Ollie Watkins found it ‘strange’ to be facing Dean Smith at Norwich City on Tuesday so soon after Aston Villa sacked the head coach as their manager, while speaking with BBC Sport.
Villa fired Smith on November 8 after five-straight Premier League defeats, which saw the Birmingham outfit plummet down the table. He departed with the club 16th and just two-points above the relegation zone, with ex-Rangers boss Steven Gerrard taking over.
Smith had signed Watkins in a then club-record £28m transfer for Aston Villa in 2020 to be reunited. He had also overseen the striker’s move to Brentford from Exeter City three-years earlier for £1.8m to help replace the goals lost from Scott Hogan’s prior switch to Villa Park.
Watkins scored 18 goals and provided seven assists in 49 games whilst Smith stood at the Aston Villa helm. But only two of his goals came this season, whilst last assisting in May.
The 25-year-old has since scored three and assisted once in six games under Gerrard, which have returned four wins. He also added his latest goal and assist in claret-and-blue at Norwich as Aston Villa beat Smith’s side on Tuesday.
Watkins gives honest thoughts on Aston Villa facing Smith’s Norwich
Watkins admits he found it weird for Aston Villa to face Smith at Norwich so soon after his exit. But the striker states the Villans are now behind Gerrard, who has their full attention.
“It’s strange, but it’s football,” Watkins said at full-time. “That’s the past, we need to focus on the future. The boys are enjoying the new manager and the new ideas he’s bringing to us. We’re buying into it.”
Watkins certainly appears to be buying into what Gerrard is selling at Aston Villa since he replaced Smith last month. The five-cap England international has also benefited from the Villans moving to a sole striker system, than the two up top that Smith favoured this term.
Without another centre-forward to play alongside, Watkins has relished being the focal point of the Aston Villa attack again. He showed Smith that first-hand on Tuesday, as he held back the Norwich defence, pressed relentlessly and enjoyed lots of chances to score.
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