Official: Dean Smith sacked as Aston Villa manager

A run of five consecutive Premier League defeats has led the Villians to sack their manager.

Aston Villa have fired Dean Smith as manager following five successive Premier League defeats.

The 50-year-old, a renowned boyhood supporter of the club, had been in charge at Villa Park since 2018. In his time, he led Villa back to the Premier League and established them as a competitive mid-table outfit.

Despite Jack Grealish’s €117 million summer exit to Manchester City, he strengthened the squad by welcoming some big-money signings in Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendía, and Leon Bailey.

But a dip in form has left Villa down in 15th place in the Premier League table, just two points above the relegation zone. The Villains have not won a competitive fixture since September 18. Therefore, as the international break begins, the club board has decided to search for a new manager.

Thank you for the memories, Dean. pic.twitter.com/PfcSpncqHh

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 7, 2021

“When Dean joined us in October 2018, our team was really struggling in the Championship,” read a statement from Villa CEO Christian Purslow.

“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.”