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Dean Smith: Aston Villa need a united effort to turn faltering season around

Dean Smith has urged players and staff to pull together and get Villa’s faltering season back on track.

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Saturday’s stunning 3-0 defeat Wigan saw them fall to 12th in the Championship and was described by Smith as the lowest point of his managerial career.

Villa now host Hull this weekend desperately needing to kick-start their campaign and the boss said: “The players have to turn it around now. We all do.”

He continued: “The performance on Saturday was rubbish. It was poor.

“But I am not going to lose sight of the players we have in the squad, going and winning 3-0 at Derby and Boro.

“It is the same group of players. It is my job now, I have got to go and earn my money to make sure it never happens again. That is the bottom line.”

Smith defended the commitment of his players after a lacklustre performance, which saw them beaten by a Wigan team who had lost six out of seven going into the game.

Goals from Gary Roberts, Michael Jacobs and Joe Garner, from the penalty spot, earned the Latics a convincing victory.

Asked if his players wanted it enough, Smith replied: “They want it. The first half there was nothing in the game. They showed they wanted it then.

“The second half, they ran harder than we did. It looked like it was out of frustration. We have to get better.”

Villa remain five points outside the play-offs but the boss continued: “I am not even looking at that. I am looking at the next game.

“We can’t go from where we were travelling to Derby, Middlesbrough and West Brom and putting the performances we were with the same personnel, minus Axel (Tuanzebe) and Jack (Grealish).

“We are training no differently. We are certainly not a one or two man team. The players know that. There is certainly enough ability within that dressing room.”

Villa are assessing Jonathan Kodjia after the striker missed Saturday’s game with an ankle injury.