The Official Dean Smith Thread | Page 418 | Vital Football

The Official Dean Smith Thread

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It's that fine line between stupid and brave..... but the one thing you can never level at Dean Smith is negative approach to keeping a lead.....

Much to our annoyance at points, but today it paid off and nicely so.

Best bit about the youngsters was the lack of fear for me. That helped us get a grip back and whatever errors they did commit, they kept going and didn't hide.

That's one thing, for all the unfair criticism levelled at Ramsey, that I think has started effecting him lately. He's begun looking better when we're on top and disappearing when under the cosh - he knows more is expected from him now so he's not playing with as much freedom until he can get on the front foot and take someone on.

These two will probably hit the same point when they get into double figures, but it's a step they all have to get past.
 
Great for Dean and the club to finish with a bit of feel good factor and bringing on the kids is saying the future looks very bright indeed. That sort of attacking performance is what Dean’s striving for and it’s what I like to watch. Delighted today and will be now regardless of the result of the tough last fixture. If Dean’s philosophy can be matched by the quality of incoming players as has been the case this year then questions about his substitutions etc should become irrelevant.
 
A brief summary of Dean & Co for season 20/21.

A brilliant start to the campaign that had everyone favorably talking about us and finally brought back that feeling of pride in the club that had sadly disappeared in what seemed like a long time ago.

Average to poor at times second period but overall would have taken 52 points (possibly 55 after Chelsea?) and 11th place particularly after the nail-bitter of the previous season.

Lots of room for improvement from the manager and coaches particularly on how to stop a poor run of form but everyone will have learned a tremendous amount of experience from this season and the manager will have had the time to have a good look at the squad and analyse where we are weak with a view to strengthening the squad with hopefully quality replacements?

Nearly time now to fold away the Villa scarf :utv: and place it in the draw for the summer-ready for next season of the usual highs and lows on the roller-coaster ride that is Aston Villa FC.

Overall view on the season: Well done Dean Smith and good luck in season 21/22.

UTV.
 
Wasn't overly happy with his appointment and I've never been his biggest fan, and probably never will be, but fair play to Smith what he's done this season is nothing short of magnificent and well above what any of us could have hoped for.

50% improvement on our points tally from last season with a game to go, and done largely without our best player.

Got it spot on in the transfer market too.

I don't have any complaints whatsoever about the last 10 months.

:clap:
 
11th place is a massive improvement. At the start of the season I said I'd be happy with this sort of finish and Smith has delivered. It's a shame we have gone backwards somewhat this year but I think we underestimate the impact COVID had on the team. We also rubbed up against some of Smith's limitations but he has been a brilliant manager for us overall.
 
In a similar way to us being promoted two years ago, I think qualifying for Europe this season would have been a year too early in terms of building the squad. A European campaign tests the depths of even the best squads, and we haven't yet got a deep enough squad to sustain a top-half season. If/when we strengthen again this summer then European qualification can be a legitimate aim, with another year to grow the strength of the squad....
 
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