Dean Smith knew what was coming.
When chief executive Christian Purslow arranged a lunchtime meeting for Sunday, the 50-year-old’s heart sank. Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens (NSWE) had spent Saturday reviewing the managerial position after a 1-0 defeat at Southampton and decided Smith’s time was up.
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Purslow then delivered the news during a face-to-face conversation at the training ground. Smith, who missed his regular round of golf in anticipation of an update either way, took it as well as can be expected, but is hurting. This was his dream job and for three years he had lived and breathed it, throwing everything at the pursuit of transforming the club he loves.
He changed the culture at Bodymoor Heath, making sure that the players were proud to pull on the claret and blue, but happy in their lives.
He achieved his brief in every season, first winning promotion from the Championship, then keeping Villa in the division, and in May, recording an 11th place finish.
But five defeats on the spin paved the way to the end. NSWE looked at the 18 defeats Villa have recorded in 2021 and felt a decline had set in, precisely at the time where they were expecting growth and progression.
Smith, it is understood, is frustrated not to have been given more time to turn things around. He believed that he had what it takes to get the group going, especially when his senior players return to full fitness.
For the first 11 games of this season, he had been dealt a tough hand; tasked with improving on last season’s mid-table finish without Jack Grealish, and a stack of players, including big-money summer arrivals Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Emiliano Buendia, suffering setbacks with injuries.
But those in charge, the billionaires Sawiris and Edens, who have pumped in more than £330million since taking over in 2018, felt the time was right to make a change. Assistant boss Craig Shakespeare has also been moved on in a decision that suggests a replacement will be sourced in time for the home game with Brighton & Hove Albion on November 20.
Steven Gerrard, the Rangers manager, is a strong candidate and knows Purslow from their time together at Anfield but “multiple options will be considered”, according to well-placed sources. Southampton’s Ralph Hasenhuttl and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are admired while Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand is of interest. Villa are prepared to pay compensation to get who they want.
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An ambitious shortlist has been drawn up with sporting director Johan Lange now taking a leading role on his first head-coach appointment at the club.
Having gone through a thorough and rigorous selection process to get his job in the summer of 2020, Lange knows the importance of these days ahead as Villa look to act decisively, starting with an expected round of interviews this week.
There has been a huge interest in the now-vacant role and many applications have already been submitted.
With a talented squad in place, money available for investment, a thriving academy, and a huge fanbase — so big that over 20,500 supporters are on a season ticket waiting list — the position appeals far and wide.
Villa have other decisions to make, too. First-team coach Aaron Danks and set-piece specialist Austin MacPhee were only hired this summer while goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler has been on board for the duration of Smith’s tenure. Their futures will be discussed.
The players, meanwhile, knew nothing about Smith’s exit until the official announcement on Sunday — even the senior leadership group of captain Tyrone Mings, Ollie Watkins, Emi Martinez and Ashley Young.
Many are jetting out to be with their respective nations ahead of World Cup qualifiers this week. Non-internationals have been given time off and will await further orders around training schedules and what to expect next.
The majority are gutted to see Smith leave as they enjoyed his training methods, managerial style and his company.
Some were quiet on Sunday at home, wondering what work life will be like now. Others sent heartfelt messages to Smith, not only thanking him for helping push through their individual moves, but in making them better players.
Even Manchester City star Grealish told Smith that he was the “greatest of all time”. If that sounds far-fetched then it also goes some way to explaining his popularity.
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These are now intriguing times at Villa and what the owners do next will help shape the season.
The wrong appointment could leave the team vulnerable to a relegation battle with just 10 points from 11 games.
By contrast, appointing the right man may aid the push towards the top half again. This expensively-assembled squad is full of talent and when they are all back fit and firing, there is the potential to go on another level. Villa insist they have a clear plan.
Getting over Smith will still take some time, though.
Purslow had a tight relationship with the head coach. As far as first appointments as Villa CEO go, it could not have turned out much better.
For three years the pair talked to each other daily about ways to take the club forward. The working connection was tight, so too was the mutual respect for each other.
Sunday was a day that even a character so hard-nosed and ruthless as the ex-Liverpool and Chelsea director did not want to come. He did not want to sack Smith, but agreed it was the right time, saying in a statement: “This year we have not seen the continuous improvement in results, performances and league position which we have all been looking for, so for this reason we have decided to make a change now to allow time for a new head coach to make an impact.”
The players’ leadership group at Villa must now work on ways to give the new man the best opportunity to thrive.
Arguments have occurred in recent weeks following the run of defeats and there has been heated finger-pointing at times.
Questions have been asked over formations, like why Villa played in a 3-5-2 formation when Buendia and Bailey, who admittedly has been sidelined for periods, have flourished at former clubs out wide.
Some players had grown frustrated at not playing enough first-team minutes, too. Morgan Sanson, for example, even publicly let rip from his seat on the substitutes bench during the recent defeat away to Arsenal.
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Perhaps it was to be expected during such a dismal run of defeats, and now those in charge have hit the reset button, a fresh start gives those still around a chance to open up a new chapter.
On social media, many players have said “we must stick together” in what feels like a copy and paste exercise on the back of a bad run of results.
However if they can all genuinely buy into such an act, Villa have the ingredients to resurrect their season. All that’s missing is that cherry on the top and if all goes to plan, we’ll know whether it’s as sweet as it sounds by next week.
This is a club with great potential and the owners are serious about an exciting future. They expect an assault on the European places either this season or next.
Although Smith could not deliver that, he has created a legacy that will be long remembered.
He connected with supporters in a way that so many before him could not and has given the club the platform to go onto bigger and better things.
Watching him applaud the away end at Southampton on Friday night and receive little back in return was a sad final image. Smith had cut a frustrated figure, claiming that the bad run had “come out of nowhere”.
For all the injuries and bad refereeing decisions, he was not getting the best out of his players and his decision-making was scrutinised like never before by supporters.
Although he had life left in him, insisting that he was a “scrapper” and cut out for the rough and tumble, there was still an air of inevitability about his dismissal when problems stacked up around him.
It might have never got to the level of the Villa fanbase hounding him out of Villa Park, but the club were not willing to take that risk and give him another game. The owners have succeeded in business by making cut-throat decisions, and while this was one of the hardest of the lot, they felt it necessary with supporters split on whether Smith was the right man to take the club forward.
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Three years in charge with few bumps in the road is still a decent innings for Smith and while the pathway ahead may seem blurry when all things are considered and he returns elsewhere — which he will — it can be widely accepted that he played a huge part in taking Villa forward.
(Photo: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
