HERO & VILLAN!
Smith hoping reunion does not turn sour if today’s the day Norwich are relegated
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BY JON WEST
DEAN SMITH is hoping his Aston Villa reunion does not double as a relegation wake.
The Norwich boss is set for an emotional return to the club that sacked him in November.
Home fans will unveil a banner thanking the local lad for a three-year spell that saw Villa get back to the Premier League.
But if Villa win and Watford lose to Burnley then the Canaries’ relegation will be sealed today.
Smith, who was hired by Norwich a week after his
Villa exit, said: “I’m told there is a banner going up, which I’m humbled by if that’s the case.
“Everybody knows my upbringing being a Villa fan and the glory years of winning the league and the
European Cup when I was a kid. And I got the joy of being the manager there for three years, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
“I got an unbelievable amount of mail and texts from Villa fans when I left and they continue - a lot now have Norwich as their second team.
“I don’t know how it would feel to be relegated because I have never been relegated before. But if it happens then I don’t think it would matter whether it was at Villa Park or Old Trafford, it would still hurt.”
Smith knows his own supporters are less than happy right now as a second relegation in three seasons looms nearer.
However, sporting director Stuart Webber is the focus of their discontent rather than Smith or the players.
Webber was involved in an angry exchange with a band of protestors after last week’s 3-0 loss at home to Newcastle.
And a newspaper interview that weekend which revealed he told the club it could only have “90 percent of me” because he wanted to climb Mount Everest went down badly too.
Smith (above) made it clear he had no problem working with Webber. He said: “That was 90 percent of his time, not 90 percent of his effort.
“If we look at the last four-anda-half years, he’s probably worked 120 percent of his time. We can give some of that back.
“I can only judge on this season. He’s not disappointed me in any way, shape or form. I enjoy working with him.
“He’s got drive. He’s very direct in the way we deal with each other as well. It’s something that I like.”