Hourihane was an unused substitute for Villa last time out.
Dean Smith is already under pressure early on in his spell as Aston Villa manager after taking only three points from a possible nine ahead of Friday’s clash against Bolton – and fans want him to recall Conor Hourihane.
Smith enjoyed an excellent start to life as Villa manager earlier this month, after being appointed as the club’s new boss despite reports suggesting Thierry Henry, Brendan Rodgers and even Roberto Martinez were in contention.
He beat one of Rodgers’ former sides Swansea 1-0 in his first game, but has since lost 2-1 to Norwich City and a dismal 1-0 loss to Steve McClaren’s QPR. He is now firmly under pressure, with Villa all the way down in 17th place.
The club play host to struggling Bolton Wanderers on Friday evening, with Smith’s men expected to win against a side that have scored only 11 goals all season in 15 Championship outings.
Bolton sit in 19th place, despite starting the season in excellent fashion under Phil Parkinson. They have tasted victory only once in their last 11 games, coming in the form of a surprise 1-0 win over Derby in September.
Seven-time Ireland international Hourihane was dropped by Smith for the 1-0 win over Swansea, managing a seven-minute cameo role before starting against Norwich. However, against QPR, he was left on the bench.
Fans have questioned the decision to leave him out of the side and are desperate to see the former Barnsley captain start on Friday night as Smith looks to pick up his second win as manager of his beloved Villa.
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