Express & Star

Martin O’Neill has admitted he’s at his lowest ebb since taking over at Villa after their latest setback.

Saturday’s home defeat against lowly Sunderland left Villa eight points off the only UEFA Cup spot with seven games left after taking two points from 12.

“I’ve been here 20 months and on Saturday, considering what was at stake, is as low as I’ve felt,” said the Villa boss.

“There were a couple of low points last season when you were thinking ‘where’s the next point coing from?’ but we were trying to get a side together.

“I’m really low because we lost and it was desperately disappointing.”

Villa were backed by another 42,640 full house, but O’Neill is now questioning whether the players can live up to his and the crowd’s expectations.

“The crowd came out in big numbers and we should do better for them. That’s my responsibilty,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter about expectation. Aston Villa Football Club should be about expectation.

“How the players are coping with that is something we’re all going to have to analyse.”

With chances of qualification through their league position looking increasingly slim, O’Neill is refusing to focus on the Intertoto Cup.

“We’ve put our name forward but so have four or five other clubs,” he said. 

“It’s a possibility, but after Saturday I wouldn’t start talking about the Intertoto. We need to win a game.

“If we don’t make it, we won’t have deserved it.

“We have the determination, and we’re going to fight to the death. There has to be a renewed determination.”

O’Neill also refused to blame keeper Scott Carson, who appeared slow coming off his line for Michael Chopra’s winner.

“I want to encourage him to keep coming, I don’t want him rooted to his line,” he said.

“If coming and making a mistake or two or not getting the correct punch means over time you’re going to be better at coming off your line, that’s good.

“He wouldn’t be the only one here that made a few mistakes on Saturday.”

Carson, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young have all missed out on Fabio Capello’s trimmed-down England squad for the friendly against France in Paris, leaving Gareth Barry as the only Villa player in.