It's crunch time for Dean

[Damo70]

Instant promotion, total squad rebuild, cup final appearance, Premier League survival and then mid table safety last season. I would say that even Dean Smith's harshest critics would find it difficult to criticize all of those achievements in such a short space of time in such tough Leagues like the Championship and Premier League.

[NorthYvillan]

Instant promotion, total squad rebuild, cup final appearance, Premier League survival and then mid table safety last season. I would say that even Dean Smith's harshest critics would find it difficult to criticize all of those achievements in such a short space of time in such tough Leagues like the Championship and Premier League.

Agreed

[West Derby Villan]

Instant promotion, total squad rebuild, cup final appearance, Premier League survival and then mid table safety last season. I would say that even Dean Smith's harshest critics would find it difficult to criticize all of those achievements in such a short space of time in such tough Leagues like the Championship and Premier League.

Agreed

Totally agree, credit to DS

[Nelly]

I think Smith has adapted brilliantly each season he has been here. He's not had a straightforward season yet (is there such a thing?). I still think we're well ahead of schedule - maybe two years - and barring a total disaster, like the players mutinying, then I'd love to see Smith stay and keep building his team. If we finish lower than last season and don't win anything I just see that as a part of the ups and downs of sport. It's not reason to fire him. There's no denying the club is a different animal these days. We are aiming for the top, but we don't have to turn into Chelsea and bat eyes at other managers every time we have a poor patch. The club is progressing so incredibly well at such a rate, and I believe Smith is the lynchpin in that. It's a wonderful time to be a Villa fan.

[eamonn]

He's had full support from a rich and savvy ownership/chief exec that most managers would give their eye-teeth for. He needs to keep improving us or he'll be out. And like every Villa manager before him except Graham Taylor, he's unlikely to get a bigger job once he leaves.

[N'ZMAV]

Smith has more than ticked every box so far - but he's without the lad that made most of it happen for him. This is the true test of what Smith has got - but he's earned this season at least.

[brian green]

That we were nothing without the rodent is a myth on a par with counting the stones in the Great Pyramid to prove that the Earth is flat.

[SoccerHQ]

I'm really looking forward to seeing how he uses the squad this year.

Expecting far more rotation than just putting out the same 11 five games out of six. And also making a first sub before 75th minute if we've been struggling to get out of our own penalty area from the hour mark.

That's what seperates him and the top managers imo so up to him to step up now and show he can do it aswell.

I saw a bit of hope end of last season actually. 2-1 up at Spurs and G****ish couldn't last 90 minutes so we had to take him off around 70th minute which is something DS would never ever have done in normal circumstances yet we put Luiz on who did very well and saw out the game comfortably.

Hopefully that has taught him we don't need our first choice 11 dead on its feet up to 96th minute to get some results v top half teams this season.

I can't see him being sacked even if we finish 10th, think anything top half is acceptable as it's an improvement on last season and we ultimately have lost a very good player. Below 11th though and think he's done as imagine we will sign a few more players in January so eventually owners will ask why we're pumping in 100m + most seasons just to finish bottom half.

We're not there yet though and I also expect a really good cup run (cue us drawing Man. United now in 3rd round of both cups) so that would be decent.

[Smithy]

Instant promotion, total squad rebuild, cup final appearance, Premier League survival and then mid-table safety last season. I would say that even Dean Smith's harshest critics would find it difficult to criticize all of those achievements in such a short space of time in such tough Leagues like the Championship and Premier League.

More importantly, there's not a fan alive who wouldn't have snapped your hand off for that the day he was appointed.  The problem is, as fans, we rarely take a step back and look at things in the aggregate like the above - we sit there watching games, we see bad performances, we suffer when we lose - so I completely understand why some fans have had periods when they've doubted Dean's credentials - a couple of weeks of bad results and performances can feel like a lifetime.

I don't think his job is in any danger as long as we keep progressing, but this year is going to be tough for him.  Moving up six places from 17th to 11th is one thing - going up another 5 places into the European spots is orders of magnitude more difficult.  But he has 100% earned the right to try.  If we are in and around 11th place come May next year, I think he'll be under a lot of pressure, but right now I genuinely think we'll be in the mix for the European spots right to the season's conclusion.

[Sexual Ealing]

I think the departure of HWSNBN will be good for Dean Smith. Ever since he arrived here he's been avoiding looking inside the mouths of gift horses. Now he can show what a good coach he is.

[brontebilly]

Instant promotion, total squad rebuild, cup final appearance, Premier League survival and then mid table safety last season. I would say that even Dean Smith's harshest critics would find it difficult to criticize all of those achievements in such a short space of time in such tough Leagues like the Championship and Premier League.

....and yet he was probably a game or two max away from the sack before covid kicked in (deservedly so for me)....Also had the best player in the championship and arguably one of the best in the prem to build a team around...

Think this season is the real test of Deano as a coach. Rightly or wrongly, a lot of the recent progress could be landed at the feet of one player (who Deano managed very well it has to be said). But now he has to rip the script up and put his own mark on the team without him. The Bale example is often used to demonstrate where things go wrong but United didn't fall apart without Ronaldo, Liverpool improved without Coutinho, Chelsea moved on without Hazard, Leicester have seamlessly replaced Maguire...the show goes on and the top coaches make it so.

[Villafirst]

Yes, this season is pivotal, make-or-break etc.,  But one piece of the jigsaw is missing - a top class CM. Go and get JWP. We have the funds to make it happen. It's not worth risking on many fronts, not least Dean's job.

[Three Spires Villa]

If COVID hadn't happened, wasn't Chelsea at home, after the Leicester debacle, his last game? That was certainly the feeling in the away end as the 4th Leicester goal went in. Who knows what might have happened, but COVID maybe saved his job. He certainly did enough after COVID to keep his job.

[LeonW]

Another thing to consider is whether DS has reached his ceiling yet as a manager. I personally don’t think he has. He’s growing in his position as much as some of the players are. He’s improved year on year and as others have pointed out, he’s achieved the goals we could expect since he’s been at the club. With increased options available and no Joe, perhaps we will see him improve further.

Also worth noting that DS will soon be one of the longest serving Villa managers in last 20 years if he finishes the next season. I’d like to see how continuity works for us as it’s not something we’re entirely use to.

[Footy-Vill]

Dean has said this:Our first season in the Premier League was always going to be tough with the changes we had to make, our second one was progression, and our third one now is going to progress even more.
We know how tough it's going to be because we've got to overtake a number of established clubs in the top 10, and that's the challenge we've got, but it's one we're all looking forward to. We need to improve on last season, we felt we were one or two positions down on where we deserved to be. Now we've got to go and progress again and we've got some big clubs to progress now, we're ready to do that.