Dean Smith is my manager, but a lot are losing faith

There are going to be more people calling for the manager to be sacked after that performance and result. And while Dean Smith is my manager he is clearly not for everyone these days.

And I can understand why they think it's a good idea. But it's also why some people get held back at school.

But it isn't a good idea this early into the season because there is still time and by that I mean for the manager to get it right or for the owners to change it. Now, if they new owners have lined up Mauricio Pochettino and sold him on the bigger picture at Aston Villa, I think even the biggest of Smith fans will be easily turned. But we've never had owners that have thought this way and supporters don't believe it's possible.

And when I say it's too early, it's because the manager can still make the necessary changes to turn things around. It's clear we have the players, but what is also clear is that most of the teams we're coming up against know exactly what we are about. We are too predictable and really only appear to have one option.

Our game should be built on creating options and taking advantage of what we create. It's not like that at the moment. We also appear to be playing at 90% and I don't just mean effort, I mean thought. There doesn't appear to be much thinking going on. For their first goal today, Engels looks more interested in the player than where the ball was, it was poor.

In short, we have to change things. If we keep playing this formation and playing the same way, why should we expect different results? I'm confident the manager knows this and also that change will come.

So, yes you can call for the manager to be sacked if you wish, it's your right. But be careful what you wish for. There is still plenty of time and sacking the manager now doesn't increase our chances of staying up just adds another factor to be calculated into the long term future and when you have to start factoring in more numbers when making plans, it just means the areas where you want to focus and get better, have more things to deal with.

Now is the time to get fully behind the manager and the players. It's also the time for the manager to make the necessary changes because for all we know, our new owners might already be speaking to the necessary people. It would be the smart thing to do.