Is anyone convinced by Dean Smith?

[Midlands Yellow 3,986]

1 hour ago, Indy said:

We should have given smith till the summer and not a full three year contract, we could have got rid in May and gone after Robins, someone with a style and getting the best on a budget with young players! Proven at Covvy.

Bang on the money and a former City player too. Hopefully Hayden and Sara are regulars by the time we face Coventry as their midfield would slice through our current combination. 

[percy varco 199]

Smith said that after preseason we would be able to see and understand a Smith team. 

Not shure Smith has any idea what a Smith team is. 
He will not make it past Christmas. I see nothing better than what we had with Farke. 
 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,821]

32 minutes ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

I simply take the fact that Cantwell seems to be back in a good place and keen to be involved as a sign that he's a decent manager who's capable of bringing the best out in players. I'm looking forward to next week now. 

It's worth noting that Smith has been here before.

When he took over at Villa, he had a local boy from the academy that had previously burst onto the scene as an attacking midfielder or left winger and was earning rave reviews. But then he had lost his way a bit and was being criticised for various shenanigans off the pitch and was being told that he needed to grow up and be more professional if he was going to fulfil his potential. But under Smith, he became the player that the fans hoped he would be, led the team to promotion and ended up being the most expensive English player of all time. 

I'm not saying Cantwell is, or ever will be, on the same level as Grealish but there are lots of similarities at play.

[corbs 147]

For me the Shakey 2 were on a hiding to nothing. I did think Farke was God, which didn’t auger well for the more traditional English appointments. I’m struggling to be fair but I will be- he has to Xmas for me. That’s the first time I’ve ever given a Norwich Manager a deadline in my own mind, not that my view counts. 

[hogesar 9,676]

1 hour ago, wheres my rebate gone? said:

I’m not sure that true of most people, maybe you had to from a select few but everyone could see how he wanted us to play and the missing product was goals in that first season!

No, not a select few. A majority that posted on here, including some who are going in on Smith just as early.

[wheres my rebate gone? 85]

15 minutes ago, hogesar said:

No, not a select few. A majority that posted on here, including some who are going in on Smith just as early.

Is it early? He had the best part of 3/4 of a season and we were horrifically bad by the end of it, we got worse, also seemed to show no passion for the club whatsoever, very hard to take to in my opinion!

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,761]

Would still love to know who it was Webber had in mind to replace Farke on the day he sacked him?

[Gordon Bennett 784]

I think the jury is very much out on DS as you'd expect but I think its really important that he and Shakey get a clean slate starting next Saturday, what went on before that needs to be forgotten. Be should be judged on this seasons results and it needs to be remembered that the campaign is a 46 game marathon, not a a 12 game sprint. Our squad is as good as anyone's on paper so there are no excuses IMO if we are off the pace but getting stuck into him after one friendly defeat is silly, let's see what the next few months bring.

[Monty13 2,235]

1 hour ago, Yobocop said:

And effectively the same squad who got us promoted from the championship as well 

It isn’t though is it?

Can you really take Skipp and Buendia out and say it’s effectively the same squad?

It’s still significantly weaker, waiting to see if Hayden and Sara bring us somewhere close.

[Pyro Pete 1,897]

1 hour ago, Yobocop said:

And effectively the same squad who got us promoted from the championship as well 

Minus Buendia and Skipp. Who I would argue were every bit as important to our promotion campaign as Pukki.

[Ulfotto 635]

For me the squad is weaker than both the Recent Farke and Alex Neil relegations. 

The only relegated squad that was weaker was the Worthington one.

I worry a bit Smith is more a vibes man. Basically he is good at man management and getting everyone pulling in the same direction. This can be a great quality if you have good players. But I feel to get where we are going we need a bit of X factor.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Ulfotto

[Capt. Pants 4,236]

30 minutes ago, Pyro Pete said:

Minus Buendia and Skipp. Who I would argue were every bit as important to our promotion campaign as Pukki.

More so I'd say.

[yellowrider120 763]

4 hours ago, Terminally Yellow said:

Not convinced. 

There are some here who think Farke was football god incarnate. They ignored his lack of tactical ability and his repeatedly shown inability to change games because he imposed an attractive style, clearly improved players he worked with and built a connection with fans.  

I strongly disagree with a lot of the criticism that comes Smiths way on the basis that he isn't Farke. He doesn't play the same attractive football and doesn't have the same connection. 

But I also don't see what he's trying to do. I don't think he has improved anything, really. I remain open minded because ultimately he's trying to do this with a group of players he has inherited. But if by Christmas the same fundamental issues that cost is massively in the Premier League and were present in today's friendly are still costing us, I think my patience will likely run out.

Nail - hit - on head!!

[Nexus_Canary 1,016]

Dean Smith is just the segway to the next guy.

He was always the desperation appointment and we honestly should have fired him the second we were relegated from the prem.

I fully expect him gone by Christmas 

[Nora's Ghost 157]

Smith has had a whole culture to change since arriving at CR, not just a team.

Folks need to lower expectations this season and hope for a cup run because under current ownership we are a Champs level set up with average Champs level players on the pitch.

 

Time for a reality check.

 

 

[horsefly 4,301]

Could we perhaps get at least one league game of the season out of the way before the usual suspects call for his defenestration.

[RugbyCanary 94]

Not sure. Christmas will be a big time. Long season yet, I feel that if the midfield can't get pukki firing we will struggle. Let's see before calling for his head

[Herman 9,768]

No after last season, frankly, but I will give him time to get the team playing how he wants it. Friendlies aren't a good basis to judge a team so he will need a good few competitive games to see if he can improve the team.

[wcorkcanary 4,334]

14 hours ago, AJ said:

I'm on the fence, I was unhappy last season but fine with giving him a transfer window and some time but if we're not at the top end of the table come January then the writing will be on the bedsheet. 

Sorted.😇

[Worthy Nigelton 1,049]

You can't judge him yet. I actually think you can't even judge him after this season. The time to start thinking about whether he is right or not is if we haven't gone up or got very close at the end of next season, so summer 2024. Until then we owe him patience and time as I think we are in transition.

Having said that, I agree with most comments that it is difficult to see what his style of play actually is and a lot of last year was not far off a slightly more attacking Pulis/Allardyce type style of whacking it 60 yards up the pitch from our centre backs which worries me.

We'll see. 

[hogesar 9,676]

12 hours ago, wheres my rebate gone? said:

Is it early? He had the best part of 3/4 of a season and we were horrifically bad by the end of it, we got worse, also seemed to show no passion for the club whatsoever, very hard to take to in my opinion!

In the context of what happened with Farke, yes. He had a full season at Championship level and even the first few games of the next season people were calling for him to be sacked.

[Capt. Pants 4,236]

The club have said in ST holder dispatch letters that the objective is to get promotion this season, not next season or the season after, THIS season. 

I don't think Webber will cut him too much slack tbh, that's a very competitive squad he has, one most Championship clubs would relish.

Over to you Deano.

[ged in the onion bag 855]

Why don’t fans adopt the same approach to Smith as they do to all of our pretty average players.    Apparently the likes of Gibson, McLean, Dowell, Giannoulis, Sargent and Hugill are ‘good enough for the championship’, surely Smith is too!   
 

Still not sure about Smith, but I am pretty sure about these players….. they won’t be getting us promoted.
 

 

[rock bus 853]

5 minutes ago, ged in the onion bag said:

Why don’t fans adopt the same approach to Smith as they do to all of our pretty average players.    Apparently the likes of Gibson, McLean, Dowell, Giannoulis, Sargent and Hugill are ‘good enough for the championship’, surely Smith is too!   
 

Still not sure about Smith, but I am pretty sure about these players….. they won’t be getting us promoted.
 

 

Think that is was we are doing!!

 Players all listed are at best average championship players who I don’t particularly rate or want. I want us to be replacing those with more talented players who can improve with the result of being promoted and then having a fighting chance of starting up.

 Smith is the manger version of those players.,,A bang average championship manager and not the step up from Farke I was hoping for

[komakino 272]

I'm not overly optimistic for this season, but I've been proved wrong before. It might take a while to get things right on the pitch. 

I like Smith, but I don't envy him working under Webber, who will make sure Dean will be the fall guy if it all turns to manure. 

The fact that Webber is still here makes me sick. Too many failed signings, arrogant to a unacceptable level, yet appears the the darling of our hapless owners. 

Smith would arguably be better at a club where he could do his own wheeling and dealing as I don't think the way we're set up suits him, but nobody forced him to sign the contract and he's a grown adult. 

All us fans should note that if/when Smith leaves, the hot seat at Norwich City is not exactly a shining diamond as working under Webber will not be palatable for many and that's before the lack of funds. Anyone with a strong personality can forget all about applying. 

While many on here question Smith and for genuine reasons, he might be the best we're going to get for a while. 

[ged in the onion bag 855]

11 minutes ago, rock bus said:

Think that is was we are doing!!

 Players all listed are at best average championship players who I don’t particularly rate or want. I want us to be replacing those with more talented players who can improve with the result of being promoted and then having a fighting chance of starting up.

 Smith is the manger version of those players.,,A bang average championship manager and not the step up from Farke I was hoping for

Yep, think that’s what I implied!  Literally most of our fans on here advocate for playing these players because they are apparently ‘quality championship footballers’ / ‘good enough for the championship’, then in the same or next sentence expect ‘promotion’!   
 

Lets say we do get promoted with this lot.    Then what?    The thought of another embarrassing season sends shivers!    I agree they need replacing and if we can’t do it with funds, get Gibbs and Sorensen ahead of McLean, Tomlinson and McCallum for Gibson and Giannoulis… Rowe, Springett ahead of Dowell / Sargent and Idah ahead of Sargent and Hugill!

[Yobocop 1,099]

14 hours ago, Pyro Pete said:

Minus Buendia and Skipp. Who I would argue were every bit as important to our promotion campaign as Pukki.

+ Rashica, sargent and Hayden 

+ a fit again (hopefully!) byram

+ another year in omobalidele and idah 

+ a credible understudy to Krul 

(Can’t include sara as he is an unknown quantity 

Edited July 24, 2022 by Yobocop

[Galactico 16]

18 hours ago, TheGunnShow said:

Not massively, but I do think in Shakespeare we've got an excellent number two in terms of pedigree and I do like some of his thinking, especially getting Allan Russell in as a set-piece coach. At the same time, if we have to take one lesson from our time under Farke (and I agree with you in that there is a massively increased likelihood of a "halo effect" on the man replacing such a popular former manager) then it is this: give them time.

It took over a season from tabula rasa for Farkeball to "click". Smith's only just now getting a chance to put his team together after inheriting Farke's squad. What we're seeing here is the side-effects of a decision by Webber that may have actually knocked the club backwards a fair bit, and more time for Smith to set his stall out may (or may not, this is all in the future) be the solution.

Farke took over a club struggling badly on the field and off it, so of course he needed time, which he was rightly given, although it was a close run thing at times. Smith took over a team which had comfortably won the Championship just a few months earlier and had spent over £50 million in the transfer market. Has he improved a single player during his time in charge? Not that I can see. Bringing in injured players doesn't fill me with confidence, but he has to be given until the World Cup break at least. If we're not within striking distance of the top at that stage, he'll  have to go. I would hope Webber already has a  candidate or two in mind, although on past form I wouldn't bank on it.

[Monty13 2,235]

17 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

+ Rashica, sargent and Hayden 

+ a fit again (hopefully!) byram

+ another year in omobalidele and idah 

+ a credible understudy to Krul 

(Can’t include sara as he is an unknown quantity 

I’d rather have Buendia and Skipp, it’s not even a contest to me.

[TheGunnShow 5,940]

2 minutes ago, Galactico said:

Farke took over a club struggling badly on the field and off it, so of course he needed time, which he was rightly given, although it was a close run thing at times. Smith took over a team which had comfortably won the Championship just a few months earlier and had spent over £50 million in the transfer market. Has he improved a single player during his time in charge? Not that I can see. Bringing in injured players doesn't fill me with confidence, but he has to be given until the World Cup break at least. If we're not within striking distance of the top at that stage, he'll  have to go. I would hope Webber already has a  candidate or two in mind, although on past form I wouldn't bank on it.

Smith's taken over a club that's struggling on the pitch, but less so off it. Moreover, he's taken over a club that had began to ditch its previous style of play as with our budget, Farkeball had basically been found out. Farke had started the process with some eyeball-curdling results. So, whilst I agree that Farke needed time, I think that transfer spend is missing a lot of context.

To some extent, a confidence-sapping season like the Premier League one we had (and we didn't start well under Farke either) would also put us in the "struggling" category. Not to mention we had comfortably won the Champs, but then lost arguably our two best players in Skipp and Buendia. This means we were in the highly unusual position of having got promoted, but then had a less well-drilled team than the team that went up, exacerbated by the fact that none of our new signings really gelled in, Gilmour being the poster boy and indeed scapegoat of that group, Tzolis is out on loan now, and Lees-Melou has already gone back to France.

IIRC Farke was more confident after his third transfer window. Smith didn't really have the winter transfer window as we didn't sign anyone, and must have taken the job knowing this. So, as far as I'm concerned, this is his first one when it comes to building his squad, as opposed to making do and mend with a different one. I'd prefer to see a few more signs of progress re. a style of play, but as others have rightly said I think we'll get a better idea when a fully-fit Hayden and Sara are in there.

Agree that I'd hope Webber has a good candidate or two in mind if it goes Pete Tong, but I'd be more generous with the criterion. I'd hope at worst that we're top-half by the World Cup break, but in a position where we can push in the second half with our assumed greater strength in depth and a team that's more gelled.