The Villa boss accepted the Championship accolade and posed for the photo with his coaching team.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has been named the Championship Manager of the Month for March after his side’s wonderful surge up the table.
The Villans boss enjoyed a perfect month last time out as his side romped to a 4-0 home win against playoff hopefuls Derby County.
Then came the Second City Derby against Birmingham City and, despite a volatile atmosphere at St Andrew’s and a fan attack on Jack Grealish, they bested their rivals in a 1-0 win.
Another playoff hopeful and another away trip was up next in Nottingham Forest but the Reds were successfully seen off as the visitors left the City Ground with a 3-1 win.
The last game before the international break provided the second rout of the month as Middlesbrough – yet another team seeking a playoff slot – were thrashed 3-0 at Villa Park.
March was successfully wrapped up with a 2-1 home win against Blackburn Rovers which showed their resolve as they had to hold on to a one-goal lead for much of the second half.
“I’m delighted to have been named Manager of the Month,” Smith is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying. “It’s a reward for all the staff here at Aston Villa. We’ve had a good month, and we now need to make sure we keep it going.”
Here is how some fans reacted to Villa’s Twitter announcement on their manager’s accolade, with plenty of praise not only for his achievements but also on the photo with the rest of his coaching staff:
Villa are currently fifth in the Championship table, five points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough.
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