“It’s been coming” has been verdict, and, it’s true. That’s Dean Smith football, and it’s now Aston Villa football. We’ve taken a lot of leads, and we finally got the second Smith’s been pointing to. Create, convert, and force the opponent to open up and give us the room to create more opportunities. We’re here to play, and here to offer up positive, exciting performances.
Another two points slipped away on Saturday as Villa twice took the lead against visiting Burnley, but got pegged back to take just the one point in a 2-2 draw. And while it felt like a loss, there actually were enough good bits to leave me feeling alright a few days after.
Bottom line: I’m not a happy clapper. You’ve seen me criticize plenty. And I don’t want to exonerate Smith if he doesn’t deserve it. This week, like last, I’m pointing my finger straight at the players for shrinking and somewhat losing their heads. I like that they keep trying to attack. That’s what we wanted, attacking football, and that’s what we’ve got—a side built to attack. But you can be smarter about it. And you can’t sink back.
Sunday afternoon, and time for Villa to visit the Emirates. While Arsenal have struggled a bit in their familiar fashion, it’s still a tough place to play. But I have to believe Villa will be thinking they can spring a bit of a surprise.
An entertaining and ultimately frustrating match saw Villa earn a much-needed point against in-form West Ham. However, the side will be disappointed they couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage down the closing stretch.
