Dean Smith calls on Aston Villa players to get stadium rocking
Dean Smith has challenged his players to get Villa Park rocking for tomorrow’s crunch clash with Derby.
Villa, who will welcome back Jack Grealish from injury, host the Rams desperate for a win to maintain their slender play-off hopes.
A large crowd is expected, with the upper tier of the Trinity Road Stand open for the ninth time this season. Boss Smith believes it is down to the team to fire up the fans.
He said: “The reception myself and the players got at Stoke last week from the supporters was fantastic.
“It just goes to show they appreciate when the lads play good football, like they did in the second half.
“We have to go and replicate that on a more consistent basis and make sure the fans get behind us. They can play a massive role.”
Villa have won just two of their last 14 games to slide to 13th in the Championship, eight points off the play-offs.
The Rams are six places and six points better off but have themselves won just twice since the turn of the year.
Like Villa, they have been hit hard by injuries, with midfielder Andy King yesterday being ruled out for the rest of the season with a ‘freak’ ankle injury sustained in Monday’s 1-0 defeat Nottingham Forest.
Mason Mount also remains sidelined, along with forward Tom Lawrence, with Rams boss Frank Lampard claiming his team head into the game as underdogs.
