eltoro
Man on the edge. Of what I don’t know!
Granted most of it could’ve been anger, but there wasn’t much support for him after the game.
The Official Dean Smith Thread
- Thread starter Melon Donkey
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sirdennis
Alert Team
The crowd didn't turn though , heard far worse than the grumblings on Sunday . I always find the away fans are a barometer of where things are at , once they turn then generally there is no going back.
Thomas Holte
Vital Football Legend
As regards any replacement manager should the board decide to make a change then personally, I wouldn't believe anything the press say.
They keep their cards so close to their chest at the club even the local press haven't got a clue and hear nothing until something happens.
Still, it's always funny to see the gossip from all the usual rags and the hacks pretending to be in the know
They keep their cards so close to their chest at the club even the local press haven't got a clue and hear nothing until something happens.
Still, it's always funny to see the gossip from all the usual rags and the hacks pretending to be in the know
JW1985
Vital Champions League
Can't say I believe this one bit. Its possible that the owners might be sounding out potential replacements but this bloke has been linked to us before after Bruce got the bin.
Just like transfer links that crop up again and again I don't believe this. This guy will be linked again when whoever replaces Smith is having a bad patch.
Divine_islet
Vital 1st Team Regular
Yes in the championship (thanks to Jack) Where he will end up taking us at this rate.
eltoro
Man on the edge. Of what I don’t know!
Morning all.
So yesterday I asked a question and never got an answer, apart from a barrage of ‘If he goes who replaces him’ requests
So I’ll try again, the slide that we’ve been witnessing, which as been ongoing since January seems to be unabated if I’m honest.
It’s all ready been mentioned that we’ve only amassed 39pts from 34 games, but it’s this season that’s the most telling for me, 10pts from 30, 6 defeats from 10, and in those 10 games only Chelsea are of the quality that you’d think we’d struggle against, shipping 2 goals a game on average, and 50% of those games have been defeats where the opposition have scored 3 or more.
We’re now on the back of 4 straight defeats, and languishing in the bottom quarter with an away trip to Southampton who have lost only 2 this season.
I understand that DS is a Villa fan and he’s also a nice guy, I also understand the sentiment that some want him to get us out of this.
So my question….. How much time is appropriate considering all of the above, and please take into consideration that even the worse managers can get the odd victory, so if we get 3pts on Friday does that level the playing field out again, or do we really expect better from a manager in his 4th season with a £300m spend under his belt who still seems unable to find his favoured formation.
So yesterday I asked a question and never got an answer, apart from a barrage of ‘If he goes who replaces him’ requests
So I’ll try again, the slide that we’ve been witnessing, which as been ongoing since January seems to be unabated if I’m honest.
It’s all ready been mentioned that we’ve only amassed 39pts from 34 games, but it’s this season that’s the most telling for me, 10pts from 30, 6 defeats from 10, and in those 10 games only Chelsea are of the quality that you’d think we’d struggle against, shipping 2 goals a game on average, and 50% of those games have been defeats where the opposition have scored 3 or more.
We’re now on the back of 4 straight defeats, and languishing in the bottom quarter with an away trip to Southampton who have lost only 2 this season.
I understand that DS is a Villa fan and he’s also a nice guy, I also understand the sentiment that some want him to get us out of this.
So my question….. How much time is appropriate considering all of the above, and please take into consideration that even the worse managers can get the odd victory, so if we get 3pts on Friday does that level the playing field out again, or do we really expect better from a manager in his 4th season with a £300m spend under his belt who still seems unable to find his favoured formation.
crimsondonkey
Vital 1st Team Regular
Me, waiting for the first "Yebbut who do you think should replace him tho' first" post 
ironside
Vital Football Hero
I’d agree with much of what you say eltoro and the stats you provide are compelling and persuasive. Perhaps Smith is failing to get the best out of an excellent squad but I would also question the make up of that squad. We’ve stockpiled wingers but ignored a weakness in midfield in my opinion. The ease with which opposition teams cruise through our midfield and down our flanks suggests a shortcoming in the centre of our team. Full backs or wingbacks isolated against attacking players betrays either a lack of organisation, a lack of tactical awareness or a shortfall in quality in midfield. The midfield is the engine room, to employ a cliche, and ours is firing on only one cylinder and that is when McGinn is on song.
Just my view and many will disagree.
Just my view and many will disagree.
Gordonsleftboot
Vital Reserves Team
That's the bit that makes me worry. Arguably our best player is McGinn who was here before Smith. We are waiting for the kids? None of them signed by DS. So what is the result of the £300m?
However if the pressure is on DS, then why does Lange get a 'get out of jail free' card? The squad is unbalanced with more wingers, who don't get picked, than central midfielders where our main weakness is. And we don't have a pattern of play, are so slow its embarrassing and lack creativity all over the pitch.
To answer your question, I think a disaster on Friday and he is gone, due to the availability of a 2 week pause. Any other result and he stays until we stop averaging a goal or more a game over a 3 game period. Even our stato's can monitor that one, but I also wonder what more they add?
Platypus
Vital Football Hero
How long is a piece of string, but a decent run of games with a mostly fit squad to pick from to show that performances are improving.
I think a good performance and an unlucky draw on Friday is a better result than a stuffy win, although a win would get some people off his back.
The Fear
A Wise Man (once sat next to him)
Nicely argued, have front paged: https://astonvilla.vitalfootball.co...-isnt-if-it-is-when-for-this-aston-villa-fan/
eltoro
Man on the edge. Of what I don’t know!
The thing is, I don’t believe for 1 minute that DS has no input regarding who comes in, I’m sure others are involved but so is Dean, And if we’re honest the signings of Watkins, Konsa, And Cash all point to a manger who plied their trade in the lower leagues, I’m not knocking those signings by any means, I just find it a bit far fetched that some on here believe he as zero input.
Platypus
Vital Football Hero
I know I keep being mocked for saying it but the one thing that explains everything is a lack of fitness in enough key players up front and midfield. Low energy equals less pressure on the ball equals easy long plays through our midfield. The way we've been trying to play since Dean came in relies massively on intensity, pressure and energy pushing opposition players back towards their own goal and no time or space to pick long passes or long dribbles up the pitch. If you're forced to play half-fit players or players recovering from illness in every single team then things start to come apart pretty easily. No back four survives no pressure on the ball ahead of them for long.
crimsondonkey
Vital 1st Team Regular
This argument of innocence with regard to transfers has been going on since day one mate. Every time Dean is under pressure then the same tropes about the players not being good enough, and being nothing to do with Dean get trotted out.
When we win then they're labelled tremendous talents and well done to Dean for bringing them in to the club and improving them, and when we lose they are cack, not good enough and shame on Suso/ Lange etc for their recruitment and not giving Dean the tools to do his job. Same tune for 3 fucking years...
Divine_islet
Vital 1st Team Regular
Comes as no surprise to me as his only plan of pass it to Jack came to a sudden end.
eltoro
Man on the edge. Of what I don’t know!
It’s sad that Dean is failing it really is, but saying it’s not is fault is a strange one, at the end of the day, I myself can only deal in the present, unlike some who are dealing in hope more than anything.
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Divine_islet
Vital 1st Team Regular
My view is that Villa should be given a break this season to organize a few practice matches which we did not get enough of in preseason so that we cannot use that to justify keeping him in the job longer. #clutching at straws
Claret & Blue Blood
Vital 1st Team Regular
I agree - if, God forbid, we went down the rebuild would be of biblical proportions as all of our decent players would be off and we would be left with a bunch of kids - assuming that we can keep them as well.
Sort the shit out for Friday and get us back on track.
Divine_islet
Vital 1st Team Regular
Me, waiting for the first "Yebbut who do you think should replace him tho' first" post
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Can I have some of that popcorn please especially if it is caramel flavoured?
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