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?
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.
Smith on last night’s performance – “They’re very good on their own patch, but we stayed organised and made it difficult for them to get big chances. The frustrating part for me is that the best chances fell to us and we didn’t take them.”
He’s right in that we did have some great chances, especially the one where Hourihane was one-on-one with goalie, and we could easily have won it yet, if we’re being honest, the points went to the best team.
I’m hoping that next season we’ll be just that – the best team. Time will hopefully tell.
It’s been clearly said, the only players to hang onto are Mcginn, Minns, and the goalkeeper, dump the rest, we’re going backwards with the rest, I can understand why they don’t put 100% , fear of their jobs. Would you give your gaffer heart knowing you are about to move, I wouldn’t. Grealish ?sell him and use the money to build, you cannot expect him to stay fit after 4-5 games anyway, I’m disappointed in the way we played last night we was supposedly had the more experience side, we looked like amateur parks team.
Brentford played the better football – they had one ‘big chance’ and scored – we had two and didn’t. Simples 🙂
I Seen the game so I know we had chances, we also should have had a pen i.m.o, ref wasn’t the best by any means, but that don’t hide the fact we’re going backward not forwards, Hourlihane keeps getting the shirt to play and he won’t be here next season, Adomah rubbish player, showed up last night, Minns was first class in defence 25 attempts to 7 what does that tell you, a disgusting show and we all know it.
Bill – if we’re honest it’s a Brucie side comprising all DM’s, a tall centre forward and wingers – who don’t have the ability of a Snodgrass – many of the players are past their sell by date. Strangely he left us with an undermanned and lop sided defence. Our only creative mid field player is JG and it shows.
Now we expect Smith to get them playing ‘Smith style’ football which, tbf, he did when Tuanzebe and Grealish were fit and playing.
I’m not such a critic of Hourihane and expect him to be here next season and part of a younger more fluid team which will suit him.
All the old stagers will be gone – whether out of contract or not – guaranteed
Well look at like this Hitch, that’s Smith’s side last night and they beat us, I know he inherited Bruce’s crap but you have to admit no excuse for that showing is there.im disgusted. And Im not going to believe he can get us anywhere near a footballing side yet full stop.
Bill, that’s my point. 10 of Brentford’s players were acquired by Smith during his tenure – only Barbet was at the club when he arrived. So Smith’s side beat Bruce’s side albeit managed by Smith. The old adage – you can’t make a silk purse from a pig’s ear – comes to mind!
Commentator also made an interesting point – he said Smith initially had a difficult time at Brentford and wasn’t fully accepted by the Brentford supporters at first – ring any bells 🙂
I think it’s also telling that Purslow has publicly said ‘there is no pressure to achieve promotion this season’. That gets me to wonder whether Smith was honest with the owners – after all he’d seen Villa play and knew what he was getting.
Of course it’s very disappointing that performances have been going downhill since the Albion game – let’s hope Jack’s back soon and we see an upsurge in results.
UTV
Fair enough Hitch , just have to wait and see.
Testamonial for Hutton anyone???
I think he might deserve one. Whatever you think of his technical skills as a defender he’s always tried to give 100%. I wish I could say that about most of our team.
Not forgetting that great solo goal he scored against the noses. That was pure magic!
Agreed about the goal. Hourihane’s goal against Blose was also magic, yet he gets so much stick, it’s ridiculous. A left foot like that definitely has a place in a Championship Villa squad.
Has Hutton been at the club for 10 years? Do players have to serve for 10 years these days? He has won me over since relegation with his attitude and commitment, taking a pay cut to stay on showed loyalty. As for Smith and the future, we will have to wait and see. Apart from the goalkeeper and McGinn I’m not certain who will be there next season. Grealish I hope but if a premier league club comes knocking, he will be gone. I would like Abraham to stay but again that looks unlikely. Who else could fit into Smiths type of team? Hourihane showed last night that he isn’t capable. Green still could come good with O’Hare and Doyle Hayes possibly. Mings would be a good signing if he was prepared to drop down to Championship long term. Do we try to keep Elphick or Hutton? Whelan and Jedinak are Bruce style players. Will Brentford allow us to rip apart their team? I don’t expect anything these days other than disappointment, so with luck Smith will get it right this summer. If he doesn’t then we will be looking for a new manager around November!
Please remove if not appropriate Badger, its a post from another site but thought it was very good.
Dean Smith:
15/16 – Walked into Brentford mid season, treaded water and then signed 18 players that summer to begin the revolution of Brentford’s style of play and sold a bunch of players at profit. Lasse Vibe, Bjelland, Maxime Colin, Ryan Woods, Barbet and Canos all came in that summer. Jota came back from loan and was put into the team. All proved to be successful in the Championship. He improved Tarkowski, Odubajo, Jack O’Connell and Stuart Dallas and sold them all for a profit that season.
16/17 – He then followed that up the following season by signing Canos permanently, Rico Henry, Jozefzoon, John Egan, Sawyers and Bentley in goal. Again all proving to be astute purchases and all with a greater market value than what he payed at the time.
Sold Hogan to us, Button and Bidwell, again all at profit (in Hogan’s case he robbed us).
17/18 – Then the following summer, in comes Neal Maupay, Ollie Watkins, Dalsgaard and he promotes Chris Mepham. All have proved to be top signings. He also sold Jota, Colin, Vibe and Dean at profit.
18/19 – Summer just gone, he brought in Konsa, Jeanvier, Benrahma and Odubajo back on a free. Again in the main, really strong signings that will all be worth more if they move them on. Egan, Woods, Yennaris, Jozefzoon and recently Mepham were all sold for big money.
The point is this guy is capable of dramatic and drastic change for the better, whether it be spotting bargains and turning them into big money sales, promoting youth, improving players or overhauling our style of play by bringing in youthful energetic players whilst recycling the team if he has too. He has been ruthless at getting rid of 30+ year old players even if they served him well in the past.
This is what time with Dean Smith will get us. He couldn’t dream of signing players like Guilbert (who is amongst the top 15 defensive stats in Ligue 1 and guaranteed will become a fan favourite), Mings (who we hopefully will buy) or Kalinic at Brentford or being able to retain his top players like he will be able to do at Villa.
Get behind the team! UTV 💜
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing Bill
Bill, if it’s factual, it’s always appropriate, no worries.
Well done to whoever wrote that. It’s well researched and based on facts. Most, if not all, of the comments we see among us on this site are merely opinions. Everyone’s entitled to one, but it doesn’t half help to back it up with something! So again, well done! Nobody can now argue that Smith should not be given time. He will be given time to show what he can do.
Thanks for the post Bill.
It also reinforces my suspicion that Smith told the owners that the team he inherited would need a complete rebuild; hence Purslow’s comments about ‘no pressure if we don’t get promotion this season’ which, on one hand backs Smith in the longer term and on the other tries to temper fans short term expectations.
I’m sure Smith knows who he wants – going to be a busy summer FFP permitting!