31 Oct 2021 21:55:27
It's funny how Smith made almost every change fans demanded as far as C.V. and jnjuries allowed and he's the one who is still clueless.
Other than a lump that can head a ball Hause offers nothing for me. Targett gets a lot of slack but nobody pointing to Bailey for not covering on the first goal.
Cash also getting credit but at the same time he's become selfish since scoring meaning he takes wild shots when someone else has an easy tap in.
Midfielders keep marking people already marked by defenders which I don't for one second believe Smith coaches them to do.
He needs to make big calls now to stop the vultures. I would bring El ghazi back in for Buendia as he at least scores goals that win us points.
Only Watkins and Nakamba get credit from me. Konsa mopped up as usual prior to the ridiculous sending off but needed to be the voice we missed with Mings being on the bench.
Smith is trying to make big calls but the players keep letting him down. He can change formations and personnel until the cows come home but it is up to the players on the pitch to find space, play the right pass and mark the right man.

1.) 01 Nov 2021
01 Nov 2021 00:02:24
Best post Iv seen so far . As you say Deano did all that posters have been calling for . Buendia and Bailey not had a lot of game time and it showed . As you say you can coach, all you want, but it’s then up to the players to carry it out . Main problem seems to be confidence,
Onwards&Upwards Villaforever.

2.) 01 Nov 2021
01 Nov 2021 02:31:54
No the main problem is that the players don’t look like they want to play for the manager.
That’s when it’s the end of the road, minimal effort from too many.
To defend a man who brought on Ashley young in the midfield which was going to be won on physicality and the ability to pick up the first and second ball was such a bad call.

3.) 01 Nov 2021
01 Nov 2021 06:20:34
While I did not agree with bringing on Young I thought he did just as good a job as Ramsey would have done.
A shaky few minutes to start where he was giving the ball away but he was full of running. He dragged us up the pitch a couple of times and pressed as much as possible with no support.
I would have liked Young to use his experience and take on the organiser role that nobody else was taking responsibility for. I was surprised he didn't.
Smith clearly needs to find a solution but the question still remains; If Smith is clueless, what does that make the scathing fans who called for every one of those changes that he was previously too clueless to make?

4.) 01 Nov 2021
01 Nov 2021 07:46:16
RK Smith's game management and his inflexibility in formation has always been a concern for fans - The "he did what fans wanted" arguement doesn't really apply because the fans (at least the fans I see on this site) are not criticising Smith for not playing 4-3-3 (despite it being the obvious formation for the squad we have) it's the fact that it takes him 7 games to realise something isn't working. Smith finds something that works in one game and then copy and pastes that same approach until we lose 3 games in a row and he is forced to change. I want Smith to succeed as much as anybody but this narrative that he can do no wrong because he "is one of us" by some Villa fans (not you) is getting tiresome. We've lost 4 in a row and we are on the brink of a relegation dogfight with a squad that contains Martinez, Konsa, Bailey, Ings, Watkins, Buendia and a host of other international players and some fantastic youth products - At some point we have to look at Smith's tactics, his substitutions, how he is handling some players etc. He deserves lots of respect from the Villa faithful but there are recurring question marks about his management style that need to be addressed or he will lose his job, and deservedly so.

5.) 01 Nov 2021
01 Nov 2021 10:02:24
I fully agree that he needs to find something that will get this team results or it will be the end of him.
I just feel that I can't see who else would make that much of a difference in the long term that is attainable. A different manager could put their own tactics in place but it still doesn't stop the players making bad decisions when it comes to rushing passes and not closing down an opponent properly.

6.) 01 Nov 2021
01 Nov 2021 13:32:28
Rk agree and it screams the players are not good enough, closing down creating space and passes are basic and we don't do them well enough.