Family life helping Dean Smith put pressure at Aston Villa in perspective

Smith, a father-of-two, also believes his background in the lower leagues helps him remain calm when the going gets tough.

Villa headed to Sheffield United on Saturday just one place above the bottom three after a run of five defeats in seven Premier League matches but the unflappable boss is not panicked.

He said: “I think having two kids keeps me grounded – two kids and a dog.

“I think that keeps me grounded enough. We all have lives outside of football. Sometimes it (football) can be the be-all and end-all to people.

“But we still go home and have families we have to make decisions about, where we send them to college and stuff like that.

“There is never a sense of panic. You can always look at it and take things out of it that you need to improve on. If you improve on those small bits then you get change.”

Smith started his coaching career as assistant to Martin Ling at Leyton Orient, before then going on to manage Walsall.

“I don’t have to work out the players’ national insurance here (at Villa), that is for sure,” he said. “I am not dealing with the budget. I am dealing with players, something I think I am very good at.

“Coaching is what I love. The upbringing I have had certainly helps me, with the pressures I had to deal with earlier in my career.”

Villa visit the Blades looking to bounce back from last Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Leicester, their heaviest loss of the season so far.

Smith revealed the chief focus this week has been on the work his players do off the ball.

“They spoke among themselves that they needed to do better and that they will do better,” he said.

“The players have never seen me jumping for joy, apart from probably at Wembley, or down at the bottom when we get beaten by Leicester.

“I’ll have a couple of words now and again but I can’t change that result, I can’t change that performance.

“All I can do is work towards the next one. I was always taught by my dad, it’s always what you do next.”