Birmingham Live journalist Ashley Preece believes Dean Smith has proven himself on multiple occasions in the past, as pressure begins to mount on the Aston Villa manager.
The 50-year-old recently celebrated three years in charge of the Villans, but he seems to be going through one of his trickiest spells at the helm.
What's the latest news at Aston Villa?
After ending September with back-to-back wins against Everton and Manchester United, it looked like Villa were on the right track.
However, they endured a dismal October, losing all four of their top-flight matches. The team hit a new low on Sunday when they were thrashed 4-1 at home by West Ham and finished the game with 10 men as Ezri Konsa was sent off.
It has been a disastrous run for Smith's men, who have now lost six of their opening 10 league matches this term, and are down in 15th place, just three points above the bottom three.
What has Preece said about Smith?
Smith will have hoped for a better start to his third campaign in the Premier League, and there is no getting away from the fact that his side's form has been dire over the past month.
Still, Preece does not seem to be overly-concerned, as he has claimed that Smith has shown over the years that he is good enough to manage at this level.
He told GIVEMESPORT: “Obviously, whenever defeats occur or poor performances occur, obviously the finger gets pointed most often at the manager.
“But, time and time again, Dean Smith proves a point. And he’s proven that not to himself, he’s proven that to the Premier League now.”
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Does Smith deserve time to turn things around at Villa?
Since arriving at Villa, Smith has enjoyed a largely successful spell in the dugout, leading the club to promotion from the Championship in his first year, before guiding the side to a mid-table finish last season.
This suggests that he has done a good job, and Villa should not be hitting the panic button just yet.
However, football is a results-based business, and the Midlands club have been falling short consistently lately. It has been reported that Villa have made contact with former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca, so it seems they are considering replacing Smith in the near future.
Villa face Southampton on Friday, and this match could decide Smith's fate, as another defeat could lead to him losing his job during the upcoming international break.
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