da realbet： Aston Villa find themselves in a desperate situation as the Premier League’s suspension begins.
da wazamba： They currently sit 19th in the Premier League, meaning they are in real danger of getting relegated back to the Championship after a solitary campaign in the top flight.
However, not all hope is lost, as they are just two points behind AFC Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham United, meaning safety is still within reach.
With this in mind, FFC writers have given their verdicts on whether Villa should sack Dean Smith to help them in their quest for survival.
Kealan Hughes
“If Aston Villa have a manager in mind currently then it could be time to take the risk to replace Dean Smith.
“The Villa boss did brilliantly to get the club promoted last year but much of that success depended on loan players like Tammy Abraham and the good momentum that he built up in the latter half of the campaign.
“However, decisions being made at Villa Park seem to be short-term at the moment – their transfer activity last summer reflects that – and therefore there is little problem in dismissing Smith.
“He has failed to get the best out of the players at his disposal, with Wesley scoring just five goals in 21 league games before injury, and that means it is time to look elsewhere if Villa want to salvage their season.”
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Charles Jones
“It’s now or never when it comes to sacking Dean Smith.
“With the delay in action, any new manager coming in would have a real chance to implement their tactics and philosophy before the next game, and there are plenty of gaffers on the market who know all about saving teams from relegation.
“Fans won’t like reading these names, but bringing in a Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis or Chris Hughton type character could be exactly what Villa need in order to save their skins.
“Staying in the top-flight is worth so much these days, and if Villa think they have a better chance of doing that with a new manager then they shouldn’t hesitate.”
Red Herring or Real Hero: Only hardcore Villa fans will get all of them right….
Billy Meyers
“I think now would be the perfect time to give Dean Smith the axe. He has shown no signs of improving himself at this level and it feels like he has largely been out of his depth in the Premier League.
“Granted, he has been without John McGinn for a chunk of the campaign, although his side have stagnated throughout the season and, if anything, have gotten worse as time has gone on. In that respect, the Villans need to do this now if they have any aspirations of survival – especially with the likes of Sam Allardyce twiddling his thumbs on talkSPORT.
“Chopping Smith now would enable Villa to get someone in to put their stamp on things while the Premier League is at a standstill, where it would’ve been tough to do so during the fast-paced nature of the relegation scrap had things remained the same – if anything, this is a lifeline for Aston Villa.”
Danny Lewis
“When arguing a manager’s case to stay in a job, the continuity of a plan can be an important factor, but it doesn’t really feel as though there is one with Smith at the helm. This is best encapsulated by the fact that he has reverted to a back four since the Carabao Cup final, having previously begun deploying three centre-backs.
“That he still doesn’t know his best formation – and arguably his best team – is a seriously worrying sign for Villa as they bid to stay in the Premier League. It doesn’t even need to be one of the survival specialists who have been mentioned above, but they just need someone who will bring a clear plan and some spark.
“As much as Smith being a fan of the club is a nice story, he hasn’t even been able to use that to his advantage in recent times, as Villa have lost their last four league matches.”
Meanwhile, Villa fans have been slating one player after it was reported he may leave.