Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: Let's prove the doubters wrong

Villa, 18th in the table, head to 19th-placed Watford today for another six-pointer, aiming to build on Boxing Day’s 1-0 win over Norwich.

That victory snapped a four-game losing streak which had seen Villa tumbled into the bottom three and increased the pressure on Smith and his team.

But the boss said: “I said to the players before the Norwich game we’d put a bit of added pressure on ourselves with the losing run.

“But these lads thrive under pressure and I, perversely, quite enjoy it. I’d rather be fourth in the League and have that pressure, but being third bottom let’s go and prove people wrong. There are enough doubters around about what you can and can’t do.”

Though Villa’s performance against the Canaries was a long way from perfect, Smith found encouragement in the battling qualities shown by his players, something which had been lacking in recent weeks, particularly during the 3-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Southampton.

“I’d have said 15 games in (we were in a false position in the table),” said Smith.

“The last four games our performances haven’t been what I expected of us. But we really battled in the Norwich game and we’ve got to do more of that.

“There are many ways to win football games, it can’t always be classic passing and pressing, it has to be a rear-guard action as well.”

Watford climbed off the foot of the table courtesy of a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United, having beaten Manchester United 2-0 to secure only their second win of the season last weekend.

The Hornets are now managed by former Albion assistant Nigel Pearson, while their captain Troy Deeney needs no introduction to Smith.

Deeney’s career was beginning to take off at Walsall at the time Smith was in charge of the Saddlers academy. The striker has gone on to achieve legendary status at Watford since joining them in 2010.

Smith said: “Troy’s a good guy and I still keep in touch with him. He’s had a really great career. The biggest compliment I can give him was that his attitude was exemplary when I saw him at Walsall.

“He wanted to work hard, lead the line, to be followed by the others and it looks like he’s become that leader at Watford.

“He’s been there an awful long time and when you’ve been somewhere that amount of time, you’ve got to be doing something right.

“The only crossed words we’ve had is that the fact he is a Birmingham City fan!”