Aston Villa are looking to push up the table under Dean Smith.
Norwich City boss Daniel Farke has predicted that Aston Villa will be ‘in the mix’ for promotion after appointing Dean Smith as their new manager, as quoted by the Birmingham Mail.
Villa sacked Steve Bruce earlier this month after a torrid run of form, and whilst Thierry Henry was thought to be the first choice for the job, he ended up at Monaco instead.
Villa turned to Smith, and managed to convince him to leave Brentford for a move to Villa Park, fulfilling a boyhood dream having grown up supporting the club.
Smith took charge of Villa for the first time on Saturday afternoon, and saw his new side pick up a 1-0 win over Swansea City thanks to Tammy Abraham’s first half winner.
Villa and Smith now travel to take on Norwich City at Carrow Road this evening, with a tough challenge facing Villa given that the Canaries sit sixth in the Championship table.
A Villa win would send them level on points with Norwich though, and given that they occupy the final play-off spot at this early stage in the season, Villa are far from out of the promotion mix.
Now, Norwich boss Farke has been quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying that he respects Bruce, but loves Smith’s philosophy, and predicted that Villa will now be in the mix for promotion, climbing the table under Smith’s guidance.
“I totally respect Steve Bruce and you feel for a coach who has to go, but I am full of respect for Dean Smith and his philosophy and his work at Brentford,” said Farke. “With John Terry as an experienced player beside him, to bring him as well is a massive appointment. I have no doubt they will climb up the table. I hope they wait a few games before they start. They will be in the mix,” he added.
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