Villarocker

Nerves disappear with experience mate. He should get games now because he's part of our future whilst many of the current crop will be distant memories very soon.

I honestly believe he would JV. But, if he looks at that bunch and honestly thinks they are beyond any other manager, why go then? I guess this all comes down to what funds will be available close season. If he will be expected to sell Grealish and go into next season having spent hardly anything on assembling a new match day squad, well, what will that say of the owners' ambitions? In fact, did they realise the depth of the crisis and think that, going forward, Smith would be ideal for the job of building up from scratch with very little money to spend, as he did at Brentford?

Those asking for this to be turned around are in for quite a tough time between now and the end of the season. We need to accept the fact that he has about 5 decent enough players to select each game and after that we are useless. They cannot play his way because they are either too old, too slow or both! He needs his players but, will the board give him that license to do his thing? Time will tell but I do fear that we will continue in the same way until the end of the season and then his position will be in the balance, especially if the likes of Rodgers becomes available.

I will be surprised if we don't get anything other than a defeat today. Come on the Villa, prove all us doubters wrong!

Seriously, does it matter? Bruce had a season and half, spent money and had a load of loanees to measure him against. Smith hasn't had such pleasures and, immediately after joining, had us watching the best Villa performances probably since we won 3-1 away at Liverpool in the Premier League! Smith may not prove to be up to the task but, before we judge him, at least give him the same time that Bruce had.

I don't think he wants draws mate, I think we just end up with them! It's become obvious that the players are either too old or just not willing or good enough to play his way and, as a result, he's returned them to a way they are more comfortable with. However, I think he should have plugged on with his way and see where it took us.

We are not going up this season. Unless there's absolute meltdown in front of us we are staying where we are. I think we can all look forward to a string of performances where a lot of players won't be trying because they know their time is up at the club. Just got to get to the summer with as least damage done as possible and let Smith rip this lot out of the club and bring in suitable (hopefully) replacements. I noticed in his post match comments that he mentioned how Brentford's performances have been built over 2 or 3 years. I wonder if he's selling that to those above him? It's nice to think we'll be like that in a couple of years but, we also have to remember that for all their style and hard work, Brentford are currently below us and also not going up this season!

Sir Gazza, I'm also a better option, can I get a game please?

This talk of Allardyce and Dunga is seriously depressing me! One is shit and the other has the name to match it. Please don't joke about this any more guys - it's hurting me.

West Brom will beat us and so will many others between now and the end of the season. When they do, look at the pitch and see who is to blame - not the bench! Concede the season and it'll get easier mate!

If we all consider what the one Brentford fan said on here, Smith likes to build a team of full-time players that are young enough to learn. Out of that starting eleven tonight we had, Kalinic (28 but ours), McGinn, Hourihane and Elphick that will probably be here next season. Consider that, just 4 out of a starting eleven that will possibly be here next season! The loanees have parent clubs to go home to. The older players have pundit jobs to go home to. We had four players that probably care about the club. Although, I'm not saying that some of the others didn't care - we know four of them that should! Hourihane is playing a position he is clearly not built for nor probably wants to play. He's just filling in. McGinn is McGinn and doing his best. Elphick looks OK and I don't agree with the match commentator that he was at fault for the goal - he at least try to intercept the ball unlike Mings who was easily wrong-footed. The keeper won't be a problem when he gets a team in front of him. I made a comment about Smith maybe getting fired in the summer if the season tails off. I believe it will tail off and hope that doesn't cost him his job because he does deserve a crack at building his type of squad. I believe he came in and got his point across to the players and that's why we saw that early style of his. But, reality's kicked in and the loanees and older (future leavers) players can't cope with that intensity hence, we've reverted back to type. I read people on here saying that Smith is part of a long term plan. If that's the case, why did we let so many youngsters go out on loan in January? Surely, if Smith is part of a long term plan, he could have talked openly to the owners and told them that once promotion looked realistically out of reach he would throw all the youngsters in for the last 10? games to see what they are made of at this level? Once promotion is out of reach, I'd have loved to have seen McKirdy up front with O'Hare in the Grealish role with Ramsey thrown in and the U23 back four just to see how they coped between now and the end of the season. What would we have to lose by doing that? We'd have learnt more about them that way than sending them out to all four corners of the country! I'm not giving up on Smith until he gets his players in and has time to make them gel. I personally can't wait to see that happen.

I think Smith went I to Villa and sold them on how to at his system. They did for as long as they physically could and then the realisation kicked in that the oldies in the side just couldn't handle the physical side of that system, hence Smith has returned them to what they are capable of - hoofball. I think people are right when they say we need to wait for him to get younger, fitter players in.

I really do want Smith to do well and hope he does. But, I can't help but feel that we will tail off towards the end of this season and finish lower than expected. I reckon that might cause panic at boardroom level if it happened and they'd go into next season with a new manager. IF the above does happen, I reckon they'll go for Brendon Rodgers because there's no way he's staying at Celtic next season with Gerrard's Rangers hot on his heels.

I don't think any of us have much hope of promotion for this season so all I'm really hoping for now is for those who want to stay to show their true selves and play wholeheartedly. I don't want this season petering out because the gap is too big and the lazy buggers in the squad can't be bothered.

We are Grealish, a left back, a right back and a defensive midfielder away from a great team right now. If Grealish goes in the summer, and Abraham isn't available next season, we need to ensure we invest the money from the Grealish sale in buying a left back, Mings if he's still performing well, a defensive midfielder and a striker and, of course, Grealish's replacement. I think we could get Lolley in to replace Jack - maybe 8-10m would sort that? Might be asking a bit to get a new DM, LB a Striker and, Mings with £15-£20m.

So, that's the goalie sorted now SGC, can you please find us another 24 players so we can get out of this crappy league we are in!

I think it's going to be too much of an ask for us to finish in the play-offs this season. Too many teams between us and sixth for us to make it this time around.

How does the goals for and against figure since Smith arrived?

I don't disagree to be fair. A good left back signing and there's a good defence in the making.

What Hutton did for their third goal was beyond belief - schoolboys wouldn't even do that. He tracked back right in front of Sharp but suddenly decided to run across the keeper and try to intercept the cross. What a terrible piece of defending that was!

I agree with that because he could have given the armband to McGinn before going to Hutton.

I wonder how he would look at left back? A back four of Mings, Chester, Elphick, Guilbert with a decent beast of a DM in front of them and the giant in goal, that might just work.

Looked impressive last night and if he defends like that week in week out and stays at the club I can see him becoming a favourite of the fans and potential captain.

This is spot on! Both are very restricted players who are now well past their prime!

I would have said option 2 but then tonight happened!