Steve Bruce may have been sacked at the start of the month, but the blame still lies at his feet, according to these Aston Villa fans.

Bruce was let go after picking up just six points from a September run featuring six games, leaving Villa as close to the drop zone as they were to the automatic promotion places.

Dean Smith has since stepped up to the plate and taken charge of Aston Villa for two matches, seeing the claret and blue side beat Swansea and lose to Norwich in ties decided by a single goal.

The Swansea win would have brought a glimpse of optimism to Villans, but defeat so soon in will have acted as an immediate wake up call to anyone getting carried away as it showed the fans and the new boss just how much work remains to be done at Villa Park.

Obviously the time between taking charge and the first taste of defeat is too short for any manger to make long term adjustments with the players at their disposal left by the old regime, even if some fans suggested more than just the honeymoon was over.

Time will be needed for Smith to stamp his mark on those players, and utilise the January window where he sees fit, but the 47-year-old can take comfort in these fans who acknowledge the workload he has to overturn Steve Bruce’s mess.

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