SMITH DEFENDS HIS UNDER-FIRE TACTICS
BOX-OFFICE HAMMERS THRIVING ON THE BIG SCREEN AS BOSS SAYS: WE’RE BECOMING MORE FASHIONABLE
DEAN SMITH is paying no attention to debates over Aston Villa’s formation and has dismissed suggestions that recent poor results can be put down to his tactics. The Villans go into today’s meeting with West Ham off the back of three straight defeats — a run that has led to calls for Smith to ditch the three-at-theback system in place since last month’s defeat to Chelsea. However, the Englishman is steadfast in his belief that Villa’s winless run cannot be blamed entirely on their setup, and won’t abandon it purely on the basis of results. He said: “It’s been discussed on some site somewhere that I don’t visit, so I don’t really get that message.
“We as coaches are always analysing what we’re doing, whether it’s our formation, our personnel — that’s our job.
“Our job is to keep trying to win football games for Aston Villa and we’ll continue doing that.
“We want to keep progressing.
“When a ball is thrown up between two of my players and they don’t go and compete for it, that’s not about systems, that’s about not playing well and not being ready for the match whatever system you play.
“At times it’s looked pretty good. Everybody thinks it’s a good system if you’re winning 2-0 against Wolves and then it’s terrible if you lose 3-2 in five minutes. “That happens in football and we just have to keep on working on improving the players.” One major benefit of Smith’s new formation is the ability to get strikers Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins into the same starting XI. The Villa boss (left) added: “I think you’re always working at partnerships throughout. “Jack Grealish and Ollie seemed to hit it off straight away, which can happen. “I don’t think we’ve dominated the ball as much as we would like to get enough service into the likes of Ollie and Danny, so that’s something we’ll keep working on. “We know they’re both goalscorers at this level. Personnel hasn’t allowed us to play with wide players at the moment and we’ve had to flip the system.”
As he looks to get his team back on track, Smith might have hoped for an easier fixture than a meeting with a West Ham side who have won seven of their last eight outings.
But he had only kind words for opposition manager David Moyes.
He continued: “David’s had an unbelievable career in management already, what he did at Preston, Everton and then Manchester United.
“I think rightly he’s getting the credit that he deserves now.
“West Ham are a very good team. They’re organised, they’ve got good players, they’re dangerous from set pieces, they’re creative.
“They epitomise the manager and I’m full of respect for David.”
DAVID MOYES is thrilled that his West Ham high-fliers are becoming box-office hits this season.
The Hammers head to Aston Villa today for their SIXTH live televised Premier League clash of 2021-22.
Throw in three Europa League games and an EFL Cup win over Manchester United – and Moyes’ men will have featured 10 times live on the telly by the end of this weekend.
And it does not stop there. They have two more TV dates this week, including next Sunday’s visit of Liverpool.
Good job, then, his Irons are not only producing top results but wowing the armchair audiences with their performances.
No wonder Moyes is loving the wave of positivity and attention surrounding his East Londoners.
The ex-manchester United and Everton chief, who is enjoying his second spell at the London Stadium, proudly declared: “It makes me feel really good and I feel we’re playing in a good style. I’m hoping it makes West Ham more interesting and that the people think we’re moving in the right direction. “To think that we’ve had eight, nine, 10 TV slots already, that gives us the idea we’re becoming more fashionable. “I’ve always said I want to be the best and hardest team to play against. “But I was brought up at Celtic, where it was about winning, first and foremost, then about winning with style and – when you had got that they wanted lots of goals too. So I feel like my whole football background has been in that.” He might have been raised on a freeflowing, goals-galore philosophy, but Moyes insists deploying such tactics or not is always dictated by the quality of player and financial resources available. Arguably, only at Old Trafford has he ever had big money to spend as a manager, making West Ham’s progress under the Scot this time round all the more impressive. “At the moment, I’m really fortunate. I have a talented group,” said Moyes, whose coaching days began at Preston. “We’ve brought in some players who’ve helped that, some who have revived their careers, and some who are in the best form they’ve ever been in.”
What is mor,e he firmly believes Declan Rice and Co have only just begun realising their huge potential together.
West Ham head their Europa League group, go to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup last eight and are riding high in top flight.
Moyes warned: “I said to the players that we have a long way to go to reach the levels we really want.
“I’m looking to be much better, clean, crisper in all our play. I don’t think we’re anywhere near our top level – and I feel we’ll continue to improve.”
That may explain why Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is closing in on buying a 27 percent – £150million – stake in the club now, with a view to a future £600m takeover.
Staying tight-lipped on that, Moyes added: “There are a lot of good noises around this club at the moment – whether it be the crowd, the investment or bigger stadia.”