Peter Grant promises Villa response

Aston Villa assistant boss Peter Grant today promised a reaction from the players against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday to banish the pain of their Carling Cup exit.

Grant admitted the claret and blues were "hurt" after they meekly surrendered against Bolton, in one of only two competitions they have a realistic chance of winning.

The defeat prompted a furious reaction from Villa fans and Alex McLeish's second-in-command understood their frustrations.

Grant said: "Nobody likes people having a go at you. Every human being will kid you on and tell you they take praise and criticism in the same way, but that's nonsense.

"We know it is part and parcel of the game, but the one thing we've got to do is make sure there's less criticism and more praise and to do that you have to win games of football.

"Alex is disappointed, not for himself, but for everyone else at the football club, and he's a terrible loser.

"We've got some very good football players here and they want to do well and be successful. They don't want results and performances like Bolton.

"It was a game we wanted to win in a competition we wanted to win. It hurts them and it hurts us like it hurts the supporters – and so it should."

"Of course we're looking for a response and I'm confident we're going to get one."