It’s tough to recognise Aston Villa at the moment, especially when contrasted with how the club was under Steve Bruce. Beyond their kits, everything has changed for the club following the arrival of Dean Smith.
Results have turned around, solid football is being played, and the future is, as a result, beginning to look very positive indeed.
Of course, the hard work is still to come, but so far? It’s been a brilliant tenure at the helm for the boss.
It’s only been a few weeks, but the things that he is bringing are helping to contribute to what is a renewed faith at Villa Park. But what exactly is different now to a few weeks ago?
Well, here are 2 things that have completely changed at Aston Villa under Smith – agreed?
Atmosphere
Steve Bruce is a decent manager with a very good history of impressing, but it’s fair to say that his spell at Aston Villa was dogged by unhappiness.
Not only were results poor, but he oversaw a real shift in terms of the overall atmosphere at Villa Park.
His negative play style, media personality and the results on the field all contributed, and that naturally soured the atmosphere at the club.
That atmosphere, in the end, proved to be his downfall, with the Aston Villa faithful practically unanimous in their frustration with the boss.
Since Smith came in, though, that’s all changed. He didn’t have the best start to life, but the fans kept the faith – and they’ve won their last 3 games as a result.
Can he keep it going? That remains to be seen, but so far, so good.
Using Players Correctly
One issue that Bruce brought upon himself at Villa was his use of players in their wrong positions.
Mile Jedinak was perhaps the biggest example of this. A brilliant midfielder, he was constantly played in defence under Bruce – a decision that never really made sense.
Smith, though, has taken it back to basics, and that’s involved the utilisation of many players in their real and best positions.
Villa have always had a good squad, but Bruce just wasn’t using it correctly. Smith certainly is.
Long-term, with the January window on the horizon, this will almost certainly continue.
