Having read a bunch of stuff, I'm sold

I'm in. Deano sounds just like what we need. Yes, he's not Jurgen Klopp, but jesus christ, what kind of pulling power do people think we have? Three things sold it for me.

First, has left every club in far better shape than when he joined. Wouldn't that be tremendous?

Second, related point, managers always leave clubs either to move "up" (when they rule) or "down" (then they suck). Dean Smith has got two clubs on his CV where he has left to go clearly up as he's done really well, and then Villa, where any casual observer would say that we are a step down. But he hasn't left a club because he's been terrible, but because his previous bosses wanted/expected top half, at least, and they wanted that yesterday. So he's a manager deep into his career that has never really bombed. Anywhere

Third, it's clear that people write about him with great affection and admiration. Stuff about culture, being a great man manager, the impact he's had on careers, how people seem to really enjoy working with him. Again, all very positive.

I won't deny, part of me longed for a madcap European appointment like Kjetl, but Dean Smith is clearly a very impressive appointment, for all these reasons. And he will know our squad really well. And he will already have his dossiers on all our Prem rivals ready to go, where as KK (probably Wank Lampard) would have been coming in cold.

So a big warm welcome to Dean Smith from me.

Posted By: Under soil heating, Nov 13, 17:49:52