6 Season Preview 2019-20 FourFourTwoASTOn VILLA
WhenAstonVillasubmittedplanstodevelopVilla
Park to the city council this summer, it’s a wonder
the architect’s drawings didn’t include statues of
Dean Smith and Jack Grealish.
The four small words ‘One of our own’ can carry with
them an enormous burden of expectation, as well as
the huge dollops of support homegrown heroes are
often afforded.
But as ‘two of our own’ Deano and Super Jack have
teamed up to rise to the challenge – and then some.
These aren’t fans of the badge-kissing-just-for-show
variety, of course. Smith and Grealish are proper Villa.
Always have been, always will be.CAn BOYHOOD FAnS SMITH AnD
GREALISH KEEP ASTOn VILLA UP?
PREMIER LEAGUE
2019-20
Smith is the son of a Villa Park steward, who blagged
his way onto the open-top bus as the club celebrated
conquering Europe in 1982.
Grealish, a great-great-grandson of 1905 FA Cup
winner Billy Garraty, is a former Villa season ticket
holder and a claret and blue academy prospect since
the age of six.
Sheffield United supporters will tell you that on its
own the combination of fan-manager and fan-captain
(Chris Wilder and Billy Sharp) is simply not enough –
those club allegiances must be underpinned by quality,
professionalism and desire.
Although neither man has ever made much attempt
to hide his Villa affiliation, Smith and Grealish are most
importantly a bright football manager and a talentedfootball player, and both men deserve their chance to
prove themselves in the Premier League.
Neither has gone about it the easy way, either. Smith
made his name with shrewd work at both Walsall and
Brentford, while Grealish was the second tier’s most
fouled player last season, as well as being lamped by
a Birmingham City yob and, bizarrely, cut above the
eye by the play-off trophy.
But the big question is, can they keep Aston Villa up?
If they do, they won’t achieve it by themselves. Smith’s
manager of the month awards are always dedicated
to those around him, and everything Grealish achieves
is in honour of his close-knit family.
They will certainly be leading by example in the top
flight, regularly looking to the galleries to acknowledge
the fans they are proud to represent.
By restoring Villa to their rightful Premier League
place during the remarkable march to play-off glory,
manager and captain have already written themselves
into claret and blue folklore.
Those statues will have to wait, though – these guys
are in no mood to stand still.LAST SEASON
CHAMPIONSHIP 5th
FA CUP Third Round
LEAGUE CUP Second Round
TOP SCORER
Tammy Abraham (26)