I think we may be pleasantly surprised. If Smith wants him back then it may not be just because of injuries. I didn't think he was that bad at the end of Bruce reign, just totally devoid of confidence which happens after 2 years having a manager who doesn't want you and makes no secret of it.
Interesting that Elphicj feels the style that Smith wants to play is similar to Howe and Poyet, two managers under which he did really well.
hope he does well, hes 31 i don't know why i thought he was older than thatwhen he says he made his mind up straight away when he got the call, does he even have a choice ?
It would have depended if they’d paid a loan fee.
Tommy Elphick: Faltering Aston Villa need to "wise up" at the backBy Matt MaherSaturday’s 2-2 home draw with Hull saw Dean Smith’s men fall into the bottom half of the Championship, now seven points behind the top six.Goals from James Chester and Tammy Abraham earned a point for the hosts, after the visitors took advantage of slack defending to lead 2-0 courtesy of Jarrod Bowen and Evandro.Villa now possess the division’s third-worst defensive record, having conceded 16 in their last six home games.And though Elphick believes a top six finish is still in reach, he admits they must stop giving “stupid goals” away.He said: “They do all seem to be similar – we get caught on the counter or get caught after a mistake.“We just need to wise up a little bit. The way we are trying to play, we are always going to be susceptible to being countered and conceding goals.“But I’ve had success playing this way at Bournemouth. We had the second best defence in the league that season. That is where we want to be.”He continued: “When you see the intensity that we pressed with in the second half on Saturday, it just makes it so much easier for us to get onto the front foot.“When that pressing is breaks down, we need to become a little bit more savvy and more streetwise and fall into our shape a little bit quicker and make it harder for teams to score.“We are giving stupid goals away that aren’t good enough for us to be up in the top six at the moment.” Villa were booed off at half-time but left the field at full-time to applause after their comeback.“We understand the booing,” said Elphick. “We’ve all been at the club long enough now to understand the frustration of where this club has been and where it wants to go.“Of course, it hurts. If it doesn’t there is something wrong. It was added motivation to try and turn it around in the second half.“We set a benchmark there in the second half and that’s what we have to take forward.”He added: “We have to believe (we can still make the top six) with the talent we’ve got, with the coaching staff we’ve got in place.“The most important thing for me is the contrast in the two halves. Let’s take the second half and take that forward. If we do, then the wins are only around the corner.“Once we get that next win, hopefully we will get on a roll.”
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Topic: Tommy Elphick - signed for Huddersfield (Read 171944 times)
