Dean Smith sacked by Aston Villa

Villa have lost five games on the bounce

Dean Smith has been sacked by Aston Villa after losing five Premier League games in a row. Smith was made Villa manager in October 2018 and led the club back to the Premier League - via the play-offs - in his first season in charge. Speaking on the dismissal, CEO Christian Purslow said: "When Dean joined us in October 2018 our team was really struggling in The Championship. He immediately transformed the atmosphere and performances and achieved the ultimate success of leading Villa back to the Premier League within the same season - a rare feat. "He then secured our place in the Premier League after a tough campaign and took us to a Cup Final at Wembley. "However, after a good start to last season, this year we have not seen the continuous improvement in results, performances and league position which we have all been looking for. For this reason we have decided to make a change now to allow time for a new head coach to make an impact. "The Board would like to sincerely thank Dean for his many excellent achievements, on and off the pitch, during this time. Everyone knows how much Aston Villa means to Dean and his family. He has represented the Club with distinction and dignity - universally liked and respected by everybody associated with Aston Villa – our staff, players and supporters alike. We wish him the very best." https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1457339600167489540 Villa's 1-0 loss to Southampton proved the final straw, despite a busy summer which saw the club sell star player and captain Jack Grealish to Manchester City for £100 million, spending the money on Leon Bailey, Emi Buendia and Danny Ings. But the transition to life without Grealish has been challenging for Smith's Villa, who currently sit 15th in the table with just three wins to their name this season. The Midlands club now face a tough run of games against Brighton, Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Leicester and Liverpool. Related links:

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