Houllier: Players will stick together and show fighting qualities

[Legion]

Manager says squad will show fight and togetherness ahead of Chelsea game.

From Pravda:

Gerard Houllier insists Villa's players will display all their battling qualities and show a united front as they look to climb the Barclays Premier League.

And the manager reckons there would be no better place for his team's confidence to be restored than at the home of double winners Chelsea on Sunday.

The claret and blues have endured a difficult festive period so far with defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

But Houllier is confident his squad will show the fighting spirit required to reverse their recent poor fortunes.

"When there is adversity, there is fight, flight or fright," said the Frenchman. "We've got to fight. There is no option and in fighting together that will bring a spirit.

"I think some players are affected mentally by what is happening here. But they are man enough now to be counted and go and say 'we can cope' - but it is a team thing.

"The team needs more to know that I've got faith in them, I trust them, they are good players and they haven't changed.

"They are still good players. There has been a change in the culture of what we have been doing here but we won't go back and we've got to stick together.

"We've also been affected by a few results that didn't go our way when we deserved for them to go our way. We were also hit by some injuries.

"We know we have to address a few things like playing more compact."

Rebuilding the team's confidence is a top priority for Houllier, although he believes one positive result can change everything.

"The confidence will come sometimes with an unexpected result like Wolves when they won at Liverpool," he said. "That gave a huge boost to everyone.

"Sometimes it can come from the fact that in the game the performance is better and you can keep a clean sheet even if you don't get a win.

"The confidence comes when you get together, you know you fight together and you get a better level of football.

"Maybe a minor result becomes more important. That is how you build your confidence."

Houllier doesn't need telling about the size of the task facing Villa this weekend.

But he says they have nothing to lose against Carlo Ancelotti's men, who have just emerged from a rough patch of their own.

The reigning Barclays Premier League champions had won only one of their previous eight top-flight matches prior to Wednesday night's victory over Bolton Wanderers.

"It's better to play Chelsea at Chelsea," added Houllier. "We have nothing to lose.

"I know the result they had last year. It is better to go to Chelsea and start the year in the best way.

"They had six points out of a possible 24 points before the Bolton game so I think the Bolton game gave them a bit of a boost. But we will match that."

[Phil from the upper holte]

That's the spirit

Come on you Villa boys

[ClarrieBlue]

I really, really hope we get a result tomorrow but this is just the same old rhetoric that you get from any club when the relegation trapdoor beckons. No one can admit to being down and out and it just seems to get worse day by day even when we don't play ie the Wolves and Wigan results. Yesterday we were gonna sign France's most promising player now it appears the new Viera has a bad back. Is there any good news for us anywhere.

[darren woolley]

Let's hope they do that starting on sunday come on villa onwards and upwards.

[villa1]

I really, really hope we get a result tomorrow but this is just the same old rhetoric that you get from any club when the relegation trapdoor beckons. No one can admit to being down and out and it just seems to get worse day by day even when we don't play ie the Wolves and Wigan results. Yesterday we were gonna sign France's most promising player now it appears the new Viera has a bad back. Is there any good news for us anywhere.

I'd rather we got one on Sunday!

[ClarrieBlue]

I really, really hope we get a result tomorrow but this is just the same old rhetoric that you get from any club when the relegation trapdoor beckons. No one can admit to being down and out and it just seems to get worse day by day even when we don't play ie the Wolves and Wigan results. Yesterday we were gonna sign France's most promising player now it appears the new Viera has a bad back. Is there any good news for us anywhere.

I'd rather we got one on Sunday!

See what do I know. I don't even know what day it is anymore I'm that punch drunk.

[markavfc40]

Don't tell me show me.

[hawkeye]

i hope he has called the players together and given them a message, dont think you are bailing out in the jan transfer window, the only players that are going anywhere are the ones that i choose, if you dont want to play for this great club tell me now.

[JD]

That's more like it. Now let's put it into action on the pitch.

[taylorsworkrate]

I don't believe you Gerard.

Prove me otherwise.

[mrfuse]

As my dad used to say bless him "And the band played believe it if you like"

[ventnor villain]

It sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

[SteveD]

It sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

That would be a start, he hasn't even been talking the talk.

[themossman]

Even that's got a subtle bigging up of Liverpool in there! He needs to get max clifford on the horn.

[Risso]

We'll see.  Not too many people are expecting to win, but the performance is key.  Another abject Man City type display and his services should be dispensed with forthwith.  A battling display and he buys himself some time.