Always thought he was a good young English manager.
I have a soft spot for Aston Villa, my Dad is a Villain and in the early 80s my then girlfriend also supported the Claret & Blues, so if I wasn't watching the Mighty Whites, I'd spend time watching the Villa. Seeing them win the League and then the European Cup compensated for our lean period at that time.
I think Steve Bruce is a good Championship manager so when he was sacked, Dean Smith seemed like a good choice.
He's still a good coach and I wish him and Villa every success in the future.
However......., his comments about the result and our celebrations are a little hard to understand. Sour grapes.
Celebrating like we'd won the league? My household was celebrating as if we'd just won the domestic treble and the European Cup. There's a passion amongst this special group of fans that's unrivalled in football. Years in the wilderness simply make results like this that much more special.
We'd come from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in what was almost the most perfectly choreographed result in our recent history. It's called passion Dean. Fervant passion that makes us the envy of most football clubs.
And the result? They deserved a draw? At 2-0 up they didn't deserve a draw. We were streets ahead and relentless. This season reminds me of Wilko's promotion campaign except we're playing better football.
The press are waiting for Bielsa's bubble to burst, I'm guessing the wily old fox has learnt from previous campaigns and is experiencing something very special in the midst of the Leeds United family.
Very proud of my club. Bah humbug Mr Smith. T'is the season to be merry, to know you were beaten by the better team and to accept irrespective of how we play, how that result was achieved we always celebrate victories like it was the 31st of December 1999.......
We are Leeds United.
Dean Smith
posted on 24/12/18
comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 41 minutes ago
Villa will make the play offs no problem
Defence is a shambles as Steve Bruce left with only Tuanzebe and Chester as recognised centre backs, one being out yesterday.
Players will be bought and Villa will strengthen in January
Leeds are a very average side as well AZA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree with you here and i think Villa can easily still make the playoffs and cant be completely disregarded in terms of getting top2 yet. Fulham were 11th with 32 points at xmas last season.
Not quite sure how your side managed to get Abraham/Kodija/Hogan/McCormack/Bolasie yet only have 5 defenders at the club.
Why did you loan out Tommy Elphick?
Villa have already signed Croatia's no1 goakeeper. If they add Gary Cahill as rumoured who knows what will happen.
In terms of Leeds, if you are talking championship then we have been far from average this season and deserve to be top. If you are talking world football then clearly Leeds are an average side, yes.
posted on 24/12/18
comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
Villa will make the play offs no problem
Defence is a shambles as Steve Bruce left with only Tuanzebe and Chester as recognised centre backs, one being out yesterday.
Players will be bought and Villa will strengthen in January
Leeds are a very average side as well AZA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So Villa are apparently struggling because Grealish was out, yet you had MULTI Million pound talent out there.
We by comparison.
For the last 5 matches have had one centre back, Phillips last season was an ATTACKING Mid.
Ayling played, we have been without BOTH RB's for 2 months!! Dallas played there and then academdy player Shackleton.
Davis, an 18 year old made his Debut!!
We have one fit striker.
Saiz (arguably our 2nd best player has gone back home to Spain).
God help the rest of the division when we actually have a full side to choose from, at 0-2 down I was STILL confident we'd win.
posted on 24/12/18
comment by AZA (U5000)
posted 28 minutes ago
comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
Villa will make the play offs no problem
Defence is a shambles as Steve Bruce left with only Tuanzebe and Chester as recognised centre backs, one being out yesterday.
Players will be bought and Villa will strengthen in January
Leeds are a very average side as well AZA
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So Villa are apparently struggling because Grealish was out, yet you had MULTI Million pound talent out there.
We by comparison.
For the last 5 matches have had one centre back, Phillips last season was an ATTACKING Mid.
Ayling played, we have been without BOTH RB's for 2 months!! Dallas played there and then academdy player Shackleton.
Davis, an 18 year old made his Debut!!
We have one fit striker.
Saiz (arguably our 2nd best player has gone back home to Spain).
God help the rest of the division when we actually have a full side to choose from, at 0-2 down I was STILL confident we'd win.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
posted on 24/12/18
Totally agree Stevie
I haven't read everyone else's comments, so I might well be repeating others. I thought Smith was in cloud cuckoo land with his comments after we beat his Brentford team. I said to a couple of family members who were watching the game with me, that Smith has Villa playing like Brentford. Some okay football with a giant slice of sh* T . Housery. Grabbing (we should've had 3 pens, 2 first half one second). And a ton of whining that despite their own sh * T . Housery, we were somehow getting away with the same thing, unseen by bent officials.
I stayed off thread yesterday and watched the game with family. We all said at 2 down we were by far better and we were going to get a draw. When we tied the game, we were so worth it. And sorry Dean, we all went effing mental when Pontus's header went in. But when Roofey ended them, we all went inter galactic fooking barmy.
So, screw off Smithy you whinging get. Take a deserved defeat with class.
posted on 24/12/18
Errr
We drew with Brentford
posted on 24/12/18
Apologies to Gilhaus for the rant earlier. Dean Smith really gets up my nose - credit should be given where due. When we got tonked by West Brom, Bielsa publicly took responsibility - that's the difference.
Perhaps we have been subjected to below-average football and results for too long, so when we finally start to produce above-average football and results, we can enjoy five minutes in the sunshine without having to listen to a lot of sour mithering.
posted on 24/12/18
The stats tell the story here:
Possession - AV 34% LU 66%
Shots - AV 10 LU 16
Shots on Target - AV 2 LU 7
Corners - AV 6 LU 8
QED!!!!
posted on 24/12/18
You never hear Bielsa come out with the crap Dean Smith talks. Just your typical English manager crap we've put up with for years. Such a refreshing change to have garbage speak every week.
posted on 24/12/18
From the.BBC:
“Aston Villa boss Dean Smith called Leeds United "the best side we've played" after they came back from two goals down to claim a stunning 3-2 stoppage-time win and go back to the top of the Championship.”
“Villa boss Smith said: "Going 2-0 up in a game like this, you expect to see it out, especially at Villa Park. But they're the best side we've played so far and we got punished for our defensive lapses."
“They were probably better than us but a draw was a fair result. Instead, it's my first defeat at Villa Park and it's a hard one to take.”
This win took the number of points they have amassed from losing positions to 14 under Bielsa - compared with just six in the whole of last season.
posted on 24/12/18
Outwood, I almost agree with you, Marcello always takes responsibility (at least publicly) for a loss, says he got it tactically wrong, with few exceptions this season, his way of playing football has been superior to what we have come across to date, where we have lost he has held his hands up saying he got it wrong. Note he has never had to say the other team played better because most of the time that just isn't true, wonder whether, if the shoe had been on the other foot whether he would (as Dean Smith did) say we were categorically second best on the day. If we start to lose a few and get outplayed I wonder whether Bielsa's outlook will change.
On the inference that moany managers are an English disease, surely the special one disproves that. Good managers take responsibility regardless of nationality, that's one of the reasons why Roy Hodgson is respected in the game and Jose has become a joke.