The Official Dean Smith Thread

["Merd"]

Only the 2nd team in 7 years to stay up after going up via the Playoffs.

Was the other Huddersfield? Because they tanked in their second season

Don't be under any illusions gents, next season will be equally tough. Don't want to be a party pooper, but a couple of injuries and/or VAR decision at the wrong time could be devastating. Football is played in the real world and not on paper - as we just found out.

 

[The Fear]

We'll accept mediocrite claret and blue used to be an amry.....

We'll accept any old shit army....

 

[Fulford]

We'll accept mediocrite claret and blue used to be an amry.....

We'll accept any old shit army....

Yes I hate this aim low mentality.

 

["Merd"]

Yes I hate this aim low mentality.

Think it's more like realism, not an acceptance of mediocrity. If the owners splash £200m on 4/5 players, it is still no guarantee of success - even if it is a massive statement.

Purslow suggested 3 seasons before we could pay PL wages. It may be we need to stay patient a little longer. That isn't the same as acceptance.

 

[Fulford]

Think it's more like realism, not an acceptance of mediocrity. If the owners splash £200m on 4/5 players, it is still no guarantee of success - even if it is a massive statement.

Purslow suggested 3 seasons before we could pay PL wages. It may be we need to stay patient a little longer. That isn't the same as acceptance.

But we never do go for those players even when we can afford to. We have for years tried to do everything on the cheap hence why we've won the sum total of fuck all.

 

[The Fear]

But we never do go for those players even when we can afford to. We have for years tried to do everything on the cheap hence why we've won the sum total of fuck all.

That can't be true. Not with the level of celebrations?

 

[Tom Cat]

Was the other Huddersfield? Because they tanked in their second season

Don't be under any illusions gents, next season will be equally tough. Don't want to be a party pooper, but a couple of injuries and/or VAR decision at the wrong time could be devastating. Football is played in the real world and not on paper - as we just found out.

I'm not sure I have the same view as you on this. The previous relegation seasons after MON feel like a perpetual downward spiral, with each survival scrape another nail in the coffin.

This year it very much feels like we are on an upward trajectory. It is why it would have been so devastating to go down this year - we'd have had to start again.

Our squad is young and the majority won't have reached their peak yet. Both team and Smith will have also cut out some of their naivety from this season too. If we didn't buy any players this year, we would certainly struggle, but I do think we would have bonded enough and wisened up enough to survive. That won't happen though - because we do have decent enough money to spend this year.

The only way I can see us going down now is if we sell Grealish (or he gets a major injury) and reinvest badly. At the moment he really is our driving force. Dougie has improved, as has Konsa and others, but without Grealish we are currently nothing much at all. Our gameplay is so focused around him. In a year or two, we'll have hopefully created some extra quality and depth, in which case Grealish's departure would not be such a hammer blow.

 

["Merd"]

But we never do go for those players even when we can afford to. We have for years tried to do everything on the cheap hence why we've won the sum total of fuck all.

But we went for Gazza and Roberto Carlos . Unless we get De Bruyne and the like, we are not shopping at Harrods.

 

["Merd"]

I'm not sure I have the same view as you on this. The previous relegation seasons after MON feel like a perpetual downward spiral, with each survival scrape another nail in the coffin.

This year it very much feels like we are on an upward trajectory. It is why it would have been so devastating to go down this year - we'd have had to start again.

Our squad is young and the majority won't have reached their peak yet. Both team and Smith will have also cut out some of their naivety from this season too. If we didn't buy any players this year, we would certainly struggle, but I do think we would have bonded enough and wisened up enough to survive. That won't happen though - because we do have decent enough money to spend this year.

The only way I can see us going down now is if we sell Grealish (or he gets a major injury) and reinvest badly. At the moment he really is our driving force. Dougie has improved, as has Konsa and others, but without Grealish we are currently nothing much at all. Our gameplay is so focused around him. In a year or two, we'll have hopefully created some extra quality and depth, in which case Grealish's departure would not be such a hammer blow.

Yep, you are correct, we probably have half a team and maybe 1 or 2 more who will improve. But Everton and West Ham have been investing for years and it is always a risk. History shows us that not all transfers are successful.

 

[Tom Cat]

We o

Yep, you are correct, we probably have half a team and maybe 1 or 2 more who will improve. But Everton and West Ham have been investing for years and it is always a risk. History shows us that not all transfers are successful.

We only need to look at our own history for proof of that Merd!

Christ we've bought some howlers.

 

["Merd"]

We o

We only need to look at our own history for proof of that Merd!

Christ we've bought some howlers.

My personal feeling is that we can expect a similar type of transfer window to last season - poach youngsters with potential. I don't mind that approach, but it would be nice to hit the ground running and not have to wait for the next "Douglas" to get up to speed.

 

[CDX_EIRE]

The only way I can see us going down now is if we sell Grealish (or he gets a major injury) and reinvest badly. At the moment he really is our driving force. Dougie has improved, as has Konsa and others, but without Grealish we are currently nothing much at all. Our gameplay is so focused around him. In a year or two, we'll have hopefully created some extra quality and depth, in which case Grealish's departure would not be such a hammer blow.

Selling Grealish is the true confirmation of what Fear and Fulford are saying. A failure to fight and keep him for me is an affirmation that the club don't think they can achieve success in the short term.

I dont agree that keeping Dean Smith and signing relatively unknown talent is a confirmation that we're small time. I think its realistic as Merd said, its not that we cant or dont think we can compete with Leceister for example. It is a story of aligning our resources to our trajectory.

We finished the season strong, the stats AND performances show that.

For me one thing I see on the board often is that people really want to give youth a try but we have to be realistic and the same goes for the manager. Konsa has been good but we need better, he isnt ready. Luiz has been excellent but he's 21 we need another solid body in midfield with him and McGinn. I like Davis, Wesley is also still young but we need a player of caliber up top we cant play games like we did this season. Guilbert, Targett, AEG, Trez the list goes on - I think these guys can grow and get better but its a balancing act because they dont have quality right now.

 

[Tom Cat]

My personal feeling is that we can expect a similar type of transfer window to last season - poach youngsters with potential. I don't mind that approach, but it would be nice to hit the ground running and not have to wait for the next "Douglas" to get up to speed.

I'd love it not to be true, but you are probably right. No way are we going to overspend on players like Abraham or Benrhama. Only if the price is reasonable - odds are it won't be.

 

[Tom Cat]

Selling Grealish is the true confirmation of what Fear and Fulford are saying. A failure to fight and keep him for me is an affirmation that the club don't think they can achieve success in the short term.

I dont agree that keeping Dean Smith and signing relatively unknown talent is a confirmation that we're small time. I think its realistic as Merd said, its not that we cant or dont think we can compete with Leceister for example. It is a story of aligning our resources to our trajectory.

We finished the season strong, the stats AND performances show that.

For me one thing I see on the board often is that people really want to give youth a try but we have to be realistic and the same goes for the manager. Konsa has been good but we need better, he isnt ready. Luiz has been excellent but he's 21 we need another solid body in midfield with him and McGinn. I like Davis, Wesley is also still young but we need a player of caliber up top we cant play games like we did this season. Guilbert, Targett, AEG, Trez the list goes on - I think these guys can grow and get better but its a balancing act because they dont have quality right now.

Losing Grealish will only be small time if we don't accept a massive fee. No matter who you are there is always a price that you will end up taking. Manure are defo the type of team to bid that amount unfortunately.

I'd respect the club for making one big signing that likely won't make them a later profit. A 27/28 yr old that is in his prime, been around the block. We'll get two or three years out of him before he crocks it type of player. Ings or maybe Zaha spring to mind. As you say, a bit of experience and undeniable quality would do us the world of good.

 

[Stephen Jay Hawkings]

Selling Grealish is the true confirmation of what Fear and Fulford are saying. A failure to fight and keep him for me is an affirmation that the club don't think they can achieve success in the short term.

Completely agree, it's always been the sign of a lack of ambition when we sell our best players. How are we ever to move on to the next level? Or get back to where we should be even?

We need to build around the good players we have, not sell them. But once a player starts doing well for us, he starts hearing that Champions League music and wants out.

I hate the Champions League.

 

[southend_villan]

Was the other Huddersfield? Because they tanked in their second season

Don't be under any illusions gents, next season will be equally tough. Don't want to be a party pooper, but a couple of injuries and/or VAR decision at the wrong time could be devastating. Football is played in the real world and not on paper - as we just found out.

For every party there's a pooper, but you're right. I'd be happy with a top 16 finish next season

 

[McParlandTheGreat]

Does he stay or does he go? That's the question some raised after promotion, and again at points of our less than stellar season. A year ago I thought he should stay; he'd done a great job getting us up the table and through the playoffs, and we had to see how far he could take us in the PL.

Season over, the question rears its head again, against a background where the owners will want us to push on and reach a significantly higher level in the PL. Does he stay, does he go? This time, while thanking him for his efforts, I'm opting for go. Here's why.

(1) The current team (team, not individuals) is poor. Apart from getting a defence to play at acceptable levels over recent matches, I can't see where it's going. We don't have an attack worthy of the name; without Trez's opportunistic goals in the last 4 matches we'd be well and truly down. I can't see how DS will improve it; even if we get more players in, I can't see how he'd put things together to make a competitive team capable say of mid-table. We don't have the sort of identity where we can say we need a player of type X to fit in position Y.

(2) I question his coaching. Jack is a player who is crying out for top level coaching. If he stays under DS, I think he'll stay at his current level. Some players have improved, notably Luiz and Konsa. But Luiz came with a good reputation and you could say he's only getting back to that level. Other players looked good to start with but seem to have tailed off; Guilbert, Engels and Nakamba, for example. Samatta looked OK for a couple of matches then looked lost.

(3) I think he's too close to the players. After West Ham, he said something about "going to get drunk with Jack". That shocked me, for a manager/coach. He has to have authority, respect. He has to have trust. Add in the fact that several players are probably teetotal, and I think he's operating on the wrong level.

(4) We need a coach who matches the aspirations of the owners. That means top level coaching, ability to forge players into an effective team, and tactical nous to get the best out of each and every match. To me DS just isn't at that level.

That's me. It's over to the owners!

 

[mike_field]

(3) - the question was in relation to Jacks future, I think DS dodged it perfectly myself and the photo that then did the rounds shows they are close for me.

Given the love (understandably for Wilder's achievements in the last few years), it's not like DS decided to conduct his interviews after clearly having one too many celebratory drinks is it.

 

[JuanPabloAngel]

Does he stay or does he go? That's the question some raised after promotion, and again at points of our less than stellar season. A year ago I thought he should stay; he'd done a great job getting us up the table and through the playoffs, and we had to see how far he could take us in the PL.

Season over, the question rears its head again, against a background where the owners will want us to push on and reach a significantly higher level in the PL. Does he stay, does he go? This time, while thanking him for his efforts, I'm opting for go. Here's why.

(1) The current team (team, not individuals) is poor. Apart from getting a defence to play at acceptable levels over recent matches, I can't see where it's going. We don't have an attack worthy of the name; without Trez's opportunistic goals in the last 4 matches we'd be well and truly down. I can't see how DS will improve it; even if we get more players in, I can't see how he'd put things together to make a competitive team capable say of mid-table. We don't have the sort of identity where we can say we need a player of type X to fit in position Y.

(2) I question his coaching. Jack is a player who is crying out for top level coaching. If he stays under DS, I think he'll stay at his current level. Some players have improved, notably Luiz and Konsa. But Luiz came with a good reputation and you could say he's only getting back to that level. Other players looked good to start with but seem to have tailed off; Guilbert, Engels and Nakamba, for example. Samatta looked OK for a couple of matches then looked lost.

(3) I think he's too close to the players. After West Ham, he said something about "going to get drunk with Jack". That shocked me, for a manager/coach. He has to have authority, respect. He has to have trust. Add in the fact that several players are probably teetotal, and I think he's operating on the wrong level.

(4) We need a coach who matches the aspirations of the owners. That means top level coaching, ability to forge players into an effective team, and tactical nous to get the best out of each and every match. To me DS just isn't at that level.

That's me. It's over to the owners!

Thank you @McParlandTheGreat for returning this to the topic in hand, instead of transfer speculation, for which there is indeed a transfer thread.

 

[Fulford]

For every party there's a pooper, but you're right. I'd be happy with a top 16 finish next season

Would you honestly be happy with a 16th place finish?