COOL IT
Smith: Grealish can make big impact in derby but only if he keeps his head
DEAN SMITH has urged boyhood Aston Villa fan Jack Grealish to keep a cool head if he wants to be the derby-day hero.
Local bragging rights are on the line tomorrow as Villa host bitter rivals Birmingham City, who are level with them on points.
It is a special game for crown-jewel Grealish (with John Terry, below) and fellow Brummie and boyhood Villan Smith, who claims even the Blues-supporting members of his family will be behind him this weekend.
The Villa boss said: “It was nice to see Jack keep his discipline and not get cautioned in the last game against Derby, which would have seen him miss this match.
“He will be looking forward to it. He’s just got to keep performing the way he’s been performing.
“He’s really taking on a lot of things that we are coaching. Football intelligence-wise he is very good and he is getting better and better.
“He will look forward to this game and will want to make his mark on it – but emotional control will be key for him.” Smith (circle) says the Second City derby is just as important to the locals as the Manchester derby is to Mancunians.
And he is confident he will have the full backing of all corners of the Smith clan – despite differing allegiances.
He said: “As a Villa fan taking over here, every game is a big game for my family now.
“I’m fortunate I have good family and friends, who want to see me do well.
“We have a mixture within the family. We have some Birmingham fans, we have some Baggies fans as well.
“My mum’s cousin is the Blues fan, but he’ll be supporting me this weekend.
“He has followed me throughout my playing days and managerial career.” Villa are on a high after dismantling Derby at Pride Park a fortnight ago – moving them within four points of the play-offs.
A daunting run of fixtures follows with Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Stoke and Leeds to come, yet Smith remains bullish.
“There’s a good squad of players here. It’s not changed dramatically from the team that came fourth last season,” he added.
“I said after the Derby game, it can be a statement. The QPR match was a turning point for me, even though we lost, as it proved to the players they could control a game away from home.
“Before we played Derby, everyone outside the club was fearing the fixtures ahead. Now, after Derby, they see them as exciting. I always saw this as an opportunity.
“But we have to be on our game to win against Birmingham.”