Tomaszk

I agree but it isn't hindsight to say we should have signed another striker, it was a very common opinion. Last season was when Smith's inability or refusal to try any other formation started to show. That formation is just my suggestion but for him to not even try an alternative this pre-season was foolish.

No! They aren't! They didn't grasp anything! They are where they are because they we given Champions League players and a Champions League manager in division 2. Could have been us, could have been Ipswich, could have been Rotherham. Whoever got that link with Jorge Mendes would have ended up with Nuno, Neves, Jota, Patricio, Willy Boly take your pick. "Wolves" didn't do anything, they were given a golden handshake and took it. No problem, would have been nice if it was us, but it wasn't.

Would you be happy giving him a 1.5/2.5 year deal? Because that's what he'll want. And we will absolutely be going down with him.

Yep, Sheff Utd's shape. We should have tried it last season in our crap run, we should have tried it in pre-season, and we should have played it from about October. Criminal that Smith didn't work on any other formation.

Big negative on Smith this. I suppose the actual signing of him could have come off. However, once he got him into training, could he not see he couldn't move? After multiple first team appearances, could he still not see he couldn't run? Why did he keep picking him? 50k a week down the pooper.

Very unsure of that. He doesn't have a brain even if he's probably got the ability down there. Look how much Hourihane struggled in any game we were dominating. I think the reason Smith will stay is because this is the entire plan. To sign these younger players that can grow with us and bring us back up if we drop. If we appoint a Sam figure he'll come in and just go...well all these lot are shit, I can't get promotion with them, I need new players.

Haven't seen anyone say that. Just that our players are crap. Which almost all the summer signings are.

Playing it differently and plucking names do you think any of Farke, Howe, Pearson, Moyes, Potter, Hasenhuttl or Bruce would have keep us up? I think Howe and Hasenhuttl would have given us a much better chance but would be dealing with much worse players. Leicester was defensively a real carcrash. Don't know what's happened with corners. Midfield was as open as ever and the ball was constantly bouncing off Marvellous into the opponent's possession.

Can you direct me to three weaker squads? I agree with your second sentence.

Like I said, unrecognisable. It was something I hadn't seen at Villa in 9/10 years, fun. I enjoyed going to our games because we passed the ball and ended up scoring. Wheels fell off and we needed something incredible that, you're right, we wouldn't have done without Jack Grealish. It's clearly not sustainable in the PL I agree, Leicester wasn't fun. He's repeatedly made the same errors again and again, though he has been given some absolute trash to work with. Who can we get now, that might keep us up, who you'd also be happy going to the season with in the Championship? All depends on the appointment for me. If it's a Sam, I'll be sick because we'll go down anyway and be stuck with him.

This deal was sorted before promotion was achieved. We swapped him for Gary Gardner. He's of more use to us than him. If we never went up he'd have probably started about 35 games this season.

He really struggled in the the 6 weeks or so leading up to his injury. Then when he left the field we saw the horror of what actual bad performances from bad players looked like I'm looking forward to seeing him back. Hope he's not told to do that thing when he basically hangs around up front and leaves our midfield open again. He probably will.

He gets just as much credit as those lot for me. We were unrecognisable in about 4 weeks from what Bruce had left us with. He's too attacking and open for this league yes. But we've seen first hand that it works in the Championship. If you can suggest a manager to appoint I'll be listening.

I suppose that's what it comes down to. Whether you believe that to be true. I don't, they're just crap. Almost all of our summer signings were unfit for purpose. An embarrassing collection of chocolate teapot signings. What a chance to build any squad we wanted. Squandered. We won't get that chance again for probably 30 years. When have you ever seen squad churn like that outside of League 2? We might have the odd individual better than Norwich in Grealish/McGinn, but they don't have 7/8 players who absolutely are of no use like we do. I do think Smith has been poor btw. I just don't see anyone who we can attract keeping us up. If you guaranteed me we can get X in and stay up, I'd be interested. But then they'd be here at the start of next season. Do I want Sam here in August? No. Can you guarantee me he would keep us up? No.

FFS great.

I can see an easy solution to this that they'll enjoy. They don't.

Our players are crap. Tony Pulis will not keep us up. Big Sam will not keep us up. Whoever we bring in we should be looking at next season coming up from the Championship. Who can do that that would come to us now?

I'll be gutted as well. My favorite season ever last year. Basically got me interested in Villa again. Without him we don't get up last season, we don't get to see Jack breaking into the England, and probably Euro squad as Villa captain. I can't believe it honestly.

The best result here for me is Smith keeps us up with some unbelievable turn around and a tornado return from John McGinn. Then we shake his hand, say he'll always be welcome back and part ways the day after the season ends.

Can't think of a single time he's been wrong covering us. He doesn't speculate.

Oh my word. Percy says Smith on the brink. Can't believe it.

Yes I presume he OK'd them. Imagine the **** standard of the striker he turned down for Wes. Must have been another level bad.

If Suso had found some good players we'd have been fine yes. I'm not sure Smith had time to go and find 12 players when he was coaching us to promotion from October-May.

People who think Sam would keep us up are mad. Do you think Norwich should hire him as well? Would he keep them up?

You can't compare us to Wolves FFS. They can't be compared to anyone. They're totally different, hardly even a football club at all. They're Jorge Mendes' little toy. He decides what players and coaches go in and out of that club, they don't have to do any scouting or shopping. Would have been great if it was us he picked instead of Wolves mind you. We'd have been the ones to get Neves and Jota for a fifth of their actual price in the Championship and the Porto manager instead of Steve Bruce.