Dean Smith: Aston Villa will get better

Smith after his team picked up a win, a draw and loss before heading into the first

international break of the season.

Emi Buendia’s first goal in claret and blue lit up a packed Villa Park in Saturday’s 1-1 draw

with Brentford, cancelling out an earlier effort from Ivan Toney, and making it four points

from two from successive home league games.

The backdrop was the pre-match loss of Tyrone Mings to a cracked rib and John McGinn and

Jacob Ramsey to Covid-related isolation, which, on top of previous injuries, leaves Smith

hoping for better things to come when Villa return to action.

“We will get better that’s for sure,” said Smith.

“I’m probably disappointed with the points return because of what happened in the first 45

minutes at Watford.

“I thought the performance against Brentford was on a par with Newcastle – it wasn’t great

but it wasn’t bad.

“We have been lacking that little bit of fluidity but we will be working on that to get it right

for the Chelsea game.

“We are still missing a few players and are still building those relationships within the team

but I think there is a lot more to come from us.”

Buendia’s impact at the weekend and superb finish might perhaps draw comparisons with

the departed Jack Grealish, but Smith insists the Argentinian should be judged in his own

right.

“It’s unfair to make comparisons and Emi is not a replacement for Jack,” said the manager.

“It was a really good finish and it was important for him to score but we know the player

that he is and what he is going to give us.

“As well as the goal he also produced a delightful through ball in the second half which

Danny (Ings) couldn’t quite get on the end of.

“But he is showing the qualities that we signed him for which is great.

“We are still trying to build something with this team and a lot of players are out at the

moment but it is getting there.

“It is about the relationships between the players and you look at Emi and Matty Cash down

the right – it is about getting to know each other and I really liked some of the things I saw

on Saturday.”

Over the international break Smith will hopefully see the likes of Leon Bailey and Bertrand

Traore move closer to fitness, while Mings will report to England for assessment on his

injury.

Buendia and keeper Emi Martinez had been due to join up with Argentina for their

internationals but Smith was waiting to see how that panned out having backed the Premier

League’s stance not to release players given it would require a mandatory ten-day isolation

upon their return.

“We have sat down with them and told them the Premier League are banning players going

out to Argentina so we’ve told them we don’t want them to go out,” Smith confirmed.