Aston Villa have produced an outstanding run of form to book their spot in the Championship play-offs.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has suggested, in comments by Birmingham Live, that a friend told him that he has never heard the atmosphere inside Villa Park quite like it is at the moment.
The Villans are flying right now. After losing 2-0 at home to West Brom in February, it appeared that Smith’s men had practically no chance of forcing their way into the play-off places in the Championship.
However, a 12-match unbeaten run – that included 10 wins on the spin before Sunday’s trip to Elland Road – ensured that they comfortably booked their spot in the top six with time to spare. And they now go into the play-offs with an enormous amount of momentum.
And Smith suggested that the home leg of their semi-final is going to be a huge game for the club given the atmosphere that is now being created inside the ground on a regular basis.
“A friend of mine said he’s never seen the atmosphere inside the ground as ‘up’ as it is at the moment,” he said, as reported by Birmingham Live.
“If we can have this place rocking (in the play-offs) then it will give us a bit of a head start going into the second game.”
It is difficult to argue with those who view Villa as the favourites to join Norwich and Sheffield United. The team that ultimately finishes sixth will go into their semi-final on a massive high, and Leeds have been amongst the pace-setters all season. But Villa have clicked in the last couple of months.
And with many of the current squad involved in the play-off final last year, Smith will have absolutely no problem motivating his side to ensure that they clear the hurdle that they fell short at last season.
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