not like someone is flicking on and we're getting headers in on goal so I'd ditch it now unless we play a team really weak at defending headers.

Wonder what the hell Leon Bailey thought on Sunday that we signed him for 25m and are training him to be the new Rory Delap.

[Nev]

If we welly the ball into touch again from the KO I'm not sure I'll be able to watch the rest of Friday's game....

[Hillbilly]

At every set play we seem to stop and get out the instruction manual for whatever cunning idea has been cooked up. And then we cock it up because the opposition has plenty of time to sort out their defensive shape. There’s nothing wrong with taking a quick throw to an available player (preferably a Villa teammate).

[aev]

At every set play we seem to stop and get out the instruction manual for whatever cunning idea has been cooked up. And then we cock it up because the opposition has plenty of time to sort out their defensive shape. There’s nothing wrong with taking a quick throw to an available player (preferably a Villa teammate).

This is interesting, and I think it is potentially at odds with the coaching philosophy of Danks.

Danks seems to be friendly with a guy called Russell Earnshaw (I watched an interview they had), who came to the rugby club where I coached and ran a session. He was very keen on player empowerment, and playing the situation as the player sees fit.

I think that a well drilled and innovative set piece can sit alongside a more pragmatic playing philosophy,  but perhaps it takes a bit of time.