Aston Villa on Sunday announced that they have terminated the appointment of Dean Smith as manager.
His sack is coming after Villa suffered five back-to-back defeats in the English top flight league.
The relegation-threatened team has so far recorded 10 points from their opening 11 games in the Premier League this season and have lost their last five matches in a row.
Recall that Smith, who has been at the club for three years, guided the club back into the Premier League through the Championship play-offs during his first season in charge.
Under him, Villa reached the Carabao Cup final where they were pipped 2-1 by Manchester City last year.
Villa reportedly spent nearly £90 million on new players in the summer window after selling off Jack Grealish to City.
In a statement released by the club’s CEO, Christian Purslow, Dean joined Villa in October 2018 when it was really struggling in the Championship.
“He immediately transformed the atmosphere and performances and achieved the ultimate success of leading Villa back to the Premier League within the same season – a rare feat.
‘He then secured our place in the Premier League after a tough campaign and took us to a Cup Final at Wembley.
‘However, after a good start to last season, this year we have not seen the continuous improvement in results, performances and league position which we have all been looking for.
‘For this reason we have decided to make a change now to allow time for a new head coach to make an impact.
‘The board would like to sincerely thank Dean for his many excellent achievements, on and off the pitch, during this time. Everyone knows how much Aston Villa means to Dean and his family. He has represented the club with distinction and dignity – universally liked and respected by everybody associated with Aston Villa – our staff, players and supporters alike. We wish him the very best,’ he said.
