Smith and Jones have credentials

WHERE Aston Villa’s search for a new manager ultimately ends remains to be seen, but Villa legend Dennis Mortimer’s views in today’s paper are well worth considering.

He plants the idea that Villa shouldn’t just go for a big name, but should consider a couple of bosses already proving their worth in the EFL.

The former Villa midfielder likes the idea of Luton boss Nathan Jones, along with his new assistant Steve Rutter, being given the chance to mould a team at the Midlands club and also praises the work being done by boyhood Villa fan Dean Smith at Brentford.

Welshman Jones, 45, has certainly won plaudits for his work with Luton since his appointment almost three years ago. They play on the front foot, are forward-thinking and score plenty of goals.

He’s got a League Two promotion under his belt with the Hatters and has previously held a number of roles at Brighton, including caretaker-manager, assistant manager and first-team coach.

Some may say it would be too early for him to take on a club of Villa’s stature, but sometimes you have to take the plunge and give a young, up-and-coming manager the chance to see if he can cut it.

It would be fascinating to see if he could extract more from a currently underperforming squad.

Likewise, Smith, 47, has won admirers for the expansive style of play of his Brentford side, who are often more than a match for clubs with far greater resources at their disposal.

He previously learned his trade at Walsall and has now shown that he is more than capable at Championship level. In some ways, he has an advantage over Jones in that he is already operating in the second tier.

Of course, neither Luton nor Brentford would want to lose their managers when they are on the up, but Aston Villa would be a difficult job for either Smith or Jones to turn down if it was offered to them.