ICON LITTLE KNOWS JACK IS CUT ABOVE THE REST
Hearts
Rangers
Doesn’t get any easier for Watford this week who have struggled a lot since the injury to star man Sarr.
Hearts
Rangers
Times are tough when you need to beat Liverpool to try and stay up. Watford haven’t been great recently and this will be too tough for them.
THE funky haircut, the swagger, the ability to thrill fans with moments of breathtaking skill.
Jack Grealish is the current king of Villa Park but Brian Little knows a thing or two about being an icon at Aston Villa, not to mention an eye-catching ‘barnet’.
Little joined the Midlanders as a 17-year-old in 1970 and in 10 years at the club the gifted striker won two League Cups and two promotions.
He returned as manager in 1994 and led them to more League Cup glory in 1996, the most recent silverware they have won.
Grealish was just six months old when Villa beat Leeds 3-0 at Wembley 24 years ago, and he will be desperate to emulate some of Little’s success against Manchester City on Sunday.
“The stage is set for Jack,” said Little, who now represents Villa as a club ambassador.
“He is a top player. He has matured now. The captaincy has made him even better.
“He has a bit of everything. He has shown what he is about all season. I am a massive fan – he is a mega talent.
“The club has had a lot of good players in the past 25 years when you think about Ashley Young, Gareth Barry and James Milner.
“But Jack is Jack and that is the most important thing. He has his own identity and you have to let him be himself.”
City are favourites for Sunday’s game after already beating struggling Villa twice in the league. Their victories included a 6-1 win at Villa Park last month, when only a 90th-minute penalty spared the hosts the ignominy of equalling their worst Premier League loss.
They head into Sunday with harsh words from Villa boss and lifelong fan Dean Smith still ringing in their ears after a third straight loss, 2-0 at Southampton.
Little, a managerial veteran of 902 games at six levels, added: “Dean was mightily disappointed after Saturday’s game at Southampton.
“That hurt him. But sometimes it is important to hit the wall in life. You bounce off that wall and come out fighting. “There will be an extra determination from him and hopefully the players as well to really make it difficult for City. These big teams don’t always win every game.”
If Villa upset the odds, Little says he will be delighted to lose the tag of being the last Villa boss to win silverware.
He said: “I can’t dissociate myself from being the last manager to do it. I won’t mind if it never comes up again.
“If Dean does win, I will be so pleased for him. I share a bit of pain watching the games with his family sometimes. We sit close to each other. I know how much it means to them, they love the club and it is an incredible day for them.” Yet if
Villa are to shock the bookies and prevail, it surely will not be as emphatic as Little’s own success.
Leeds had won the First Division four years earlier and still had stars such as Gary
McAllister and Gary Speed. But Villa beat them 3-0 with goals from Savo Milosevic, Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke. Little recalled: “Savo scored a smashing goal. Him and Dwight were a great partnership and Ian Taylor, who was a lifelong Villa fan, also scored.
“It all paid off and those memories will stay with me forever. Wembley is the best place to win and the worst in the world to lose.”