Dean Smith `embarrassed´ by Aston Villa´s damaging loss at Southampton
(The Guardian Sports News)

Dean Smith lambasted Aston Villa´s `embarrassing` performance and said there are `too many training-ground players` in his struggling squad after watching his side suffer a ninth Premier League defeat in 13 matches. Villa remain precariously positioned a point above the relegation zone after goals by Shane Long and Stuart Armstrong provided home comforts to hoist Southampton into mid-table and condemn a flaky Villa side to a deserved defeat.As Smith acknowledged, if Villa turn in a similar display next Sunday in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley, an occasion to celebrate threatens to be a deeply chastening experience. Villa were outclassed from start to finish with Southampton eventually building on Long´s early strike in second-half stoppage time when Armstrong swept the ball into an empty net while Pepe Reina made the pilgrimage back to his goal after going up for a late corner in vain. Continue reading...