Villa boss calling on fans to be 12th man
Friday 25th February 2011, 11:27AM GMT.
Gerard Houllier today called on Villa’s fans to “make the difference” against Blackburn tomorrow and help the claret and blues kick-start their climb up the Premier League table.
Despite a run of eight games unbeaten, Villa have stuttered in their last two games, drawing against Fulham and Blackpool to leave them three points above the relegation zone.
And, while Houllier recognised that while it is easy for the crowd to get excited for high-profile matches against bigger teams, he wants the Villa faithful to be in good voice against less illustrious opponents.
“We need the 12th man for this game,” said Houllier.
“We need everybody backing us because we haven’t played for a fortnight. If we beat them we get above them. I think we’ve got six games at home, hopefully more if we go through in the cup. Those six games are vital for us for the rest of the season.
“The fans play a part in that definitely. They make a difference.”
The Villa boss also offered assurances about the future of Stewart Downing — who has been linked with Liverpool and Sunderland — but insisted there is no immediate need to offer him a new deal.
“His contract is long enough not to worry about that — there’s no problem there. At the end of the season we will see,” he said.
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