Tammy:Villa should be gunning for the top two
VILLA should not settle for anything less than automatic promotion, according to striker Tammy Abraham.
On loan from Chelsea for the season, Abraham was on the mark in the impressive 3-0 win at promotion rivals Derby County last weekend.
The win, Dean Smith’s third in five games since replacing Steve Bruce, lifted Villa into the top half of the Championship for the first time in close to two months.
Villa, who finished fourth under Bruce last term before losing in the play-off final to Fulham, are now just seven points behind second-placed Middlesbrough.
It was more the manner of victory, than its implications on the league table, that convinced the England striker Villa have what it takes to finish inside the top two come May.
“As a group, we are a top-class team,” said Abraham, who has joined up with the England Under-21 squad for the games against Italy, tomorrow, and Denmark on Tuesday.
“Minimum we should be aiming for is play-offs. But I believe we could aim for top two. The performance (at Derby) shows where we should be.”
That’s not the only target ambitious Abraham has set for the season.
The 21-year-old netted 23 goals in 41 league games for Bristol City when he was last on loan in the Championship two seasons ago. Abraham already has five to his name at Villa and is now eyeing a tally similar to that reached with the Robins.
“Personally, I am just going to aim high,” he said. “I am a person who believes in myself. I have the ability to score goals.
“I am just going to keep getting in the right place at the right time and try and get more goals. If I can touch anywhere near I got at Bristol City, I’d be happy. I will aim for that.”
Derby scored three goals inside 14 minutes when Smith visited Pride Park with Brentford in August
But the tables were turned on Saturday as his new charges ripped the Rams apart with three unanswered goals during a destructive ten-minute spree.
“It was unbelievable Abraham said. “I don’t at Derby,” think words can describe it. Some of the boys say this is the best performance they’ve had since they’ve joined.
“The fans were fantastic – they supported us from first minute to last. We gave them a performance. We saw the best of us at Pride Park.”
For Abraham, the performance at Derby reflected the hard work and quality of preparation on the training pitch under Smith and his new backroom team.
“This is what we have been working on,” the young forward said. “We have had a month with the new gaffer and against Derby we applied everything we have been doing in training. We need to build on it. We know we are a top-class team and we need to be up there. This performance showed everyone where we should be.”