Aston Villa don’t have Tom Cruise but I believe we can stay up, claims Dean Smith
Dean Smith has confessed that his Aston Villa side have it within them to complete mission impossible and stay in the Premier League for yet another season. The Lions have struggled to find their footing this term with them in the midst of a six team battle against relegation from the top flight.
The Claret and Blue have failed to win a match of football in any competition since January with 10 games played and Villa have lost eight of them. That doesn’t include two draws against Newcastle United and Sheffield United but the latter was based on sheer luck for the Villians. To make things even worse, they’ve struggled at both ends of the field with Dean Smith’s side scoring just five goals in their last eight Premier League games.
But at the same time, they’ve conceded 14 goals in the same period and a grand total of 60 which is the joint worse defensive record in the English top tier. Yet despite that and a tough road ahead, Dean Smith still believes his side can achieve the impossible and avoid relegation. He also added that the Villians aren’t in a great escape but more in a battle with only a point separating them and safety.
"Unfortunately we haven't got Tom Cruise with us but I've got 11 players and I've seen a desire in their eyes. They feel stung by criticism, you are going to get criticism when you're in a position we're in. Their job is to prove people wrong. Without a doubt, we have seen a better Aston Villa after the break. The points tally hasn't shown that, we played Wolves last week and they are pushing for the Champions League and there was nothing between the two teams,” Smith said in his pre-match press conference.
“The only quality on show was the goal. If we manage to stay up this season, which I believe we will, there will be a better Aston Villa next year. I've still not been relegated as a manager and I don't expect to be this season either. I've been in 'great escapes'. I was at Walsall when we were eight points adrift. This isn't adrift. This is a six-team battle.
“Only two of the teams in the bottom six have won [since the Premier League restart] and both were in the last minute: "Brighton against Arsenal and West Ham against Chelsea. We're all battling for points. Every day you're drawing on experiences you've had. At Walsall we were eight points adrift and the following season was a battle as well and we managed to come through that by being a team that was together."