All pressure on Villa warns O’Neill
Friday 19th February 2010, 9:31AM GMT.
Villa manager Martin O’Neill admits the pressure will all be on his team this Sunday as they bid to continue Burnley’s dreadful away record.
The Champions League-chasers host the Clarets this weekend bidding for what would only be a second Premier League victory in their last eight games.
They face a Burnley side who have claimed just one point from their 13 top-flight trips this term and O’Neill is well aware the burden of expectation lies heavily on his side’s shoulders.
He said: “They’re fighting for their lives. I went down to the game against Fulham the Sunday before last when they lost 3-0 and they will be disappointed, because they were probably expecting a better show.
“I think regardless of their away record the expectation is on us anyway. We’re still capable of losing.
“They went to Old Trafford and should have been two up before Manchester United scored but lost and went on to win 3-0, that was only a couple of weeks ago.
“I wouldn’t be too concerned about their away record. Do you remember some weeks ago way back at the start of the season when Portsmouth couldn’t win a game.
“They went to Wolves and Mick McCarthy said, ‘well, we think we can win this but we don’t really want to be the team that loses the first game to then,’ then lo and behold they lost.”
O’Neill insists their one away result this season – a 3-3 draw against fellow top-four hopefuls Manchester City at Eastlands – should act as a warning over their capabilities.
He said: “I know that their away record leaves them under an awful lot of pressure to win games at home. Ironically, the point they’ve taken away from home this season was against Manchester City when they scored three.
“They’re a nice footballing side but they obviously realise they’re in a real battle and we just want to get at them if we can and try to win the game.
“It’s as big a game for us as it is for Burnley.”
UK Sport
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