Dean Smith: Aston Villa must adapt to different challenges
Dean Smith has stressed the importance of Aston Villa having a flexible gameplan after warning his team face a ‘totally different’ kind of challenge in next weekend’s Second City derby with Blues.
Villa head into the game on a high after producing comfortably their best performance of the season in last weekend’s 3-0 win at Derby.
But Smith, who is preparing for his first derby as head coach, admits delivering the kind of fast-flowing football on display at Pride Park won’t always possible as opponents find ways to stifle his team.
The boss explained: “Not all games will be like Derby because teams play differently. I went to see Birmingham play at Derby the week before we played there and they played totally different.
“You have to come up with different ways to beat different teams. We are still a work in progress. We haven’t had loads of time. I have only been here a month.”
The clash, a week tomorrow, promises to be a special occasion for Smith, who replaced Steve Bruce as boss of his boyhood club last month.
Villa, who are unbeaten in 12 league meetings with Blues dating back to 2005, sit above their rivals in the Championship table on goal difference alone.
Midfielder John McGinn and left-back Neil Taylor are both injury doubts for Villa, having withdrawn from international duty with Scotland and Wales respectively. A further 10 players are currently away with their national teams.
