The Official Dean Smith Thread

[garygaryshaw]

Lui

Totally disagree with that I've seen more in Keinan Davis and bearing in mind he hasn't played a full game in the PL than I've seen in Wesley who started 22? games on the bounce. Unchallenged due to being the only fit striker.
Davis is the player some think Wesley is ie a hold-up player who brings players into the game. Wesley spend more games on his arse moaning to the ref than doing anything.

I know in the minority here but I was in the minority who thought Luiz and Marv were good players as well.

Luiz has finally put his big doobie out and started releasing the ball quicker. We could see he had talent, but he was playing like it was a kick around with his mates down the park. Something has obviously clicked in his mind during lockdown.

 

["Merd"]

True enough Ironside but we haven't played the cream of the crop in our (hopefully) soon to be legendary escape.

So Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea aren't some of that supposed cream?

 

[ironside]

So Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea aren't some of that supposed cream?

Beat me to it Merd. Admittedly our results against those haven’t been stellar. A 25% win rate isn’t great. However, the article gives a balancing view to the notion that Smith has been totally clueless since resumption. The opinion in the article that Smith has had by far the greatest influence on defensive tightening is an interesting notion.
This doesn’t mean that I think Smith has done a great job but it does balance my view a bit.

 

[The Fear]

Certainly won't take anything away from the Arsenal win, that was so unexpected (for me, and history - 22 seasons worth) and so very delightful!

 

[crimsondonkey]

Good article (from the Fail ) with some interesting insights into Smiths approach during the lockdown and restart. Like the stuff about keeping the team together, working hard on collective spirit etc, really positive stuff.

Again the question for the owners is whether they think Dean can build on this recent backs against the wall improvement, judge it that he’s learned and better prepared to lead Villa into the next season wherever that is; or whether they’ll look at the season as a whole, and/ or have other options and perhaps ambitions that they’d prefer to follow.

 

[Xchurch Villa]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...-Dean-Smith-led-Aston-Villa-brink-safety.html

For info

 

[gmvillan]

So it was wrong, balance is everything in a team.

And I give you Leicester's title winning team as the perfect example of balance. Vardy and Kante aside, it was a team that contained what most would call average players, yet the balance of that team was absolutely spot on. I have a Leicester supporting friend (sorry!) and I repeatedly told him at the time that the balance of that team was the reason for the success. For those of us of an older persuasion, our 80-82 team was the same. From the Evans/McNaught partnership, to the Withe/Shaw combination, the balance on each wing (Bremner the workhorse, Swain the attacking threat on the right; with Williams the workhorse and Morley the attacking threat on the left), and the combination of Sid and Sir Dennis in the middle of the park.....

 

[gmvillan]

Lui


Luiz has finally put his big doobie out and started releasing the ball quicker. We could see he had talent, but he was playing like it was a kick around with his mates down the park. Something has obviously clicked in his mind during lockdown.

You're spot on, I think more than anything it was a case of Luiz getting to grips with the pace of the English game. To be fair to him, he'd only ever played competitive football at a level that was far less frenetic than the Premier League.

 

[The Fear]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...-Dean-Smith-led-Aston-Villa-brink-safety.html

For info

Thanks for the link, interesting to see what they got up to. And the sticking together and making this a tournament mentality. Still doesn't really alter how I think they have played and the tempo, but good to read.

The one bit sticks, 'an agreed way to play'. Managers manage. Consult, fine, but 'well, you agreed to this' thing. That isn't team management, that is surrendering the control. It is actually what I'd been told, so nice to have it confirmed, not that I really needed that, the source is impeccable!

WDW in the last three is certainly better than a good few teams though, so something has worked and thank goodness for that.

 

[crimsondonkey]

That isn't team management, that is surrendering the control.

I didn’t read it quite like that myself. It read to me like trying to make sure players understood that they were committing to something they had been a part of agreeing, and they now shouldered some accountability, as against just saying it wasn’t their idea so you can’t blame them etc if it doesn’t work.

What’s really interesting is that he felt the need to have to do that this far into the season. My sense has been for a while now that some/ most of the players had switched off and stopped listening to Dean - maybe he recognised that and said okay I’ll listen to you but once we’ve agreed to make changes you’ve got to commit and be counted for what happens next.

 

[The Fear]

Yes, maybe noticed it more as it backed up what I'd already been told, consulting with the players how they'd like to play. I get it that is how some manage, usually the weaker type of managers in my very humble, I know one or two here will see it very differently and paint me as harsh.

 

[crimsondonkey]

I don’t particularly have a preference or tbh care if they dictate or consult. The method is far less important than the outcome to me.

 

[Melon Donkey]

Totally disagree with that I've seen more in Keinan Davis and bearing in mind he hasn't played a full game in the PL than I've seen in Wesley who started 22? games on the bounce. Unchallenged due to being the only fit striker.
Davis is the player some think Wesley is ie a hold-up player who brings players into the game. Wesley spend more games on his arse moaning to the ref than doing anything.

I know in the minority here but I was in the minority who thought Luiz and Marv were good players as well.

I think you have answered the question when you say Davies hasn’t played a full game in the premier league.

He is either injured, not good enough to start and not good enough to stay on when he does start. This is why he hasn’t played a full game.

And I called that Luiz was a player after his very first game back in August

 

[mike_field]

So it was wrong, balance is everything in a team.

I take the point, but I was talking about the players targeted specifically - hence the per se.

As you and others have said about a more experienced striker back in August, even myself talking about a short term Crouchy or Glenn Murray, it would've given Wesley time to settle, adjust and we'd have seen some benefit from that on it's own for me.

 

[ironside]

I can’t see someone like Clough or Ferguson going down the player consultation route but is a method that has been employed successfully before. During the 1990 World Cup I remember England playing turgidly at the beginning of the tournament and then Bobby Robson changed to a sweeper system and performances improved.

For the next match against Holland, Robson switched to a sweeper system and England, with Paul Gascoigne prominent, were transformed.

Lineker says: "Bobby was [thinking] about changing because of the way the Dutch played. He went to the experienced players – Bryan Robson, myself, Terry Butcher, Peter Shilton – and we all thought it would suit the type of players we had, particularly with Mark Wright, who was a natural player to come out with the ball." When Wright's header decided a tense final group game against Egypt, England were through as group-winners. Paul Parker, who excelled in a right wing-back role, said: "The whole atmosphere changed from how it was after 90 minutes against Ireland, where it was doom and gloom and papers demanding we come back."

This quote is from The Independent.

 

[Xchurch Villa]

Thanks for the link, interesting to see what they got up to. And the sticking together and making this a tournament mentality. Still doesn't really alter how I think they have played and the tempo, but good to read.

The one bit sticks, 'an agreed way to play'. Managers manage. Consult, fine, but 'well, you agreed to this' thing. That isn't team management, that is surrendering the control. It is actually what I'd been told, so nice to have it confirmed, not that I really needed that, the source is impeccable!

WDW in the last three is certainly better than a good few teams though, so something has worked and thank goodness for that.

View attachment 41046

Modern management techniques JF. Agree the targets with your team then hold them accountable

 

[garygaryshaw]

Yes, maybe noticed it more as it backed up what I'd already been told, consulting with the players how they'd like to play. I get it that is how some manage, usually the weaker type of managers in my very humble, I know one or two here will see it very differently and paint me as harsh.

Yes, by the sounds of things he doesnt really lay into the players enough after a poor performance, too much of the nice guy stuff. Which is bit surprising from a ginger haired centre back

 

[The Fear]

Modern management techniques JF. Agree the targets with your team then hold them accountable

You ok lads? You up for it today, or want a bit of a rest? How do you want to play Jack, you got your hair sorted ok, or need a bit of extra time? Who fancies playing goalie today btw? I will put you up front today, but don't feel obliged to shoot, totally your shout.



Just start the bloody match v West Ham, I'm going doolally here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Fear]

And my last post in this thread until after our game tomorrow:

I do SO hope, for Smiths sake, all goes well tomorrow and we stay up (it goes without saying I want to stay up anyway but...) as I would hate a nice guy and a Villa fan to be taking us down and he has had to put up with the horrible situation of the passing of his dad, after a long drawn out bout of dementia (fucking awful affliction that it is)

COME ON YOU VILLA BOYS

 

[Xchurch Villa]

You ok lads? You up for it today, or want a bit of a rest? How do you want to play Jack, you got your hair sorted ok, or need a bit of extra time? Who fancies playing goalie today btw? I will put you up front today, but don't feel obliged to shoot, totally your shout.



Just start the bloody match v West Ham, I'm going doolally here!!!!!!!!!!!!!