The undermining of Dean Smith

[SoccerHQ]

Losing to Wolves was the turning point.None of our substitutions worked.Young ,Ramsey and Nakamba, for Cash,Luiz and Buendia ,completely lost the midfield when we were totally in control.Tuanzebe also proved to be weak at last ditch defending.

Tuanzebe?

The October game.

[Beard82]

Great article.

Big sliding doors moment this summer - when our first choice plan went out the window with Joe.

As long as I live will thinkDean was given an impossible hand - shit summer with a bunch of half fit players.

My biggest hope is that we can better what Dean and Joe achieved - some amazing memories and personally would rather be mid table with dean and the romantic hope, then mid table with someone else

But would rather qualify for Europe or win a cup - so I guess that’s where I stand now that dreams dead

[RamboandBruno]

A good read.
I hadn’t really followed Deans career that closely, but remember feeling strangely emotional when he walked on the pitch pre his first match as our manager against Swansea. It felt like after the years of tosh under the likes of Mcleish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, Di Matteo, and Bruce, we finally had a proper Villa man at the helm.
There were some very dodgy times in that first season, when we couldn’t buy a win in January and February 2019. But the 10 game run, the momentum and sheer excitement of that, will live with me forever. There were very dodgy times in the first season back, combined with the excitement of getting to a first cup final in a few years, its debatable whether Dean would of got the tin tac if the pandemic hadn’t come along. Last season pre xmas was some of the best football I’ve seen down the villa since Big Rons days, with Grealish pulling all sorts of strings.
For me, the coaching staff going was significant as the article alludes to, maybe one day we’ll find out what went on. But Grealish going was Deans ultimate un doing though and i don’t think we as a club or the first team at least have recovered from it. Ive been watching the villa since the early 80s and he is one of the best I’ve seen down there. Not just that but him and Dean together as two villa fans represented everything that was good about the club from the promotion year onwards. Those days are sadly gone now, probably never to return, we just have to remember the good times and move on and hope bright times are ahead.

[ChicagoLion]

A good read.
I hadn’t really followed Deans career that closely, but remember feeling strangely emotional when he walked on the pitch pre his first match as our manager against Swansea. It felt like after the years of tosh under the likes of Mcleish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, Di Matteo, and Bruce, we finally had a proper Villa man at the helm.
There were some very dodgy times in that first season, when we couldn’t buy a win in January and February 2019. But the 10 game run, the momentum and sheer excitement of that, will live with me forever. There were very dodgy times in the first season back, combined with the excitement of getting to a first cup final in a few years, its debatable whether Dean would of got the tin tac if the pandemic hadn’t come along. Last season pre xmas was some of the best football I’ve seen down the villa since Big Rons days, with Grealish pulling all sorts of strings.
For me, the coaching staff going was significant as the article alludes to, maybe one day we’ll find out what went on. But Grealish going was Deans ultimate un doing though and i don’t think we as a club or the first team at least have recovered from it. Ive been watching the villa since the early 80s and he is one of the best I’ve seen down there. Not just that but him and Dean together as two villa fans represented everything that was good about the club from the promotion year onwards. Those days are sadly gone now, probably never to return, we just have to remember the good times and move on and hope bright times are ahead.

Good post mate.

[PeterWithe]

I’m not sure there was anything more to O’Kelly going than was reported at the time, Dean wanted to freshen things up and bring in someone else and move him to the u23s, he didn’t fancy it, helped us out for a bit, then decided to retire.

[curiousorange]

Brilliant read. I agree with earlier posters pointing to the Wolves game as a turning point - I remember the sense of inevitability when they equalised across social media and so it proved. It was like watching the tank finally empty.

The coaching team exodus was almost exactly the opposite of the feeling when Shakespeare came in. At that time I thought, 'wow, that's a brilliant move' and so it proved to be, in its own limited mid-table way. When O'Kelly left, it was with a sense of creeping unease.

[Brazilian Villain]

I think the timing of his departure was right for all concerned. Given this is shaping up to be a bit of anomalous season in terms of points needed to stay up I think we'd have been right in the relegation mix had he stayed longer. Leaving when he did enabled him to retain the goodwill of the fans (as rightly seen on Saturday) and walk into another job at a another relatively stable club where by all accounts he'll be given next season to build and try and come back up. If the board had waited till Jan and the slump continued then his managerial stock would be lower and his departure may well have been more acrimonious. Thanks for the memories Deano but no regrets/what ifs for me.

[Ian.]

That’s a great read.

Life without Grealish had already been a thorn in Smith’s side, not surprising really as he was that good for us. Adding that situation to the rest of our doomed summer preparations really didn’t help Smith and the squad to prepare. This season does feel like we’ve never really got ourselves into any kind of shape or form.

[SoccerHQ]

We still do not know who was responsible for the shit show of a summer for which Smith ultimately paid the price with his job.

Buendia was obviously his signing, he said as much.

Wanted Smith Rowe for the other side and Ward Prowse, we'll never know how realistic either were but ultimately we spent time bidding for both.

Bailey was probably pushed by Lange but felt logical at the time given we wanted to improve on likes of Trez and AEG as credible counter attack options.

Ings was the odd one out I suspect. Signing came out of nowhere and in the early weeks you could see DS not really having a clue how to get him into the team with Watkins.

Get the feeling DS would've been happy going into the season with just a younger understudy to Ollie who could also play out wide so would imagine he was overruled there.

With the coaches going certainly odd timing to both. If O'Kelly was leaving you'd have thought straight after last game in May 2021. Terry was always going to move on sooner or later in fairness.

[Beard82]

A good read.
I hadn’t really followed Deans career that closely, but remember feeling strangely emotional when he walked on the pitch pre his first match as our manager against Swansea. It felt like after the years of tosh under the likes of Mcleish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, Di Matteo, and Bruce, we finally had a proper Villa man at the helm.
There were some very dodgy times in that first season, when we couldn’t buy a win in January and February 2019. But the 10 game run, the momentum and sheer excitement of that, will live with me forever. There were very dodgy times in the first season back, combined with the excitement of getting to a first cup final in a few years, its debatable whether Dean would of got the tin tac if the pandemic hadn’t come along. Last season pre xmas was some of the best football I’ve seen down the villa since Big Rons days, with Grealish pulling all sorts of strings.
For me, the coaching staff going was significant as the article alludes to, maybe one day we’ll find out what went on. But Grealish going was Deans ultimate un doing though and i don’t think we as a club or the first team at least have recovered from it. Ive been watching the villa since the early 80s and he is one of the best I’ve seen down there. Not just that but him and Dean together as two villa fans represented everything that was good about the club from the promotion year onwards. Those days are sadly gone now, probably never to return, we just have to remember the good times and move on and hope bright times are ahead.

Great post

[Chris Harte]

The timing of the loss of his two assistants is still baffling.

We crucified Martin O'Neill for similar timing, yet these pair leaving barely raised an eyebrow.

The rumour is they were asked to leave by Sawiris.

Grealish has asked Terry what he should do about the Citeh offer and he said you've got to take the opportunity. Sawiris heard this, was non to happy and told Terry to do one. ROK complained, and he was told he could do one n'all.

Terry was prob at a stage where he felt he was ready for a management gig anyroad (though doesn't seem like clubs of any real standing agree).

I think I'd heard what Terry had said to Grealish about City, but not the rest.

[eamonn]

Interesting if true. You tell 'em, Nas!

[Pat McMahon]

I think the timing of his departure was right for all concerned. Given this is shaping up to be a bit of anomalous season in terms of points needed to stay up I think we'd have been right in the relegation mix had he stayed longer. Leaving when he did enabled him to retain the goodwill of the fans (as rightly seen on Saturday) and walk into another job at a another relatively stable club where by all accounts he'll be given next season to build and try and come back up. If the board had waited till Jan and the slump continued then his managerial stock would be lower and his departure may well have been more acrimonious. Thanks for the memories Deano but no regrets/what ifs for me.

I think you are right Gary. On the journey home from Southampton away I felt he should have another couple of games to turn things aorund as the team were visibly busting a gut for him, but a couple of mates were saying it was time for him to go before he faced the horror of being booed at Vila Park. Our formation in the last 15 minutes at Southampton reminded me of the semi final at home to Bradford and was desperate.

Saturday was a great day of appreciation for his efforts and both Deano and fans seemed genuinely pleased to see each other,so all told I am glad it ended how it did.

Since Grealish and Deano have gone I don't feel the team and squad has the same soul any more though. That genuine, deep connection with the fans isn't quite there.

[eamonn]

On reading the thread title, I keep thinking it's a sequel to The Taking of Pelham 123.

[algy]

We still do not know who was responsible for the shit show of a summer for which Smith ultimately paid the price with his job.

Buendia was obviously his signing, he said as much.

Wanted Smith Rowe for the other side and Ward Prowse, we'll never know how realistic either were but ultimately we spent time bidding for both.

Bailey was probably pushed by Lange but felt logical at the time given we wanted to improve on likes of Trez and AEG as credible counter attack options.

Ings was the odd one out I suspect. Signing came out of nowhere and in the early weeks you could see DS not really having a clue how to get him into the team with Watkins.

Get the feeling DS would've been happy going into the season with just a younger understudy to Ollie who could also play out wide so would imagine he was overruled there.

With the coaches going certainly odd timing to both. If O'Kelly was leaving you'd have thought straight after last game in May 2021. Terry was always going to move on sooner or later in fairness.

Yeah, I think Buendia makes perfect sense as a right-sided complement to Joe. I'd be inclined to think that maybe we still held up some hope of keeping him at that stage.

Bailey seems like a player who'd have been on our (Lange's?) radar, as you'd said he'd offer a tangible upgrade on Trez/AEG. Maybe Jack leaving was the catalyst for the move, but he does/did seem a logical signing.

Ings I think was a panic buy. We'd put so much in to Grealish as the front man of AVFC that losing him was akin to losing the club's identity (to the outside world). He was a bit like Michael Jordan, where even people with no interest in basketball would recognise him, and therefore buy various tat (trainers, shirts, basketballs, whatever) with his name on.

We went out and got the highest profile signing available, which was Danny Ings, in an attempt to "replace" Jack as the face of the club.

I'm also convinced (maybe incorrectly) that it's also a big factor in Gerrard coming to the club - he's a recognisable face and will, whether we like the idea or not, raise the profile of the club outside of our traditional catchment area. Coutinho fits in the same bracket, he'll reach people who have a less 'tribal' interest in football than we do.