Liverpool behind us, it’s time to resume normally scheduled programming. Which means it’s Deano and Norwich tonight. And despite sitting bottom of the table, they’re not exactly pushovers. But they don’t score much. Probably has more than a little to do with breaking up the Pukki-Buendia act. Villa will want six points from tonight and Burnley. They need to be on it and ruthless.
We’ll soon see what Smith’s sacking and the Gerrard effect will have on the players. There’s not been a lot of time to take new things on board or evaluate players, so one assumes this will be a work in progress.
We’ve all gone out and heard about a narrow 4-3-3. Forcing attacking play wide. Wide forwards tucked in and driving the channels, fullbacks overlapping for width. Wide midfielders tasked with pressing fullbacks, and a back line that supports attacking play. A ‘solid’ defense. Now, apart from the nominal distribution of players, I’m not seeing a huge difference in philosophy from the way Smith wanted Villa play. Perhaps the biggest difference will be that Gerrard can put a rocket up them and has no loyalties.
While some think it was time and some don’t, there’s been a near unanimous outpouring of affection, respect, admiration, and gratitude for Dean Smith in the wake of his sudden departure from the club he loved. Not a common thing. It’s right and good to see.
But what comes next is probably a bigger call than hiring Smith in the first place.
The reporting and rumors have been varied, from Dean’s safe to he’ll be gone if Villa lose tonight. We’ve seen the departures of John Terry and Richard O’Kelly blamed. We’ve heard (repeatedly) that Smith doesn’t know how to win without Grealish. That Villa have no identity. We’ve perhaps more to the point heard about the inadequacies of Villa’s midfield, the formations employed, or the players selected. Why we brought in Danny Ings instead of a midfield destroyer.
Regardless of what’s been said and whoever might be right or wrong, it feels like a very big moment.
