ASTON VILLA boss Dean Smith has denied claims that he and assistant John Terry were involved in a furious bust-up in the tunnel after their defeat to Southampton.
Rumours quickly surfaced online after the match that the pair had clashed in the aftermath of the 2-0 loss on the South Coast.
Smith has denied the rumoured bust-up with John TerryCredit: Reuters
But Smith, 48, has furiously denied the rumours, calling them “bulls***”.
The claim was initially attributed to BBC Radio West Midlands – but the station strongly refuted starting the rumour in their post-match coverage.
Quizzed about the alleged bust-up in his press conference, Smith said in no uncertain terms: “That is bulls***.”
Terry has been the former Brentford boss’ No2 at Villa Park since hanging up his boots in 2018.
The pair oversaw the club’s promotion together last season, and have since lead the club to the Carabao Cup final this time out.
Picking up results in the Premier League has proven more difficult, however, with Villa teetering just one point above the dreaded drop zone.
Goals from Shane Long and Stuart Armstrong condemned them to a 16th defeat in 27 league matches this season – and Smith was unhappy with his side’s display.
He said: “We never laid a glove on them in the first 20 minutes. I try to defend the players but today was not good enough.
We can’t play that bad again. It gave me a lot of heart seeing them against Tottenham but today was dreadful.
Dean Smith on his side’s performance against Southampton
“They were miles off it in the first half. A bit better in the second half. It was a game that could have been won but we didn’t create enough and didn’t defend enough. They were deserved winners.
“Jack Grealish got in behind them right from kick off and then they went long. They were getting shots and we were getting blocks.
“We can’t keep talking about getting good starts. Not starting well is a concern.
“We can’t play that bad again. It gave me a lot of heart seeing them against Tottenham but today was dreadful.
Dean Smith was furious with his side’s performance on the South CoastCredit: Reuters
“The fight disappointed me in the first half. There was a bit more fight in the second half. I will take responsibility for the performance because I am the one who picks them.”
Villa could fall into the bottom three on Monday night if West Ham manage to pick up anything against Liverpool at Anfield.
Smith will lead his boyhood side out at Wembley next weekend in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City – before returning to the reality of their relegation dogfight the week after against Leicester.
Goals from Shane Long and Stuart Armstrong condemned the Villans to defeatCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Jack Grealish prefers Man United move if he leaves Aston Villa despite Real Madrid and Barcelona transfer interest
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
