Dean Smith - reflection & appreciation

[algy]

No need for this (apart from Footy's contribution). He took us from lower mid-table in the Championship to mid-table in the PL in one season. Give the man the respect he deserves.

100%.

Best of luck to Deano. He was & is my absolute favourite Villa manager. Did the thing that all of us dream of, and had a bloody good crack at it too.

[Risso]

I reluctantly accept that in order to attract players such as the one we signed yesterday, a high profile "name" manager is a necessity but part of me wishes that it wasn't the case and that we still had Smith in charge and we were progressing under him.

It's not the case but I find it pretty unpleasant that some would now disparage his achievements with us, and indeed in his career, look back with disdain or baulk at him ever coming back. I don't think he will ever manage us again but I'd be happy to see him in any other roll back at the club.

Where has anybody disparaged his achievements?

[Monty]

No need for this (apart from Footy's contribution). He took us from lower mid-table in the Championship to mid-table in the PL in one season. Give the man the respect he deserves.

That is fair, absolutely. But equally, there's no point pretending (as Footy does) that respect for him means needing to say he should have continued in the post.

[Smithy]

Football is strange. Dean might spend the rest of his career competing in Championship-level campaigns, he could equally keep Norwich up (or get them straight back up) and find himself back in the England reckoning in a couple of years.  Sam Allardyce got himself the England job having been fired more than once and having never won a thing over 30 years in management, barring a few manager of the month awards.  If Dean keeps Norwich up (however unlikely that is), he'll be doing incredibly well.

I'm sorry it didn't work out with Dean, but I like him, and I still think he's got what it takes to manage in the premier league.  Maybe not managing title contenders, but then again not many managers do that...

[sickbeggar]

Most successful manager since MON (and arguably more successful than MON given he took over at a higher level and the cost of his signings would have dwarfed Smith's spending in 2022). Yes he had faults, and you can have the opinion he'd taken us as far as he could, but he got the rug pulled under him somewhat by Ratboy's late exit and the 0% net spend in the summer. Happy enough with Gerrard so far but as for hitting the next level that Smith couldn't reach, we'll see where we are in 2 seasons.

[brontebilly]

Ings did it for Deano I think. Be interesting in time whether it turns out he had much say in that signing. Completely messed around the team to accommodate an Ings/Watkins partnership that never worked (nor ever will).

For his future career, he has to get a better tune out of Norwich. They looked appalling over Xmas with clowns like that Kabak guy playing CB.

[Lastfootstamper]

The right thing was done for Aston Villa. I'll put all my money on nobody else besides me on here decorating a mug in homage to Smith, but even I recognise clubs move on quicker than in years past, and while his race might not have been run, it wasn't far off.

However, he has left a legacy possibly unmatched in even our history, that 20,000 people can't get a ticket to watch us. He was, and remains, a god, and I will forever be thankful for the chest-bursting pride he reawakened in me of being a supporter of Aston Villa.

[BC Villain]

I reluctantly accept that in order to attract players such as the one we signed yesterday, a high profile "name" manager is a necessity but part of me wishes that it wasn't the case and that we still had Smith in charge and we were progressing under him.

It's not the case but I find it pretty unpleasant that some would now disparage his achievements with us, and indeed in his career, look back with disdain or baulk at him ever coming back. I don't think he will ever manage us again but I'd be happy to see him in any other roll back at the club.

Where has anybody disparaged his achievements?

Predominantly the meltdown crew that frequent twitter

[Ads]

How is it disrespectful or disparaging to opine that if Smith takes over as manager again then we've failed? It means we haven't pushed on and he'd self evidently reached his ceiling with us, therefore we'd be a Championship or still a lower half of the table side looking to maintain at that level.

That doesn't detract from the things he did before.

[Small Rodent]

Move on.

[KevinGage]

I reluctantly accept that in order to attract players such as the one we signed yesterday, a high profile "name" manager is a necessity but part of me wishes that it wasn't the case and that we still had Smith in charge and we were progressing under him.

It's not the case but I find it pretty unpleasant that some would now disparage his achievements with us, and indeed in his career, look back with disdain or baulk at him ever coming back. I don't think he will ever manage us again but I'd be happy to see him in any other roll back at the club.

Leon Bailey had a big reputation in Germany and it was generally seen as a signing a bit above our level at the time.  Ings apparently had the likes of Tottingham interested.   

Both were happy to sign up with Smith as manager.

But I get the general point, aye.

[eamonn]

Most successful manager since MON (and arguably more successful than MON given he took over at a higher level and the cost of his signings would have dwarfed Smith's spending in 2022). Yes he had faults, and you can have the opinion he'd taken us as far as he could, but he got the rug pulled under him somewhat by Ratboy's late exit and the 0% net spend in the summer. Happy enough with Gerrard so far but as for hitting the next level that Smith couldn't reach, we'll see where we are in 2 seasons.

0% net spend in the context of still spending £90m-odd? Come off it...regardless of who chose the players in the summer, they all needed to hit the ground running to help us get over Grealish and none of them did for various reasons.

[Gareth]

Dean deserves massive respect for getting us back to the PL and keeping us there….Purslow and NSWE deserve respect also for not letting Deans reign fester to the point the crowd turned on him.

Left with his head held high & the gratitude of most

[sickbeggar]

Most successful manager since MON (and arguably more successful than MON given he took over at a higher level and the cost of his signings would have dwarfed Smith's spending in 2022). Yes he had faults, and you can have the opinion he'd taken us as far as he could, but he got the rug pulled under him somewhat by Ratboy's late exit and the 0% net spend in the summer. Happy enough with Gerrard so far but as for hitting the next level that Smith couldn't reach, we'll see where we are in 2 seasons.

0% net spend in the context of still spending £90m-odd? Come off it...regardless of who chose the players in the summer, they all needed to hit the ground running to help us get over Grealish and none of them did for various reasons.

We still sold our best player and replaced him with a Championship player on paper (if you buy into the narrative they knew ratboy was going. If not Bailey?).  fair comment about none of (his?) signings hitting the floor running. Anyway it doesn't matter now.

[Brend'Watkins]

There is no disrespect shown here from anyone. I think everyone on here appreciates what he’s achieved. We all have a connection to Dean Smith as he’s one of us and a local who’s excelled in management to a decent level. However, if your the persons throwing millions at your investment and haven’t got that feeling you will look at the situation differently especially if you have ambitions of breaking into the top 6. I think even Dean would understand that.