Merson: Villa must halt this slide now

Former Villa favourite Paul Merson believes the claret and blues will become embroiled in a relegation dogfight if they lose to Blackburn on Saturday.

Alex McLeish's side travel to Ewood Park eight points above the Premier League drop zone but with games against the top sides round the corner it is important they put distance between themselves and the strugglers.

"Villa have some stinking fixtures coming up and if they don't get a result against Blackburn on Saturday I think they are in real trouble," said Merson who made 101 league appearances for Villa from 1998 to 2002.

"They have got to play the top five or six teams which is a tough old run. If they can beat Blackburn it should pretty much get them safe but if they lose they might only be five or six points above the relegation places with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool all to play.

"If they don't beat Blackburn then I think they will be in a relegation battle. You get a team every year that gets on that glass slope with slippers on and they keep on sliding. It's happened in the past with the likes of Hull and Middlesbrough while it was Blackpool last season."

The former Walsall boss also urged the Villa supporters to put aside their differences with McLeish and get behind the team for the remainder of the season in a bid to avert a slump in form.

"I am a big fan of Alex McLeish's and think he is a good manager although he has an impossible job," added Merson.

"What people need to remember is he is a Scottish manager who came down here to manage Birmingham and is not a Blues fan. It would have been different if someone like Trevor Francis would have been manager because he is Birmingham through and through.

"I think the fans need to put any negative feelings about the manager to one side – whether it is about where he has come from, the fact he took Blues down last season or ideas about the football he plays. The club are in transition.

"With the games that are coming up the players and the manager need the fans right behind them. They are great fans and they could really make the difference."

* Paul Merson was speaking exclusively to the Express & Star to promote the Gillette Soccer Saturday Live tour which will be staged around the country from March through to June. For tickets visit www.livenation.co.uk or call 0844 844 0444.