Crewe v Aston Villa: Dean Smith would be wise to recall his Aston Villa history

Comebacks from two goals down do tend to stick in the mind, though it is what happened in the dressing room, as much as what happened on the pitch, which has helped keep the memory of a third round FA Cup tie on January 7, 1989 at Gresty Road very much alive.

First Division Villa were well on course to become victims of a giant-killing when they trailed Fourth Division Crewe 2-0 at half-time.

Boss Graham Taylor’s team talk was brief.

“You got yourselves into this mess. Now get yourselves out of it,” he told his players, before walking out of the room.

That they duly did, second-half goals from David Platt, Kevin Gage and Alan McInally overturning the deficit and ensuring it was Villa who progressed to the fourth round at the expense of the Alex, who had earlier led through Mark Gardiner’s fifth minute opener and a Martin Keown own goal.

The Great Escape ensured Taylor’s half-time speech is still remembered to this day, though he was not the first Villa manager to have used it. Taylor was actually repeating the words of Joe Mercer, who had resorted to the same tactic when Villa trailed Liverpool 4-1 at the break during a Second Division promotion clash in March 1960.

Legend has it Mercer said nothing else, before promptly slamming the Villa Park dressing room door and disappearing. His team responded by fighting back to draw the match 4-4 and two months later they were promoted.

Dean Smith, Villa’s current boss, will obviously be hoping for a far smoother ride tonight, though perhaps he should bear history in mind should his team find themselves trailing at the break.

There is another parallel between this and Villa’s last visit. Taylor’s team, like Smith’s, was also readjusting to life back in the top flight having won promotion the previous season, though the trip to Gresty Road arrived several months into the campaign.

In some respects, it felt like Villa’s season began for real with Friday night’s 2-0 win over Everton, a result and performance which felt like a club announcing itself to the Premier League after three years in the Championship.

With a trip to Crystal Palace already coming into view on Saturday, it would be very easy to look past tonight’s fixture.

Yet Smith wants winning to become a habit and a victory here would help build more momentum heading toward the weekend, even if the teams selected at Gresty Road and Selhurst Park are likely to be very different.

Though re-establishing the club in the Premier League is clearly this season’s top priority, there is still every reason to take the Carabao Cup seriously.

After all, the competition wasn’t exactly top of Ron Saunders’ agenda when he took charge of then Second Division Villa’s first competitive visit to Crewe, a third-round League Cup tie in 1974. But his team won through over two legs and five months later, were lifting the trophy at Wembley.