Dean Smith: Aston Villa's promotion challenge is in the last-chance saloon

The boss acknowledged it is now or never for his team as they enter a potentially pivotal fortnight, starting with Saturday’s visit of Derby.

Villa then face Blues, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough before the international break knowing a good return could revive their promotion hopes.

A run of just two wins in three months has seen them slide to 13th in the table and prompted many to already write them off.

But Smith said: “I said when I first came to this club that part of my drive comes from being written off and people saying you can’t do things.

“A lot of players will be the same. There will always be someone to tell you what you can’t do, rather than what you can do.

“This an opportunity for the players to show what they are actually about and go on a good run.”

Villa enter the weekend eight points adrift of the top six, with 12 games remaining.

Asked if they were now in the last-chance saloon, Smith replied: “In terms of trying to reach the play-offs, yes. Games start running out.

“We all know 12 games equals 36 points. We have to play for all of them now.

“We have not given ourselves the best opportunity with the results we have had over the last seven or eight games. That is something we need to turn around.

“It doesn’t matter who you are playing against you have to win games. There are 12 teams above us at the moment, they will be playing against each other as well, taking points off each other.

“We have just got to concentrate on our own games and try to get the results we can.”