Aston Villa succumbed to their seventh defeat in nine league games at home to relegation rivals Southampton, a result which leaves the club in the bottom three.
It wasn’t just the defeat which should be of concern, though, as a 3-1 loss to a fellow relegation rival is a very worrying sign, with familiar problems cropping up once again for the Villans.
Dean Smith may have led the club back to the Premier League and to the semi-finals of the League Cup, but he is becoming increasingly unpopular and seemingly unable to stop the current rot.
As a result, many Villa fans are now fed up with their manager and are keen to see him leave the club soon.
Smith has a great track record with his boyhood club but it is fair to say that he is still adjusting to the top-flight, and certain tactical decisions haven’t really paid off for him, particularly in regard to Wesley.
The Brazilian has scored just four goals in 18 Premier League games and often his lack of mobility acts as more of a hindrance than an advantage to his team, and fans are frustrated that the manager can’t see the problem.
Some have been criticising his tactical decisions, especially his refusal to play two strikers up-front when Wesley has been struggling and Jonathan Kodjia has been available for selection.
In other Aston Villa news, Andre Green could return from his disappointing loan spell at Preston North End.
