Are you happy with Dean Smith?

[cambridgeshire canary 7,798]

Could be worse right?

[The Great Mass Debater 1,202]

Happier about this than I was with the prospect of Frank Lampard

[andyc24_uk 79]

Think he's a decent manager, Very glad it's not Lampard; Think we could maybe have done better; absolutely willing to give him a chance to prove he's an upgrade over Farke. Overall, Would have preferred to keep DF but given that's not an option, Smith is a solid appointment IMHO. TL;DR - a qualified 'Yes' from me.

[Creative Midfielder 2,203]

Sick joke - a significant downgrade from Daniel Farke.

Webber out!!

[Walcombe canary 82]

YES. Was there a stand out Candidate ? I don't think so. All the betting lists failed to find me a name that was outstanding. So yes, I am happy with this appointment. However, Success is what ? Oh yes Survival

[Robornio 131]

I just wish the club would drop the bullsh*t about him being a “long-term target” or “our first choice”, when it’s clear to most this is not true. Logically and chronologically it doesn’t add up, and it’s just dishonest. It stinks of covering one’s own back when an original plan hasn’t worked out. 

But good luck to Dean, however. I just hope he keeps us up.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Robornio

[Cowboy 240]

Glad it isn't Lampard, but no, not happy. Feels like one panic decision after another and a retrograde step, but could be worse I suppose.

[Carra Rud 17]

Sacked for the same reason as Farke... not even a target manager, was not even thought about before the Lampard debacle failed. No one of any note wants to manage Norwich its pretty obvious (surely?) and Webber thinks he pulled a blinder. You think?

 

[Yellow Fever 4,415]

Is this a thread just for sourpusses !

It's an excellent appointment. Get behind he team / club and stop the carping.

Pep was not coming to Norwich.

[TheBaldOne66 768]

14 minutes ago, Creative Midfielder said:

Sick joke - a significant downgrade from Daniel Farke.

Webber out!!

How? Please explain as he clearly isn’t a downgrade on Farke at all!

[lake district canary 4,830]

No, I'm not particularly happy with Smith as a replacement for Farke. If Farke ever left, I had hoped it would be for another non-English head coach and someone a bit different, there's quite a few good continental coaches that would have been interesting to have on board. Smith may be good for us and he will have my support, but can't say he inspires me. Time will tell and if he gets results, then that is what he is here for and if we go down, to get us back again pretty quick. A tall order either way, but good luck to him.

[Sifive 19]

1 minute ago, lake district canary said:

No, I'm not particularly happy with Smith as a replacement for Farke. If Farke ever left, I had hoped it would be for another non-English head coach and someone a bit different, there's quite a few good continental coaches that would have been interesting to have on board. Smith may be good for us and he will have my support, but can't say he inspires me. Time will tell and if he gets results, then that is what he is here for and if we go down, to get us back again pretty quick. A tall order either way, but good luck to him.

Like who ? I couldn't see any of the well know continental coaches taking the job ?

In Smith we have got a man with experience of the league and really importantly we have his assistant who has bags of experience.....played one massive part in keeping a team up who were in a similar position to us ! which can only benefit. 

imagine next year winning the Premier League 😉 

 

 

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,708]

I think if we had been in the Championship when Farke was sacked, then a progressive European coach could have been the answer. But that's not where we're at and I think among the realistic candidates, Smith is a perfect fit.

[Chalky 6]

This thread is ridiculous! Got to get behind smith now ! Farke is now gone and as good as he’s been in the championship his premier league record was atrocious, sorry to say but he won’t be getting a call from any premier league clubs, but I do wish him well on his next challenge and thank him for his efforts.

[ZLF 335]

KK was  a good target but clearly wrong from a timing point of view -  I think FLNC was the prime target at time of DF dismissal but DS the better option once he became available.

 

That FL was the prime choice was a concern but his flakiness,  distraction with Rangers and the billy gilmour confusion means he is a bullet dodged and DS is probably the best available right now. 

 

 

[sonyc 6,145]

Any appointment I feel would have not united the fan base after Daniel Farke's reign. In so many respects, he is one hell of an act to follow. A business decision was made based on performance however. Yet I hope we do indeed see Farke "again" hinted in his cryptic last line message.

I'm so pleased we are not FL's Norwich City. It would have been a very hairy ride with him I think. Yet I would have reluctantly wished him well. Smith makes me feel a bit like when Hughton arrived. I haven't been punching the air with delight but see him as a realistic option. He is solid with good experience.

I've been impressed with the many messages from Villa fans about the character of the man. And that matters a lot to me. A bit like Dave Stringer, Ron Saunders, Mike Walker, Ken Brown...all seemed good sorts. Dean Smith hopefully will follow in their footsteps.

I don't see us preventing a relegation (felt we needed 12 or 13 points from our first 12/13 games and that can't happen now). Should we have an amazing run now then the chances improve. Yet, I want to see our style of play change and the players to have belief in themselves and if we go down fighting then I will be more encouraged than I was the last time in the PL when I felt we had all but given up.

I hope Smith does a great job. Then, I can't really help wanting it as a fan.

Edited November 15, 2021 by sonyc

[hogesar 10,764]

I was a No a week ago. Having done a lot of reading up on him from both a tactical standpoint, as well as opinions from fans of previous clubs etc - along with the fact Shakespeare is with him - I'm a cautious yes.

I'm not sure who we could have got "better" than DS - there's other coaches with more potential but for relevant experience for what we need now alongside fitting in with the rest of the club ethos, I think we've done well.

[Grumpy 147]

43 minutes ago, Robornio said:

I just wish the club would drop the bullsh*t about him being a “long-term target” or “our first choice”, when it’s clear to most this is not true. Logically and chronologically it doesn’t add up, and it’s just dishonest. It stinks of covering one’s own back when an original plan hasn’t worked out. 

But good luck to Dean, however. I just hope he keeps us up.

This 100%

 

[Google Bot 3,934]

51 minutes ago, Robornio said:

I just wish the club would drop the bullsh*t about him being a “long-term target” or “our first choice”, when it’s clear to most this is not true

Smith was immediately contacted, before all this media talk it was specified that Smith interviewed well and club interested.  Not to mention that Webber wanted him at Huddersfield too.

Can't see why it's so out of this world that he was first choice.   Lampard is high profile, and any sniff around him triggers the media circus.

Not to mention the fact that Smith beat Lampard in playoff finals, smashed Lamps Derby 3-0 at Pride Park. smashed them again 4-0 at Villa park.  I see no reason why he wasn't our number one choice, one of the few managers to avoid relegation at this level, as is his assistant.  Known desire to play Cantwell and Rashica himself.

Separate the circus from facts, Smith has a proven track record.  In fact, all managers in the running brought their own pros and cons with them, but the hype around Lampard has fooled many people as to who our intended target was. 

Interviews and considerations has to be in place for multiple managers as part of contingency, particularly with some big clubs looking for managers at the same time.

No-one can deny Smith's being approached earlier in the process than Lampard, this was from the Monday:-

https://www.norfolklive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sacked-aston-villa-manager-dean-6177467

We now know that Smith was interviewed before he left for the states, too.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Google Bot

[Ward 3 484]

No I went for, not 100 percent but willing to give him his time. Yes it couldve been worse with fat Frank at the helm... also he is a helm

[Indy 3,471]

Makes you ask, who would we have ended up with if hadn’t got sacked byVilla? Not a bad appointment in the circumstances and as others at least it’s not Lampard. Good luck, hope he gets everyone focused on the job to be done!

[canarydan23 4,762]

Not happy but delighted it's not Lampard. But all that disappointment has been put behind me now. Dean Smith's Green and Yellow Army!

Edited November 15, 2021 by canarydan23

[Indy 3,471]

People need to consider where we are……it’s the best fit and appointment we could have hoped for, talking the club & players us is what’s needed right now.

[Canarywary 123]

The fact that Webber met him before New York. i.e. as soon as possible, makes it look like as soon as he became available he became first choice. He only wasn't first choice when the decision over Farke was made because he wasn't available at that point. If Pep had been sacked by Man City last Sunday and we appointed him, I don't think people would be complaining that he wasn't our original first choice. So in that regard I'm not going to criticise the Board.
I personally feel like it's a bit of a sideways step from Farke. Lampard seemed more exciting as a name, and i think he would have been a better prospect than lots on here seem to think, but as others have said, how long term would he have treated us?

[Highland Canary 78]

Massively relieved it’s not Lampard. Backwards step cf Farke but disaster avoided.

[Canary_Shores 3]

With the head coach and owner both being D.Smith it will cause confusion for the S*n reporter, so not all bad

[Ray 111]

As Shakespeare wrote, "Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so", depends on your individual thinking then, but remember your brain will always strives to prove you right, it is hard wired to do so.  For me, my thinking is, probably as good as we could realistically get.

[lake district canary 4,830]

22 minutes ago, sonyc said:

Any appointment I feel would have not united the fan base after Daniel Farke's reign. In so many respects, he is one hell of an act to follow. A business decision was made based on performance however. Yet I hope we do indeed see Farke "again" hinted in his cryptic last line message.

Sporting Director when Webber leaves. SD is what he wants to do long term, so a perfect fit. You saw it here first 🙂

[Sooty57 414]

Too early for me to have that much of an opinion. I must admit that my initial reaction was one of indifference/mild disappointment, but reading more about him, and his no. 2 Shakespear, I think he is probably as good as we were going to get. I think he is far less likely to jump ship at the first opportunity than Lampard would have been, and probably a better coach. I'm afraid I am still smarting a bit from loss of Farke, or more precisely the timing of his departure. While I can see the reasoning behind it, the fact that he was sacked in the dressing room after winning the first game does make us look a bit a shambles, and gives the media another stick to bash us with. No wonder when we went 2-0 up the board all had faces like smacked @rses. I also felt a bit like Farke was being made a scapegoat for poor recruitment.

At the end of the day, if Smith turns it round and we stay up Webber will be hailed as a genius. If we go down, Webber will be a clown. It's the way it has always been, and will never be any different - we are all brilliant with hindsight.

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

For me, Farke had lost his way - if you look at the way we played against Leeds, going forward it was disjointed and all to often came down to hopefully hoofing the ball forward which never looked like it was going to produce anything - something I never expected from a Farke side.

 

Smith has a decent track record including keeping a side up in the Prem, so I'm cautiously hopeful.  It worries me though what has gone wrong for him at Villa and why he will do better with us.  But sometimes, a manager gets off track and you can't simply press the reset button.