Dean Smith considering a tweak or two at Aston Villa

A run of four straight Premier League defeats has seen Villa plunge into the relegation zone and placed Smith under scrutiny ahead of a pivotal festive double header against fellow strugglers Norwich and Watford.

The boss retains a ‘great belief’ in his methods and is convinced maintaining calm and delivering a consistent message is key to helping his team turn their form around.

“I’ve been a player, an assistant manager and a manager, so I know how football can change quickly,” said Smith.

“One of our biggest strengths is to ensure we are consistent in our messages and that we believe in what we are doing.

“It’s tweaks rather than radical changes that we are working on, and getting the players to understand what their responsibilities are and what they need to do.”

Villa have conceded seven goals in their last two home matches ahead of today’s visit of the Canaries.

Asked about whether a tactical switch might be required, Smith insisted he and his coaching staff were considering options ‘all the time’ with the chief focus currently on fixing the defensive woes.

Villa’s losing run has come less than a month after Smith, who led the club back to the top flight through the play-offs last season, penned a new four-year deal. Though there is no suggestion his position is under any threat, Smith is acutely aware of the need to turn results around sooner rather than later.

Asked if he had received any messages of support from the club’s owners, he replied: “I haven’t had to speak to them.

“I’ve spoken to our sporting director and our chief executive, who I regularly speak to after every game.

“They are fully aware of what we are trying to do at the football club, which is move it forward.

“I’ll continue to do that. Their support has been fantastic, and I feel we’re giving them something back.

“But the last few games we haven’t, so it’s important we turn around that.”