Dean Smith slams 'Sunday League' defending in Aston Villa defeat
Dean Smith blamed “Sunday League level defending” after Villa slumped to defeat against West Ham.
The Hammers left Villa Park with a deserved 3-1 win and the boss admitted his team had fallen short of their normal standards.
Smith said: “They were three horrendous goals we gave away. You can’t do that at this level.
“The second goal we got left three against one. Sunday League wouldn’t do that.”
With England boss Gareth Southgate watching on, Jesse Lingard scored twice on his debut for the visitors, the on loan Manchester United forward bagging his first shortly after Tomas Soucek had opened the scoring.
His second of the night snuffed out hopes of a Villa comeback after Ollie Watkins had scored for the third time in four matches to halve the deficit.
Smith said: “The best team won on the night. We didn’t play with the zip we have in other games.
“I wouldn’t put it down so much to fatigue. I am never one for using that as an excuse. We have had more rest coming into this game than we will for Saturday.
“But we didn’t have our usual tempo about us. While the first half was fairly evenly matched I thought we looked lethargic. We started the second half well but then got countered."
He added: “We gave poor goals away and if they open us up you half accept that and they have just broke straight through the middle for the first.
“The second was horrendous and it was poor defending, that is unlike us and it's rare I have said that this season.
"The first half was shaded by them, we had a couple of chances and started the second half better and gave a poor goal away. You are always chasing a game, the manner of the goals disappoints me.”
