Dean Smith rages at Aston Villa’s first-half against Watford as boss admits ‘we helped them on their way’ after 3-2 defeat in Premier League opener
- Aston Villa suffered defeat on the opening day of the Premier League season
- The visitors went 3-0 down to Watford before fighting back with two late goals
- Dean Smith was furious at the performance and admitted it was far below par
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Dean Smith tore into his Aston Villa players for giving Watford a helping hand as he likened their first-half performance to a friendly.
Villa were overwhelmed on Saturday when first-half goals from Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr left them an ‘uphill battle’ that they left too late to try and climb in the second half.
‘In the first half they were miles off it from where we need to be at this club,’ said Smith. ‘I told them that in no uncertain terms at half-time.
Dean Smith was furious with Aston Villa’s performance in their Premier League opener
Watford went 3-0 ahead and the lead was too great for Aston Villa to complete a late fightback
‘I won’t accept performances like that in the first half. We came here to win a football game and do enough to win a football game and we helped Watford on their way.’
Villa improved in the second half, scoring twice through John McGinn and summer signing Danny Ings, but Smith knows first halves like the one at Vicarage Road will see them beaten most weeks at this level.
‘We lacked intensity, on the ball, off the ball, it was almost like we were playing a friendly game and we all know a Premier League game is not a friendly,’ he said.
Ings echoed the sentiments of his new boss, adding: ‘In the two halves we looked like two different teams.
‘There was not a good rhythm in the first half and we got punished for it.’
Smith has lost Jack Grealish this summer and now has to complete a transition for the club