Aston Villa told they must be up for the fight
Villa have been told to brace themselves for a battle at Sheffield United tomorrow.
Dean Smith’s men head to Bramall Lane looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 4-1 defeat to Leicester, their heaviest of the season. But they will face a Blades outfit sitting eighth in the table, with just one defeat in their last nine matches.
Chris Wilder’s team, who like Villa were promoted from the Championship last term, have won deserved plaudits for their attacking performances back in the top flight.
But former Villa striker Garry Thompson believes the visitors also need to be ready for a physical challenge.
He said: “You read a lot about how Sheffield United play with the overlapping centre-backs and that.
“But first and foremost they are going to test you physically and Villa need to stand up to that. They’ve got to be ready to fight.”
Tomorrow’s match leads into a pivotal run of festive fixtures for Villa, who have lost five of their last seven matches and sit outside the bottom three on goal difference. Midfielder John McGinn admits players are under no illusions as to the importance of the next few weeks.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint and that is something we proved last year,” he said.
“But it’s so important to get the wins racked up so we can give ourselves the best possible chance of finishing high up the table.
“Wwe know how important these games are. It’s so tight across the league and the margins are so fine. We just need to make sure we stay the right side of the margin.”
