DEAN SMITH wants more ‘attitude and endeavour’ from his struggling side.
Aston Villa head to Burnley today in the drop zone and desperately in need of new faces in the transfer window.
Struggling Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has demanded more from his sideCredit: PA:Press Association
Boss Smith could welcome back inspirational defender Tyrone Mings to the squad.
England ace Mings has been sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury in the defeat to Leicester on December 8.
But Smith will call on Villa to make massive improvements on Saturday — when they lost 3-0 to relegation rivals Watford.
Villa spent £131.5million on their summer rebuild.
But Smith says he had to “read the riot act” to his team at Vicarage Road — and needs to see more of an edge at Turf Moor.
He admitted: “A positive start to the year is important after the defeat at Watford. It was a big blow.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
BURNLEY: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Rodriguez, Westwood, Brady, McNeil, Wood, Barnes.
VILLA: Heaton, Elmohamady, Konsa, Hause, Taylor, Luiz, Hourihane, Lansbury, Trezeguet, Wesley, Grealish.
“We didn’t play well enough and we need to work harder.
“There’s a lot of detail going into the debrief on Watford because I wasn’t happy with the players at all at half-time, in terms of their endeavour and attitude.
“I’m need people to stand up and be counted — myself included.”
And Smith admires the fact that Sean Dyche has consistently kept Burnley in the top flight.
Smith added: “Sean knows how to do well in this league. They’ve been in the Premier League for a few years now and have become an established team.
“Turf Moor is a place we’re going to have to roll our sleeves up.”
Smith will be without left-back Matt Targett but says it was inevitable injuries would kick in over the holiday programme.
He added: “There was always going to be a chance someone would get injured due to two games in three days.
“They expect to see top athletes and then put them through what they have over the last few days.”
Former Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton returns to Turf Moor for the first time since his summer move to Aston Villa.
Hilarious moment John Terry is forced to apologise to Chelsea star Matteo Kovacic after crushing his hand in shake
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
