Alex McLeish has revealed a pang of jealously at how Dean Smith has been backed to the hilt in the transfer market by Aston Villa.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Villa manager highlighted the difference between the last two summer windows and the tight spending when he was in charge.
Villa spent around £125million in the summer of 2019 and followed up by splashing out around £75m in the recently-shut window.
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This was in stark contrast to the restricted finances McLeish was faced with when he was in charge between June 2011 and May 2012.
Asked by Football Insider for his verdict on Smith, McLeish said: “You know how fickle it is in the Premier League, Frank De Boer lasted five games, others similar and that’s, it takes a wee bit of luck for owners to give the managers a chance and I think Dean’s a great up and coming manager.
“Well, he’s already proved himself – to get the Villa job you’re already established as a manager – but I believes that to get over that hurdle of possible relegation was massive for them.
