For those wanting Smith out

[cambridgeshire canary 6,788]

I'm sure you will be happy to hear that Gerrard will presumably be on the hunt for a new job soon 😉

[shefcanary 2,444]

And so will Lampard. England's golden age hey?  Even now you can't separate them.

[Worthy Nigelton 1,062]

Villa fans want Potter or Pochettino! And I think our fans are deluded.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Although they got off to a good start, Villa’s form has fell off a cliff this calendar year. Smith’s record there in the PL not looking so bad now at all, particularly given the extra quality that Gerrard has been awarded in the transfer market. 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,798]

27 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

Villa fans want Potter or Pochettino! And I think our fans are deluded.

If they offered Potter the job he'd go there....despite being an ex Birmingham City player, a Villa fan apparantly

[astro 366]

18 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

If they offered Potter the job he'd go there....despite being an ex Birmingham City player, a Villa fan apparantly

Do you think he’d jump ship given the start his Brighton team have made, and the hard graft that must have gone on behind the scenes? 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,798]

3 minutes ago, astro said:

Do you think he’d jump ship given the start his Brighton team have made, and the hard graft that must have gone on behind the scenes? 

To a club he supports in his home town ...yes

Whilst Brighton have started well , it wont last plus they keep seeling their best players from under him

Villa far better funded

[TheBaldOne66 697]

I was in Benidorm this week and got talking to a Villa fan, says Gerrard is a poor manager and will be gone soon. Villa fans couldn’t understand why he bought Coutinho when Buendia was playing well, why he gave a new contract to Young and that he has already alienated a lot of fans as he’s just like Lampard and living off his playing reputation. He has been told it’s top 6 or he’s out this season by the owners too apparently.

He also said they never wanted Smith out, he was doing a good job considering he’d lost their best player in Grealish. He also said Smith will get us promoted and that Aaron Ramsey will be a top player too, he should be in their first team 

[astro 366]

2 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

To a club he supports in his home town ...yes

Whilst Brighton have started well , it wont last plus they keep seeling their best players from under him

Villa far better funded

It’s a big risk though. He’s never struck me as the sort of guy who would risk his career over a glamour move. 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,062]

45 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

If they offered Potter the job he'd go there....despite being an ex Birmingham City player, a Villa fan apparantly

If hes a Villa fan then maybe, I didnt know that. Would be a poor move though in my opinion. Villa haven't finished in the top ten for over a decade and would have sacked two managers in 12 months. They're grouped in with a host of other also-ran clubs except their fans think they're not. He's on to a good thing at Brighton. 

[PockthorpePete 331]

21 minutes ago, TheBaldOne66 said:

I was in Benidorm this week and got talking to a Villa fan, says Gerrard is a poor manager and will be gone soon. Villa fans couldn’t understand why he bought Coutinho when Buendia was playing well, why he gave a new contract to Young and that he has already alienated a lot of fans as he’s just like Lampard and living off his playing reputation. He has been told it’s top 6 or he’s out this season by the owners too apparently.

He also said they never wanted Smith out, he was doing a good job considering he’d lost their best player in Grealish. He also said Smith will get us promoted and that Aaron Ramsey will be a top player too, he should be in their first team 

Ramsay certainly looked like there's far more to come. I suspect it will be a season where others will come good as well. Sargeant suggests he is on the way and I think Sinani will getter better as the season progresses.  A bit of the old Colney polish can work wonders.

[canarydan23 4,060]

I don't think any proper fans want Smith sacked, as that would mean us losing several games and winding up well down the Championship. 

I just want us to be as successful as possible and didn't/don't think Smith is right to achieve that ambition.

Thankfully there is strong evidence emerging that I am wrong.

As for Gerrard, I'd like him only just marginally more than Lampard. And I'd rather have full blown aids than Lampard.

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

Of course Potter would go to Villa over Brighton, fan or not its much the bigger job. 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,798]

16 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

I don't think any proper fans want Smith sacked, as that would mean us losing several games and winding up well down the Championship. 

I just want us to be as successful as possible and didn't/don't think Smith is right to achieve that ambition.

Thankfully there is strong evidence emerging that I am wrong.

As for Gerrard, I'd like him only just marginally more than Lampard. And I'd rather have full blown aids than Lampard.

Like you , I'm still unconvinced as to whether we're now sitting 4th because of/in spite of Smith....or whether its just a plain bad standard of league.

If we're honest most competent managers should really have our squad of players at the top end of this league

The fact that we're allowed 5 subs really cannot be underplayed either. It really is a huge (unfair) advantage to a club like ours in this league  if used correctly, which Smith is learning to make the best use of....its the equvilent of Man City being able to being 5 quality attacking players on at their level

 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,062]

10 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

Of course Potter would go to Villa over Brighton, fan or not its much the bigger job. 

Is it? I think nowadays you have the top 6, then Newcastle coz of the money (pains me to say that), then at a push Everton and then everyone else. Villa are no more likely to break in than any other team and are just as likely to get relegated. I'm not convinced.

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

1 minute ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

Is it? I think nowadays you have the top 6, then Newcastle coz of the money (pains me to say that), then at a push Everton and then everyone else. Villa are no more likely to break in than any other team and are just as likely to get relegated. I'm not convinced.

Of course it is, bigger more passionate fan base, bigger stadium, I'd suspect much bigger finances. Let's not get carried away with Brightons moment in the sun, Villa is much much bigger. 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,062]

1 minute ago, Ken Hairy said:

Of course it is, bigger more passionate fan base, bigger stadium, I'd suspect much bigger finances. Let's not get carried away with Brightons moment in the sun, Villa is much much bigger. 

In 1987, or 1993 or 2004 I'd have agreed with you for all the reasons you've said but the game has moved on. Villa is just another also-ran like Brighton, Wolves, Leicester, West Ham etc in my opinion. No top ten finishes for over a decade. They are not a massive club anymore.

[duke63 545]

22 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

Of course it is, bigger more passionate fan base, bigger stadium, I'd suspect much bigger finances. Let's not get carried away with Brightons moment in the sun, Villa is much much bigger. 

Its a bigger club but doesn't necessarily mean its a better club.

[BigFish 1,988]

16 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

Of course it is, bigger more passionate fan base, bigger stadium, I'd suspect much bigger finances. Let's not get carried away with Brightons moment in the sun, Villa is much much bigger. 

 

12 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

In 1987, or 1993 or 2004 I'd have agreed with you for all the reasons you've said but the game has moved on. Villa is just another also-ran like Brighton, Wolves, Leicester, West Ham etc in my opinion. No top ten finishes for over a decade. They are not a massive club anymore.

Agree with Worthy on this, there is no objective criteria that makes Villa significantly bigger than Brighton. An additional 10k capacity doesn't move you into the next level, neither does the passion of your fans (ask the Hammers, Sunderland, Everton, Leeds etc). The key is global name recognition, number of plastics, eyeballs in Asia. Anyone outside the big six + Newcastle now are one bad transfer window from the Champs.

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

If we do really well in the coming weeks and move to the top of the table, and the Premier League sack race gets off the mark it's not inconceivable Dean Smith will be a wanted man. 

Perhaps Villa will want him back 😉

Keep an eye on Steve Cooper, I have a sneaky suspicion he won't see Christmas as Forest manager....

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

52 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

Of course Potter would go to Villa over Brighton, fan or not its much the bigger job. 

Of course he would. 3 year contract, double your money he'd be a fool not to.

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

17 minutes ago, BigFish said:

 

Agree with Worthy on this, there is no objective criteria that makes Villa significantly bigger than Brighton. An additional 10k capacity doesn't move you into the next level, neither does the passion of your fans (ask the Hammers, Sunderland, Everton, Leeds etc). The key is global name recognition, number of plastics, eyeballs in Asia. Anyone outside the big six + Newcastle now are one bad transfer window from the Champs.

So you don't think Villa is a bigger global name than Brighton?? 

[corbs 147]

Football has been generally a very predictable business in post war Britain in terms of trophies and success, the few blips proving the rule. Personally I’ve never really bought into the shock aspect of Leicester who had a wealthy backer like Blackburn. In my lifetime about the only surprise at the top (plenty of brilliant surprises lower down e.g Wimbledon) is the lack of success with the 2nd City. Villa by most metrics should be similar to Arsenal. It’s genuinely odd that Blues are akin to Millwall whereas  they clearly should be top 12 premiership. 

[canarydan23 4,060]

49 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

So you don't think Villa is a bigger global name than Brighton?? 

I'm with you on this. Villa aren't as big a club as their fans like to think they are, but they are a bigger club than Brighton. 

[Worthy Nigelton 1,062]

49 minutes ago, Ken Hairy said:

So you don't think Villa is a bigger global name than Brighton?? 

You're missing the point. They are, but not enough where it makes one jot of difference to their ability to succeed or fail and the likelihood of him getting sacked by Villa is infinitely higher than him getting sacked by Brighton. It's a gamble not worth taking, he can only lose.

[Worthy Nigelton 1,062]

On this topic, how bad a decision is Buendia going to Villa over Arsenal looking? Can't get a game and possibly in a relegation battle versus top of the league with a team of trusted young players.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,798]

1 hour ago, corbs said:

Football has been generally a very predictable business in post war Britain in terms of trophies and success, the few blips proving the rule. Personally I’ve never really bought into the shock aspect of Leicester who had a wealthy backer like Blackburn. In my lifetime about the only surprise at the top (plenty of brilliant surprises lower down e.g Wimbledon) is the lack of success with the 2nd City. Villa by most metrics should be similar to Arsenal. It’s genuinely odd that Blues are akin to Millwall whereas  they clearly should be top 12 premiership. 

No way Leicester and Blackburn can be compared?....Blackburn clearly bought the league and only really had to beat Man Utd on the pitch and financially off it in the mid 90s but Leicester's team was worth a pittance plus they had to overcome at least 6 wealthier , bigger clubs to win the league

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

23 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

You're missing the point. They are, but not enough where it makes one jot of difference to their ability to succeed or fail and the likelihood of him getting sacked by Villa is infinitely higher than him getting sacked by Brighton. It's a gamble not worth taking, he can only lose.

I'm not missing any point, Villa are bigger than Brighton, they'll pay Potter more money and give him more to spend. I'm getting the whole top 6 thing, but if you ask me who's more likely to break into Europe, then it's Villa. Who are more likely to be playing Championship football the soonest, Brighton. 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

1 hour ago, BigFish said:

 

Agree with Worthy on this, there is no objective criteria that makes Villa significantly bigger than Brighton.

Aren’t trophies and history an objective measure? Villa have numerous titles; won the first division several times (admittedly the majority during close to their inception), ditto FA cups, they won the European cup as well. 

Brighton’s honours include third and fourth division trophies, and runners up in the championship and FA cup. They’ve won **** all and spent considerable periods in the lower reaches of the football league.

It’s not even close.

Yes Brighton are probably in a better place at this moment in time with Potter, but that does not make them close in terms of stature and size. 

[Monty13 2,247]

25 minutes ago, Worthy Nigelton said:

On this topic, how bad a decision is Buendia going to Villa over Arsenal looking? Can't get a game and possibly in a relegation battle versus top of the league with a team of trusted young players.

Arsenal weren’t willing to pay what Villa were apparently, so there was only one door for him to walk through.