Aston Villa boss Dean Smith admitted he had some harsh words for his players at half-time in the 1-1 draw against Stoke City yesterday.

An early effort from Sam Vokes meant Villa went into the break a goal down at the Bet365 Stadium and they could have few complaints, with the hosts far superior.

However, it was a different story in the second period, with Albert Adomah equalising for Villa before they pressed for a winner that ultimately didn't come.

And, Smith told the Express & Star that he sent a strong message to his players at half-time which prompted a much-improved display.

[ad_pod ]

"I got into my players a bit at half time. It wasn’t the fact that they gave the ball away too easily it was their body language at the reaction to it.

"Second half was a really good display. We dominated the game and fully deserved the equaliser."

Despite the improvement, which required Potters keeper Jack Butland to make a few smart stops to earn his side a point, it's a result that doesn't do much for Villa.

They are eight points behind the play-offs, with some of the sides above having two games in hand on Smith's men.

The Verdict

Anyone who saw the game yesterday will have recognised that Villa were a completely different side after the break, so Smith deserves some credit as what he said clearly had an impact.

But, you also have to question why they started in such a poor way.

This was a massive game for Villa and they really needed to win to keep alive their faint top six hopes, so you can't afford to not turn up for 45 minutes!

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.