QPR v Aston Villa: Dean Smith impressed by fitness and desire
Dean Smith has had to hit the ground running as Villa boss.
He goes into his third game in six days at Loftus Road tonight before he is afforded the rare luxury of time on the training ground with his new charges.
The excitement of an opening victory in front of a packed Villa Park last Saturday has been tempered by defeat after surrendering a lead at Norwich on Tuesday night.
And Smith knows his brand of high-intensity, possession-based football will take time to bed in to a squad more used to a slower-paced, counter-attacking play employed by Steve Bruce.
But Smith has nonetheless been pleased by what he has seen from his players – as well as their willingness to adopt new ideas.
And he was quick to stress he believes the squad are fit enough to play his way.
“There’s been an awful lot made of me going from the youngest squad in the Championship (at Brentford) to the third oldest,” he said. “But I’ve seen no less desire or hunger and that was witnessed on Tuesday evening.
“Glenn Whelan goes in for his first game for a while and covers the highest distance he’s covered for a while, so it doesn’t matter what age you are as long as you’ve got that hunger, desire and enthusiasm then you can certainly go on and play at this level.
“I ask an awful lot of the front three and midfield three in terms of fitness levels and what I’ve found is that we’ve got a really fit bunch.”
Smith goes to Loftus Road tonight looking to win the game and is aware former England boss Steve McClaren has got the Hoops firing, not least after the impressive 4-0 destruction of Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
However, Smith wants Villa to focus on their own strengths – and he sees enough attacking intent in his squad to aim for the three points.
Looking forward to the game, Smith said: “Steve has got them very organised and they’re on a decent run of results at the moment, none more so than beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 on Tuesday.
“And Sheffield Wednesday have been on a good run of form as well so that’s no mean feat, so it just shows we’ve got another tough game.
“But for me it has always been about ourselves, our attitude, our enthusiasm for the game, our desire, because we’ve got a talented squad there.”
He wants Villa to be more ‘tactically astute’ in their play and knows Villa’s suspect defence will have to perform to their best to give themselves any chance of bringing home the three points from west London.
Villa will bring John McGinn back into the side after suspension in midweek and the Scotland midfielder’s absence was keenly felt – but he too will be asked to keep what Smith called his ‘over-exuberance’ in check for the benefit of the team.
Yannick Bolasie is also set to return after being dropped from the squad at Norwich after a lacklustre display as substitute against Swansea.
Birkir Bjarnason looks likely to return to the midfield holding role in place of Whelan.
