Crewe’s David Artell describes Aston Villa’s Dean Smith as ‘inspirational’

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The Villa Park side head to Crewe for a Carabao Cup second round clash this evening.

Ahead of their Carabao Cup meeting with Aston Villa, Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell has spoken highly of Villans counterpart Dean Smith for the work he has carried out at Villa Park, as reported by Cheshire Live.

On Tuesday night, the West Midlanders – up and running in the Premier League following their win over Everton – head to Gresty Road to lock horns with the Railwaymen, who currently sit sixth in League Two.

Smith managed Walsall and Brentford before landing the Villa job and steered his boyhood club up into the Championship’s playoff places before overcoming West Bromwich Albion and Derby County in the playoffs to put the Villans back in the top flight.

Artell deems Smith – as well as Burnley boss Sean Dyche and Stoke City manager Nathan Jones – “inspirational” to him and Alex assistant Kenny Lunt in terms of how they’ve risen up the managerial ladder.

“I think he’s done a terrific job,” Artell told Cheshire Live on Monday. “The likes of Dean Smith and Sean Dyche, even Nathan Jones to a certain extent… them kind of managers are inspirational. I look at them personally and I think if they can do it, there’s nothing to stop myself and Kenny taking this club further and higher and all having good careers.

“I’ve met him a couple of times and he’s a thoroughly nice fella. I’m glad to see him doing well and having a shot at the Premier League – I just hope he doesn’t do well tomorrow! (Villa) are a good well organised team, We saw them on Friday and they’ve got a good British manager in Smith who knows the value of the competition, so we’re expecting a tough night but then we expected a tough night at Middlesbrough – we all know how that materialised.”

Crewe reached the second round of the Carabao Cup having led 2-0 at Boro’s Riverside Park and, even though the hosts pulled it back to 2-2, the Railwaymen triumphed in the ensuing penalty shootout.