Dean Smith - LCFC Manager

[Brown Nose]

It's still a big *if*, but if we stay up, I don't understand why DS wouldn't deserve the opportunity to manage us next season.

In many of your posts you refer to a massive rebuild and that relegation is inevitable ("We're a yo-yo club"), and yet in others you detract from a manager who re-built and delivered 45 points a season with an equally mediocre squad.

Just to be clear, 45 points would average 13th in the PL. Is there anyone here that wouldn't accept that next season?!

(And if DS keeps us up, I see no reason why he wouldn't be in a position to deliver that).

Fair challenge.

I base my opinion of what we 'should' achieve on our comparative budget which - last time the figures were published - showed that we paid the 7th highest amount on wages and our revenue was also at that level.

My criticism of Puel was that he was underachieving. I claimed that we had a 60 point squad with a 50 point manager. Under Rodgers I veered to and from wanting him out but he either 'achieved' or 'overachieved' in terms of where we finished in his three full seasons.

In that context, taking on a 45 point a season man is clearly a massive step down. I don't think he's an especially good manager. Were we to stay up and give him the job and he ended next season with us on 45 points, that's a big drop in standards.

However, the reality is that we are in the process of a decline in standards. We've pushed too hard, got burnt, and are now retreating. Our owners and leaders have proved themselves to be less than we'd hoped.

If our summer dealings see us massively reduce the wage bill and fail to reinvest, 45 points would be a perfectly acceptable return. But we can't possibly have been so keen on Potter and the stadium development with that level of ambition.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

 

[FryattFox]

However, the reality is that we are in the process of a decline in standards. We've pushed too hard, got burnt, and are now retreating. Our owners and leaders have proved themselves to be less than we'd hoped.

If our summer dealings see us massively reduce the wage bill and fail to reinvest, 45 points would be a perfectly acceptable return. But we can't possibly have been so keen on Potter and the stadium development with that level of ambition.

All fair.

I think as you state, we've seen a decline in standards, and I'd say that we now have a 45-50 point squad at best. Hence why DS may have found his level.

Whilst a good manager can coach a mediocre team into the top 10 (e.g. Brentford, Brighton, even Fulham currently), with the decline of Vardy, Ndidi and all of our full-backs, the loss of Tielemans and the inconsistency of Barnes, we probably only have Maddison that is easily a Top 10 player (let alone top 6 which we were a few seasons ago).

 

[Micky]

I really like the guy.

 

[Orifice]

He does seem to be a Leicester City type manager. The previous manager NEVER, to me, seemed like a Leicester City type manager. Nige Pearson? yes (most of the time). Claudio? No. Shakespear? Yes. Puel? No.

That's my odd thoughts for today.

 

[camberwell fox]

He does seem to be a Leicester City type manager. The previous manager NEVER, to me, seemed like a Leicester City type manager. Nige Pearson? yes (most of the time). Claudio? No. Shakespear? Yes. Puel? No.

That's my odd thoughts for today.

Well, at least we all get to look forward to an instalment tomorrow in the comfort that there isn’t going to be any more today.

 

[Miles Away]

Fair play to him so far.

That said, it’s always good to be the person replacing an absolutely incompetent, roundly disliked, boob of a manager.

To be honest, that’s what I’m left with…just how diabolical the last year of Rodgers reign really was. What an absolute fraud. Smith has introduced some sanity and it’s gone a long long way.


Big result on Tuesday and we might just get away with it.

 

[Brown Nose]

Fair play to him so far.

That said, it’s always good to be the person replacing an absolutely incompetent, roundly disliked, boob of a manager.

To be honest, that’s what I’m left with…just how diabolical the last year of Rodgers reign really was. What an absolute fraud. Smith has introduced some sanity and it’s gone a long long way.


Big result on Tuesday and we might just get away with it.

I like the way he speaks and I like the way he seems to have affected the squad positively.

However, **** me, his selection and tactics were dreadful yesterday. It was a right state. He's definitely not the answer if the question is how to improve us next season.

 

[H T B]

I like the way he speaks and I like the way he seems to have affected the squad positively.

However, **** me, his selection and tactics were dreadful yesterday. It was a right state. He's definitely not the answer if the question is how to improve us next season.

We won, doesn't the end justify the means.
its all about getting points on the board now

 

[popillius]

I like the way he speaks and I like the way he seems to have affected the squad positively.

However, **** me, his selection and tactics were dreadful yesterday. It was a right state. He's definitely not the answer if the question is how to improve us next season.

Is that true though? We were aggressive from the off and pressed well. We made a ****ing stupid error as usual but that was down to the individual, not the setup. In the second half we did very well in stretching the game and we scored an excellent goal with a terrific move. He made the right subs at the right time and we won. Daka was shit but his pace was stretching their defence.

It was an unusual lineup and not one think he'll necessarily repeat but he had limited resources without Barnes, Ricardo and Maddison.

It's somewhat churlish therefore, to suggest that he got it so wrong when what we saw suggests otherwise. Time will tell.

 

[camberwell fox]

I like the way he speaks and I like the way he seems to have affected the squad positively.

However, **** me, his selection and tactics were dreadful yesterday. It was a right state. He's definitely not the answer if the question is how to improve us next season.

We won right? He can go whatever ducking formation he ****ing wants me f he can keep us up.

Cut your cloth accordingly I believe is the correct expresssion.

FWIW, I don’t believe he planned for that formation but with the late Maddison omission, maybe his hand was forced somewhat?

 

[SilverFox]

I’d take the ugliest turgid crap if it meant we won and got out of this mess. If we are together as a team we have a chance.

 

[City Fan]

We won right? He can go whatever ducking formation he ****ing wants me f he can keep us up.

Cut your cloth accordingly I believe is the correct expresssion.

FWIW, I don’t believe he planned for that formation but with the late Maddison omission, maybe his hand was forced somewhat?

Agreed. Presumably he’d have gone Tete/Iheanacho/Maddison behind Vardy. Yes you could say Maddison’s best position is central, but we had no Barnes.

It ended up looking ridiculous because he had to put Daka in instead of Maddison.

 

[Jenks]

To be fair the fella has only known the players five minutes

 

[popillius]

To be fair the fella has only known the players five minutes

And had them playing with more togetherness in that game than we have seen all season. For that alone, he deserves massive credit.

 

[FOX Franks]

Sometimes you need an arm round your shoulder, sometimes you need John Terry threatening you. Whatever works.

 

[Brown Nose]

Proper duffer of a selection isn't it?

He's failed in his last two jobs and it's obvious why. He's not up to it.

 

[Miles Away]

Proper duffer of a selection isn't it?

He's failed in his last two jobs and it's obvious why. He's not up to it.

He’s not been good enough. But I’m not sure anybody would have been to salvage this.

 

[homer]

All he needed to do was something different

He failed

 

[popillius]

All he needed to do was something different

He failed

Yep. He started by playing Vardy in a two. That worked so he immediately stopped doing it and reverted to Rodersball.

 

[Fox Fan]

Proper duffer of a selection isn't it?

He's failed in his last two jobs and it's obvious why. He's not up to it.

That's what happens when you leave it until the very last second to make a change of manager. The only other option was big Sam.