The Official Dean Smith Thread | Page 513 | Vital Football

The Official Dean Smith Thread

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AstonBurrito said:
Let's assume that Smith keeps his job after the international break, with the majority of fans now seemingly wanting a change, what would Smith need to do in order to change your mind that we should stick with him?
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Don‘t necessarily confuse the small snap shot majority on here (or social media) with the wider fan base. There was nowhere near a ground swell of anti smith last night. Got a huge chant just before kick off and a good clap at the end as he acknowledged the fans . He has not lost the away support thats for sure, not yet Yes there were some booing but no more that then gets drowned out by the majority like when the players take knee.

And I am not saying that he shouldn’t go, I am still mixed and I say the above not to say he should stay but just saying it how it was in the away end last night.
 
AstonBurrito said:
Let's assume that Smith keeps his job after the international break, with the majority of fans now seemingly wanting a change, what would Smith need to do in order to change your mind that we should stick with him?
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He has to start getting the team to develop a style of play first, even some semblance of it should be okay for a start, because just winning a few games will only help him be in the job for a little time more and is just going to be papering over cracks. We need a solution that will work for a much longer time.
 
Melon Donkey said:
Don‘t necessarily confuse the small snap shot majority on here (or social media) with the wider fan base. There was nowhere near a ground swell of anti smith last night. Got a huge chant just before kick off and a good clap at the end as he acknowledged the fans . He has not lost the away support thats for sure, not yet Yes there were some booing but no more that then gets drowned out by the majority like when the players take knee.

And I am not saying that he shouldn’t go, I am still mixed and I say the above not to say he should stay but just saying it how it was in the away end last night.
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The leniency enjoyed as a result of being a Villa fan. 5 losses in a row and any other manager in charge would have been fired.
 
Melon Donkey said:
And he may well be but it is less the 12 hours since the game ended so we’ll see.
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Smith is not stupid. No one from the club denied the Fonseca link. The recruiting team will be going through their dossiers and speaking to available candidates. I quite like the fact that he has been given every chance to turn it around and that the away fans stuck with him.

Everyone watching the last Spurs game, knew to the second when Nuno's fate was sealed. 60 000 Spurs fans singing "you don't know what you're doing" after 70 minutes wasn't going to help.

A 6th loss in a row, and I expect the trap door to open and a new backroom team to walk in the following day.
 
Divine_islet said:
The leniency enjoyed as a result of being a Villa fan. 5 losses in a row and any other manager in charge would have been fired.
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He might get leniency from the away fans, the hardcore and probably a fair majority of the home fans based on the fact that he's fine done a mostly good job for this club. There's a lot of younger fans that the only decent times they've had have come under Smith.

However I'm not expecting the owners to be so lenient. I reckon he'll be gone before the Brighton game.2 weeks to find a new man and get him ready for a winnable home game to get him a good start.
 
Melon Donkey said:
Don‘t necessarily confuse the small snap shot majority on here (or social media) with the wider fan base. There was nowhere near a ground swell of anti smith last night. Got a huge chant just before kick off and a good clap at the end as he acknowledged the fans . He has not lost the away support thats for sure, not yet Yes there were some booing but no more that then gets drowned out by the majority like when the players take knee.

And I am not saying that he shouldn’t go, I am still mixed and I say the above not to say he should stay but just saying it how it was in the away end last night.
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I'd argue against that. I think the support in the general fanbase, here, social media (not so sure, I am avoiding these days) and at games is very generous towards Dean Smith.

As usual, there are some who have never taken to a manager, that always happens (me with Lambert is one example for myself) but I think the support he has had, some of it well deserved, has been very high.

But you look at this and same as you, I'm not out out out, I'm not in in in, but you have to wonder.

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Divine_islet said:
He has to start getting the team to develop a style of play first, even some semblance of it should be okay for a start, because just winning a few games will only help him be in the job for a little time more and is just going to be papering over cracks. We need a solution that will work for a much longer time.
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Doing this in a relegation battle is not ideal.
 
The Fear said:
I'd argue against that. I think the support in the general fanbase, here, social media (not so sure, I am avoiding these days) and at games is very generous towards Dean Smith.

As usual, there are some who have never taken to a manager, that always happens (me with Lambert is one example for myself) but I think the support he has had, some of it well deserved, has been very high.

But you look at this and same as you, I'm not out out out, I'm not in in in, but you have to wonder.

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That's bad but if there was a bad luck table (injuries, illness, losing key players) I'm not saying we'd be at the top but I'm saying we'd be challenging for Champions League.

That's not to say Dean can pick up this dejected group of players and start making them feel lucky again but it's worth putting in context what we've gone through since Christmas.

I'm still not going to bang the drum for him to go before Christmas (that's a hard run of games for a new manager) but I'm at the point of him sorting it out being more hope than expectation and if a perfect fit replacement head coach can be found, I'd sadly accept it.
 
Wasn't that long ago we were all up for games against the so called top 6, now we are wondering if we can scramble a point against the likes of Watford, Brighton etc. Something has changed here, players look pissed off with what Smith is trying to do and until we get that understanding right, we will be no better.
 
How El Ghazi wasn’t sent off before half time last night beggars belief! Two bookable offences and then after getting away with those decides to dive in the box. What does Dean do, nothing. Passes a note round. Absurd.
The bringing on of Archer and Davis was also absurd.
All the happy training ground photos and the pre match “we’re determined” produced one of the worst performances we’ve seen, certainly relegation candidates standard.
The players made more effort in the second half but why 45 minutes too late?
We were prolific passers to the opposition in both halves and alway are.

It looks as if Dean’s level is the championship I’m sad to say.
 
eltoro said:
Well the last 35 games tell me things aren’t about to change overnight, so wouldn’t thoughts of the lower league not creep in, all signs at this time point to where we’re heading.
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Thing is mate he appears to be relishing our predicament, all you others in the out camp appear to have the good of Villa at it's core.
The point I was trying to make is that he probably has come to the end of his tenure giving a new manager 27 games to turn it around.
 
Divine_islet said:
The leniency enjoyed as a result of being a Villa fan. 5 losses in a row and any other manager in charge would have been fired.
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It isn’t just the 5 loses though is it mate, it’s 7 in 11, the first 11 games of a season, this isn’t a mid year slump after a good start! it’s more defeats in 2021 than other prem team Inc Newcastle! It’s 2 goals a game agaisnt on average without the know how to reply.
 
I remember someone saying we aren't going down a couple weeks ago, and I thought bloody hell that's tempting fate.
We look like a relegation side at the moment , I wish it was down to injuries but with the exception of Luiz who plays every game we really aren't missing any regulars
 
astonion2 said:
"By mutual consent" has a ring to it.
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I think that’s the win-win for Smith. He has a very good championship CV, and no premier league relegations to his name miraculously. I also believe he hasn’t been sacked as a manager so that record is in tact.

He’ll get a decent job either towards the top of the championship or a lower league premier league side. He’ll probably do very well in a lower pressure environment to be fair, and good luck to him.
 
eltoro said:
It isn’t just the 5 loses though is it mate, it’s 7 in 11, the first 11 games of a season, this isn’t a mid year slump after a good start! it’s more defeats in 2021 than other prem team Inc Newcastle! It’s 2 goals a game agaisnt on average without the know how to reply.
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Yes this is how were were first season back and we eventually knuckled down and ground out some 1-0 wins by playing a solid back 4 and defending for our lives, something that Smith just won't do now
 
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