Aston Villa’s defensive record may prove to be biggest barrier to play-off push

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Dean Smith inherited an Aston Villa squad from Steve Bruce that was short on defensive depth and experience but was also charged with creating a more exciting playing style at Villa Park.

That is not an easy task for any manager, let alone one taking over mid-season at a club with expectations as high as Villa’s.

And it may be that the defensive issues Smith has inherited from Bruce are too much to overcome as the campaign wears on as Villa look to try and secure a play-off place.

Only two second tier have conceded more league goals than Villa this season and that is simply not sustainable for a side who has designs on the Premier League.

Smith has made Villa a lot easier on the eye than they were under Bruce – and that was a large part of his brief – but has not been able to engineer enough defensive improvement to really sustain the momentum of a surge for the play-offs.

They have an attack that can outscore teams but it is not always possible to score in such numbers on the road, and that’s when clean sheets and being frugal at the back comes into play.

It’s all about getting the balance right and Smith isn’t at the moment – and unless Villa tighten up, their hopes of making the play-offs look distant.