Dean Smith staying cool as Aston Villa aim to stop the rot
Having once been seven points adrift of safety with four matches to play, Dean Smith has been in stickier situations.
So it came as little surprise to hear the Villa boss yesterday deliver a calm and considered assessment of his team’s faltering form.
Villa have lost three straight Premier League matches for the first time since February 2020 but while admitting his players need to deliver a response, following a largely dire display in defeat at Arsenal, Smith insisted recent performances have been “nowhere near a disaster”.
“We’ve had a bad first 45 minutes against Arsenal, when they were very good,” he explained. “Other than that it has been two narrow defeats against Tottenham and Wolves, the second of which we threw away.
“I don’t think it has been anywhere near a disaster. If our performances were disastrous, I would be a lot more worried than I am.”
Smith continued: “The negative is the narrative and you can’t control it. Normally it is down to social media.
“The players know where they are at and that we are good enough to compete. We have shown that already against the likes of Manchester United and Everton, Chelsea and Tottenham. We need to put things right on Sunday.”
Doing that will be easier said than done against a West Ham team who, unlike their hosts, are in excellent form having won their last four matches in all competitions.
David Moyes’ side were among those Villa had ambitions of overtaking this season but they already hold a seven-point advantage. The Hammers are also the most dangerous team in the league from set-pieces, an area which has suddenly become a concern for Smith.
Villa, who hired Austin MacPhee as specialist set-piece coach during the summer, have conceded from three corners in their last two matches. “I spoke about the Wolves set-pieces and how they were second phase problems,” said Smith.
“We were actually very good at second phase at Arsenal, so we put that right! We just didn’t make our first contacts well enough which allowed them to score a goal.
“For me, it was individuals not doing their jobs well enough and that probably summed up the performance in the first-half.
“We brought in a coach at the start of the season because we believed set-pieces are somewhere we can improve.
“We will take the plaudits when it goes for us and we will take the criticism when it doesn’t. But there is a continuing focus on all things to make us better.”
Smith will make a decision today on whether to hand Leon Bailey a first Premier League start.
The winger played 45 minutes at Arsenal following his recovery from a quad injury but the boss will not take any undue risks with a player he hopes will play a major role this season.
Midfielder Morgan Sanson will miss out through illness, with Smith confirming he had spoken to the Frenchman earlier this week about his lack of playing time. Sanson, who has made just one substitute appearance since April due to injury, kicked a water bottle carrier in frustration at Arsenal after failing to make it onto the pitch.
Smith said: “There’s a way of showing your frustrations and I dealt with that afterwards.
“I had players frustrated when we were winning four on the spin last season so I don’t get too worried about players being frustrated at not playing because that’s what I want.”
