Okay, results haven’t gone our way for a while.
Indeed, I’ve said a few times that we look really poor against even bottom of the table sides.
The Ipswich performance was a low for me and the last game against Sheffield Utd was equally as bad, as much as we managed to get a point with a comeback that really shouldn’t be legal.
We are utter rubbish as a side, there’s no denying it, even if you’re the really positive type.
Yet I still retain 100% confidence in Dean Smith.
Why, I hear you ask?
It’s because while he hasn’t really had the chance yet, he’s going to totally change what we are currently seeing; which is a bunch of players who just aren’t quick enough and are far too used to plodding around the pitch and waiting for the ball to come to them.
He will sign players who look for the ball and actually engage and challenge.
See how Brentford play against our plodders and any manager or fan will see it too.
They’re (with all due respect) a two bit club, yet they’ll seriously challenge us, you watch.
And possibly beat us.
Smith will not tolerate this and will change it up, as soon as he can, which is in the proper summer window.
I’m stating what we all hope is the obvious.
But equally, I expect things to get worse.
Where I might be inclined to state the case against Dean Smith.
As it stands, that might not be that far off.
And that’s the dilemma.
Do we give Smith masses of time to rebuild, or do we get on the manager merry-go-round again?
My heart says no, we stick with him.
But I look at the rubbish that we’re actually showing on the pitch.
And it’s horrendous.
Surely Smith should be able to get some sort of tune out of these players?
If Smith doesn’t turn it around soon, I suspect I’ll be posting the case for wanting him out.
Which, while it probably won’t sit right with me, comes down to logic.
It’s all about results and the fact is we aren’t getting them.
I’ve said plenty of times that we need to remain patient and give Smith time.
But I seriously don’t think he’s going to get it, as we’ll want him gone, for only another poor mug to come in.
As much as it might go against the grain for a while, the owners need to hold their nerve and stick with Dean Smith.
We’ve tried big names; the promotion sorts and it hasn’t worked.
So what’s left?
Comments
100 responses to “Wanting Smith out is utter madness. The case FOR keeping him.”
Another really slow start where our players look like they are sleep walking. Should be behind and thankfully we haven’t been punished. Can anyone seriously tell me that we have a good team? I’m watching a Brentford team who are moving, tackling and passing better than us. I don’t buy into this bullshit that we have good players. We simply haven’t!
Hourihane was one of 3 players who had the fewest touches and he is CM!!
El Ghazi is a liability. He needs substituting
Just about to say the same thing.
Smith must have been looking at our posts, El Ghazi off and Elmo on
El Ghazi and Adomah both poor and deserved substituting.
They are better at dribbling than we are, you got your wish Pat substitutions coming .
Hourihane should have scored.
We can’t hold onto the ball for more than 5 seconds. Calling it scrappy football is being generous and then Hourihane misses a fantastic chance!
Nobody but nobody will convince me we are a footballing team, 20 attempts to 6 Villa. Brentford are far better than us by a mile.
I reckon that their manager who was the understudy was the driving force at Brentford when Smith was there.
Well – just crap really
Can’t say they don’t deserve it.
The only thing we seem to be specialising in is last minute goals. Two bad defensive errors by McGinn and Mings (I think). Brentford the better team (just) but we have no-one who can hold the ball in mid-field and create some possession.
Disappointing (again).
Up until the goal I thought our defenders were okay. Trouble is with a non existent midfield and wingers the pressure finally told. Abraham must wonder why he stayed in January.
Park the bus lads, we are not good enough to go up , far from it. Get rid of all our players and get foreigners in the team because they had 8 and made us look like idiots. I’d like to ask who coaching our players only they are streets away from being a team.
And Smith bought 10 of the players in their team tonight. Barbet was the only one at the club when he arrived.
Not sure what else he can do – it’s not as if we have a raft of better players waiting in the wings.
Can we finally stop talking about play offs. Calling us a mid table team is being generous at the moment. I think it’s going to be a painful finish to the end of the season based on last couple of months. This summer we will be left with two top players in McGinn and Grealish, if we manage to hold onto them. No Abraham or Tuanzebe so Smith will have to perform miracles in getting players in who can make us a team capable of promotion.
We have become a mediocre championship team. Going nowhere fast. Just don’t think i can be bothered anymore. Dean Smith, dare i say it is another false prophet. Started well for him but was to be expected.
Grealish, Chester and Tammy will be gone in the summer and we have to start all over again. We will NEVER get back to the top tier. Football has moved on and clubs like villa are being left behind. 2 wins since Borough game at start of December. Fuck I hate that bastard Lerner for what he has done. We are the laughing stock of the league. We are feared by none. The name Aston Villa carries no fear anymore in the opposition. Watching tonight you would have though Bruce was still in the dugout.
Totally agree. Lerner screwed us and now we are turning into an ordinary championship team. Smith needs more time to mould a team and get his players but I’m not getting my hopes up anymore!
They were better in every department. Stats show that Brentford dominated throughout. I honestly don’t think we have enough within our squad to make improvements. Even with Grealish coming back we have fell so far back at every level I can’t see us turning it round.
The honest truth is that too many of our players out there are not good enough against the better sides in this division.
Only Kalinic, Mings, McGinn and Abraham are good enough from the starting XI tonight…and two of them are on loan! Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, we need a major overhaul.
Smith deserves the summer transfer season and pre-season as a minimum. I think he has an eye for a player judging by the team built on a shoestring at Brentford but also Mings reinforces that assertion. Today’s performance had a touch of the type of style they had at Chelsea – just wondering if Terry’s influence is growing. Smith need to be his own man and build the team with his philosophy. After the fight back at Sheffield I was hoping the team would have some bounce but the team seemed subdued.
Smith has probably already ordered the fleet of taxis for outgoings in the summer 🙂
Hourihane has been awful for a long time now, yet he is regularly picked. I defended him last year based on goals and assists but now he doesn’t even offer that. Whelan has been okay but tonight Brentford’s midfield had far too much movement for us. When I look at the squad I don’t know what Smith can do to make improvements.
A great post on Twitter saying that the team built by Smith dominated the team built by Bruce. In other words, give Smith time! He had less money at Brentford to what he’ll have at VP, so there’s no reason why he can’t build another effective team. Give him time.
Holte, it feels like when Big Ron completely overhauled Dr Jo’s squad. McGrath, Platt, Spink, and Daley were the only ones worth keeping. He used the money for Platt to rebuild. The problem Smith has is that he hasn’t started fresh in the summer, before the new season begins. It’s going to a huge summer and I would expect things to be in motion already about ins and outs…
Don’t expect big names in the summer; expect good players…
I’m hoping in a way that we don’t sign ‘big name’ championship players for £10 million plus. Di Matteo and Bruce have tried and failed already. Although I would pay a lot of lolly for Lolley. LOL
I think Purslow et al knew that Smith is a man who can build a good team on a budget. Don’t for a second think it was all about the ‘he’s one of our own B.S.’ The fact that Smith is a Villa fan is totally irrelevant. Was Fergie a United fan? Is Pep a City fan? The question is, can Smith manage Aston Villa and get them back into the PL on a budget? The powers at VP thought ‘yes so now we wait and see. Clearly, if won’t be this season.