“It’s their decision whether they want to come out and say that. You would have seen people get votes of confidence and it probably means not too much.

“If you win enough games it’s someone else’s turn to have the pressure. The pressure is on me anyway and I always knew that. When you manage a club like Aston Villa there’s always pressure. There was pressure last season when things were going very well for us. We reached our objective which was to stay in the league. No one was talking to me then so I don’t expect [people] to talk to me now.

“They bought me in for a reason. They know I can do the job. They saw me do it last season.

“I think it’s tough on managers when they’re not allowed time to turn it around. It seems to always be that way. It’s part and parcel of it. Unfortunately we’re in this business where we have to take responsibility. It’s not me who makes the decisions. I don’t hire and fire people at this football club. I’m here to be their manager and give everything to the cause. I can’t do more than what I’m doing, to be honest. I’m working hard with the players. I’m trying to find the best formula and it will be successful in the end, given time.

“We take inspiration from teams like Leicester who were at the bottom of the Premier League last season and they put a run together which we’re capable of doing. This group of players are capable of doing it next year because they’ve had a year experience. It’s been hard and we can’t hide away from it but it will be easier come the end of the season, believe me.

“We have to collectively stick together, players, staff, directors and get Villa Park bouncing. We need to be as one.

“Then we can take that confidence into the next game.

“Whenever I’m not happy with the situation and I’m not happy in my job of work, then I would [walk away], 100%. Not now. And if I can take what I’ve taken over the last few months and still be happy, that tells you a lot.

“I’ve taken the brunt of this football club over the last few months, everything that everyone wants to throw at it – negatives – it’s been on my head. And that’s my job as a manager to take that responsibility. I’m not in the background, am I? I’m the manager, I get paid to stand at the front and take it on the chin and that’s what I’m doing.

“I am telling the players it’s a must-win because I think we need to win a game sooner or later.

“This is a cup final. Forget Wembley last season, this is a cup final. It isn’t a bigger game in my mind, it’s the next one, but it is a massive game, not only for me but for them as well. They all want to be Premier League footballers and this club needs to be in the Premier League. I know we will be and they need to know we will be. They will only do that by winning games and getting that confidence.

“It’s all right me jumping around like a lunatic on the sidelines but I’ve tried to calm that down for their benefit really.

“I can’t affect it once they cross that line. I can only make certain decisions during a game. They want to win but it’s about showing people and making the correct decisions at the right time under pressure - that’s what makes top players.

“I don’t want to bring anxiety to anywhere, certainly to the crowd, because that spreads to the players and that’s the last thing they need at the moment because they are anxious.”

Tim ‘tactics’ Sherwood lays out his master plan pre-match.



”I’m disappointed with result. I didn’t think we deserved to lose. We can’t carry anyone because we’re getting done.

“I said to the boys every one has to play to their maximum to get anything from a game. At the moment we are short.

“If people don’t give everything we’ll come up short.

“The boys gave everything. There’s no shortage in desire but the quality is not quite there.

“We’re not world beaters. Our league position suggests were not and today wasn’t our day.

“I am gutted we haven’t got anything from the game. It’s not about me personally.

“I believe we will get out of it and this club will be in the Premier League next season. I’m expecting them to improve to win enough games.”

Tim Sherwood, Saturday, 24 October 2015.
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“Am I going to be in the job next week? I’m not the person to ask.

“I feel like the club is in a hole.

“No, it’s out of my control.

“I can only control what I can control, and on Monday I’ll be working as hard I’ve done since I came to this club.

“I’ll just turn my phone off.

Tim Sherwood, Saturday, 24 October 2015.
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“The board believes the results on the pitch were simply not good enough and that a change is imperative.”

Club Statement, Sunday, 25 October 2015.