The Official Dean Smith Thread | Page 244 | Vital Football

The Official Dean Smith Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
Yep. These players aren't Smith signings. Sack Suso, give Smith another year in charge with players that he wants and then judge him.
Spot on. Hire a new sporting director that knows the Premier League back to front and would also respect the opinions of Smith and work closely with him in building a top quality Villa side that can compete with the top six.
 
At least at the start of the season the team was probably playing with the style we expected. What worries me of late is that there isn't a style. DS seems willing to almost try anything; consistency has gone out of the window, and performances don't hang together like they should. Given Wes's views on developing a team approach, that alone means, I think, that he won't be staying. He doesn't fit with what the owners are looking for, or with what they thought they were getting when they appointed him.

To be fair we've had the odd good period; January comes to mind when we played a lot of matches, W3 D2 L2 including the cup matches. Also, I think most players have improved; the experience of playing in the PL has been positive. However, we need more.
I think injuries were the cause of the change from the 4-3-3. I think October/November time was our peak in terms of performances, the 5-1 Norwich game was my personal highlight of the premier league season so far.
 
Yep. These players aren't Smith signings. Sack Suso, give Smith another year in charge with players that he wants and then judge him.

(a) Smith had the last word on all these signings, which is as much as most coaches get these days. Some were definitely his choice.
(b) these players were OK signings for the money, it's up to the coach to make use of them.
(c) "the players he wants" mean that this investment is chucked out of the window, which the owners won't do and neither should they. Getting a coach who can do something with them is much more constructive.
 
Who'd you like to see in charge then?

I think we are in a weaker position to recruit a top manager given we are in a relegation battle. So it’s a difficult
I always saw smith as a championship standard manager, so I would have been looking for someone like Poch or similar calibre as soon as we won the playoff last May. By Christmas it was obvious smith was out of his depth. Rafa was also available, given we had half the season remaining I think we had a shout.

Back to the question, what would I do now if I was suddenly appointed owner of avfc?

Id get a team of experts to search for possible managers who’d be willing to take over (Criteria would just be proven track record in the top flight of football be it Portugal, Spain, Italy or Germany). Newcastle got Rafa while in similar position to us, so it’s not impossible to get a manager with a proven track record. In the the unlikely scenario there’s no one available then I’d stick with smith. Not going to change for the sake of changing. Any new manager would have to be a forwards step.
 
Last edited:
Yep. These players aren't Smith signings. Sack Suso, give Smith another year in charge with players that he wants and then judge him.
Surely players such as Jota and Konsa were his signings. It was widely reported Smith watched Trezeguet at AFCON so not sure how you can genuinely say he had nothing to do with the transfers. Even then it’s his job to get the best out of them regardless, although I agree transfer strategy was wrong.
 
Whilst I still believe that Dean should have been replaced early March (if not before) if he was going he would have been moved out by now so he's here whether we think that's right or wrong and like any other Villa manager, I shall give him my 110% support until it ends one way or the other.

However, if he and the team carry on this current form then that's only going to end with one conclusion.

If nothing else it's provoked some excellent debate with at times, some humor and all without getting overly personal!

 
Last edited:
(a) Smith had the last word on all these signings, which is as much as most coaches get these days. Some were definitely his choice.
(b) these players were OK signings for the money, it's up to the coach to make use of them.
(c) "the players he wants" mean that this investment is chucked out of the window, which the owners won't do and neither should they. Getting a coach who can do something with them is much more constructive.
(A) Sorry but that's incorrect. Jesus Pitarch is paid a considerable amount of money to act as sporting director. He builds the team, Smith coaches it. As much as Smith makes it sound like he has a major say in signings, Villa's owners aren't paying Jesus millions of pounds to act in some kind of advisory role to Dean when it comes to transfer decisions.

(B and C) We signed young players with potential probably for the exact reason that the investment could be recouped probably in the case of relegation or the players just not working out. We can sell them all on and start again in the summer if we want to.

A new sporting director who knows the British game is a must. As impressive as Jesus' CV is at building winning sides in La Liga in the past 20 years, he has zero premier league experience and has flopped majorly this season.

For everyone moaning about management, what you have to ask yourself is this.

Is it the style of football we have been playing for the past 18 months you don't like, or is it the poor standard of players who have epically failed to replicate that style in the premier league this season? If it's the former, Smith is the man you want gone. If it's the latter, Pitarch and the players are to blame. Simple as that.
 
4 from 4 bar being astonishingly lucky.
Against a couple of the lowest scoring teams in division as well - think the 'improved defence' will prove a bit fanciful shortly (altho I suppose being the worst already it could only go one way ?)

ah yes, I had honestly forgotten the goal that never was! One good thing about a brain condition, you can forget things. Well, until you get reminded on forums anyway! LOL
 
Defensively there is improvement, that is clear. We need to drop Nyland though.

He’s had more than one clanger per game, luckily it’s only cost us 1 goal.

Worrying thing is there are no fans in stands, so even without that pressure he’s useless.
 
Last edited:
We've conceded in 3 of our 4 matches since the return.

We’ll never know, but if there weren’t drinks breaks half way through a half, where teams like us can get our defensive composure (equally lose any of the small momentum we ever get), whether our defensive record would be worse since the restart without the breaks.
 
(a) Smith had the last word on all these signings, which is as much as most coaches get these days. Some were definitely his choice.
(b) these players were OK signings for the money, it's up to the coach to make use of them.
(c) "the players he wants" mean that this investment is chucked out of the window, which the owners won't do and neither should they. Getting a coach who can do something with them is much more constructive.
Silk purse,sows ear comes to mind. Shocking recruitment.
 
I watched his after match interview after the wolves game and he said . We are hard to beat.........err we have lost 19 of the 32 games we have played and the last 8 we have drawn 2 and lost 6. How is he still in a job?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.