Matt Targett says Aston Villa players must take share of blame
Matt Targett believes Villa’s players must take responsibility for the rotten form which ultimately cost Dean Smith his job.
In a brutally honest assessment, Targett admitted his own performances this season have not been good enough.
Five straight defeats have left Villa hovering above the bottom three and spelled the end for Smith.
But Targett said: “There is only so much a manager can do. As players we have to take responsibility. We have to worry about our own performances and not many of us have been doing that this season.
“I will put myself up there too. I have not been as good as I was last season. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and say it is just not good enough.
“We have to improve, every single one. We are working hard in training but we need to transfer that into the games.”
Take part in our poll regarding who should take over at Aston Villa here:
Adam Armstrong’s third minute strike condemned Villa to a 1-0 defeat at Southampton on Friday. Though Smith’s team were much improved in the second half, they could not find a leveller. Targett said: “The first half wasn’t good enough, again. The second half we throw everything at it and just good not get the goal. But we’ve only got ourselves to blame again.
“The second half we started well, more on the front foot. We had a few half chances but nothing clear cut. The final decisions weren’t good enough. Sometimes we just lose it in stupid areas. At the moment we are just making the wrong decisions and the wrong final ball. It is hurting us. But it is only us to blame. No-one else.”
Villa are next in action when they host Brighton a week on Saturday with Smith, who has had to deal with a raft of injuries through the season’s opening three months, hoping Danny Ings, Douglas Luiz, Morgan Sanson and Bertrand Traore will be back available.
Targett continued: “It is important we get everyone back fit. We know how hard it is at the moment. It is only going to help us if we have a full squad to pick from.”
“There are a few key players missing who make a really big difference. After the international break we get them back and hopefully we can kick on because we need to. We don’t want a season like the one where we were first promoted. I am sure if we start the game like we did the second half (at Southampton) we will be alright but it is having that mentality to do that.”
