Where do we go from here...

[ozzjim]

We have threads on NSWE and Dean, but for me this is a thread about where we are, and where are we going. Both NSWE and Dean Smith have done brilliantly for Villa for 3 years, but with Jack going in the summer, the coaching changes, the puzzling transfer strategy, the new money at Newcastle and the improvement in some other sides in the league, the top 6 looks a bigger step than 17th in the Championship to 11th in the Prem right now.

Are NSWE still aiming at the top 6? If so, do they really believe Smith will take us there, or if not are they settling in for mid table Premier league to hold the investment they have put in? I feel we are at a cross roads with the owners ambition and the manager right now. There are a number of directions it could go. 12 months ago I was totally confident I knew where we are heading and it was an exciting ride. Right now I am not so sure I do.

[Beard82]

Very good question and well put.

Think you have hit the nail on the head - what is the ambition?

I see it that:
1) We are now further behind the "top teams" - whose Net invested more, like Arsenal, West Ham etc and seems to have worked well.
2) We do have a good squad - and should be between 8 - 10th with it
3) There appears to be a disconnect at the club - the idea of signing 3 players to replace joe looks really stupid - as the man picking the team doesn't know how to play any of them to get the best out of them
4) The backroom changes so far look like they have taken us backwards, as the team has no way of playing and defensively we lost all the progress we made
5) Emi Martenize, McGinn, Bailey, Watkins (assuming they are playing well) - will be wanted "bigger clubs" and will go unless we keep to promises / project

In short - it looks like we are going backwards - despite having a reasonable squad. 

Is there a change in plan?  Maybe more focus on bringing the youth through? 

Or has nothing changed and we're seeing the end of the dean smith era

[BC Villain]

At the moment we look like a big boat in the middle of a lake, with some of the players rowing one way, and the others rowing the other way.  Meanwhile,  Dean Smith resembles the man with his hand on the tiller, scratching his head trying to work out why the boats going round in circles.  Its difficult to escape the feeling that all is not well in the dressing room and that the players are losing confidence in the manager.

[Risso]

We need to sort it out soon. I can't see Martinez wanting to stick around to play in this car crash for much longer, and I'd much rather lose Smith than him.

[ChicagoLion]

It’s a very good question and we can only guess.
I have a concern that the departures are indicative of a lack of faith in the manager, the pundits last night were critical of the way the team is set up and you wonder if there is a narrative in the game about Smith.
There is no reason to believe that the owners have lost ambition but if they allow this malaise to continue then you know we are in let’s muddle through strategy.

[ChicagoLion]

We need to sort it out soon. I can't see Martinez wanting to stick around to play in this car crash for much longer, and I'd much rather lose Smith than him.

If this continues you can see players getting picked off in January.

[hipkiss92]

We need to sort it out soon. I can't see Martinez wanting to stick around to play in this car crash for much longer, and I'd much rather lose Smith than him.

If this continues you can see players getting picked off in January.

No club ever has players 'picked off' in the January transfer window.

[Richard E]

Down to the lake, I fear.

[N'ZMAV]

this is a test for the ownership and Purslow.

[brontebilly]

At the moment we look like a big boat in the middle of a lake, with some of the players rowing one way, and the others rowing the other way.  Meanwhile,  Dean Smith resembles the man with his hand on the tiller, scratching his head trying to work out why the boats going round in circles.  Its difficult to escape the feeling that all is not well in the dressing room and that the players are losing confidence in the manager.

Pre season seems to have been an utter shit show too. But the win (and performance) at Old Trafford was meant to be a sign that we were finally kicking on post Grealish. But the two performances in north London since, and the late collapse v Wolves, do indicate something very much wrong behind the scenes. Hopefully it's just the tactical shambles but Smith was very unwise to point to lack of application being the key issue last night. That sets him on a bit of a showdown with the players and that rarely ends well.

[Villan82]

When you look at things in the round since last season ended it's not good. In May we looked nicely set up to charge for Europe this season. But, the coaching set-up was dismantled and Joe kicked every single one of us loyal villans hard in the balls. We spent that money well but something seemed off about the pre-season preparation and the first half against Watford was a shit-show.

I am long enough following villa to know that if something stinks the place out it means there is likely something wrong. People are talking about the 1997-98 season and I'd also add 1994-95 and 2010-11. Something just isn't right with the villa we had come to know. Players look off.

We need to get this project back on the right track. We do have a young, talented squad and we can still save this season. More of last night and it will be a dogfight.

[PhilVill]

I think the owners are still very much committed to getting Villa back to where they belong but it seems to me that they may well have started having concerns about Smith last year and wanted to see how the start of season pans out. Where we are now, I am convinced that DS will be gone very soon. As soon as you publicly throw players under the bus it tends to end sooner rather than later...

[SoccerHQ]

This is where ownership has to step up and prove they're better than what we've previously had.

If they truly believe in next few weeks DS has taken us as far as he can then they can't afford to be sentimental and just let the season drift.

Thank him, pay him up, let him go and put the feelers out around europe as Shakespeare could caretake for a few games if needs be.

Yes they'll be stick on here and in general media as in their eyes we're not doing too badly so would be an odd sacking but I think with Newcastle money we can't afford to take years to get into top half otherwise it will just be another team that goes past us pretty quickly.


I've mentioned it a few times but a great template for us is Leicester. Their owners weren't happy with progress they were making in 18/19 (they were about 13th in late Feb) so didn't mess around and sacked Claude Puel and got in Rodgers. This was only months after the owner died of course so that's a top ownership for me and decision more than justified in what they've done since.

[SoccerHQ]

We need to sort it out soon. I can't see Martinez wanting to stick around to play in this car crash for much longer, and I'd much rather lose Smith than him.

I agree. I think Emi's agent would laugh us off the phone if we rang him up to offer a new deal. Don't think Luiz is in any hurry to sign a new deal either and he'll have one year left on his deal next summer.

Not too worried about likes of McGinn and Mings as I think they know it's unlikely anyone above us currently would want them and seem happy here.

Losing Doug and Emi in same summer wouldn't be great at all.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to sort it out soon. I can't see Martinez wanting to stick around to play in this car crash for much longer, and I'd much rather lose Smith than him.

Yep agreed. We are definitely performing beneath the level we should with the quality of players we have. That has to be down to the manager - and it is, the 3 centre back approach is not strengthening our weaknesses and it’s undermining our strengths.