Villa’s Premier League clash with Wigan may have been postponed because of ice and snow, but manager Gerard Houllier is adamant the club will not face a winter of discontent.

It has been a turbulent few weeks for the Frenchman whose side have struggled on the pitch while he has been forced to deal with a number of awkward matters off it.

Houllier, though, seems less bothered about winning popularity contests and is completely dedicated to football matters ahead of a testing run of games over Christmas.

The Stephen Ireland saga epitomises Houllier’s unhappiness with the direction the club was heading in before he arrived.

Thankfully he has started to redress the balance and he wasted little time in seeking to move on a player who is perhaps not 100 per cent committed to the club.

Ireland is one of a number of Villa players who have not moved to the Midlands area – another issue Houllier is attempting to resolve.

There has also been growing rumours of player unrest recently, which culminated in stories about an apparent training ground bust-up with Richard Dunne.

And Houllier may well be dubbed ‘Scrooge’ by the players for not granting them extra time off over the Christmas period.

But it embodies the kind of focus required by management and players alike to help Villa get their season back on track.

“I think the players sometimes have to realise and we, the staff as well, that we are at a good club with good facilities and we are paid to come to training to get fit for games,” said Houllier.

“A lot of people would like to be in our place. It is very easy to see the glass as half empty rather than the half full.

“But also whining, moaning, complaining and not being happy is a feature of life today. Some players when they moan, I know they are in good shape.

“They are paid high wages to play football. They come every day, they get one day off. After Wigan they were due to get three days off because we have a very hectic period over the Christmas and New Year.

“But this is fantastic a job and sometimes this is forgotten.

“You’ve got talent and the chance of being in a good club and you are playing and you are paid to enjoy your football.

“I am not going to give more days off than I was doing. I know some players would like to have more days off. This is not the case.”

Houllier addressed concerns raised about reported disgruntlement with the training methods he has introduced since arriving at the club.

Undoubtedly life at Bodymoor Heath has become tougher for Villa’s players with double sessions and increased fitness work.

But Houllier insisted he has had no complaints about the workload and is confident everyone will get used to the new regime over time.

“This is something I’ve read but it is not true. I know it is different to what it was before but it is not true and the players will adapt gradually,” said Houllier.

“We do a lot of work with the ball, we do a lot of games and we do some tactics as well. I cannot prevent things being written. “We are not in a comfortable position in the league and we should have at least four or five points more. But we are not going to throw everything away.

“We had games where we were in the leading position and sometimes dropped silly points. It is a matter sometimes of focus.”

Houllier has also encouraged the Villa players to take more collective responsibility for their performances following a four-match losing streak that was ended by the win over Albion.

The squad subsequently held a team meeting and the Villa boss was pleased it helped to provoke a positive reaction.

“It’s a very good idea that the players address things together in the changing rooms,” added Houllier.

“I initiated it but I didn’t ask for feedback. The training since has been more intense and competitive and to me that’s a good sign.

“On the back of that we won against West Brom. They deal with that internally. I’m not asking questions because it looks like gossip.

“I was pleased that they did it and it was a good idea.

“We have a young team, we have had a lot of injuries and sickness so it has not been easy. But we will work hard and improve.”

By Timothy Abraham