Aston Villa vs Liverpool preview - McLeish lays down challenge for Villa "underdogs"
Posted Sunday, December 18, 2011 by PA
Alex McLeish has challenged his Aston Villa players to defy their "underdogs" tag and enhance their reputations in a series of forthcoming games against the Barclays Premier League's top clubs.
Villa entertain Sunday's opponents Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in the next fortnight.
McLeish is aware of the task of competing with the spending power of the likes of the Reds who splashed out £20million to sign winger Stewart Downing from Villa last summer.
But he wants his squad to relish such opportunities as Villa strive to cement their spot in the top half of the table.
McLeish said: "There is a bit of a difference in the spending power in what Liverpool have spent and who they've brought to the club.
"You are talking about guys who can make a huge difference, not only in club but world football.
"We are going in against teams like that as underdogs in almost every game.
"But we are at home and the players have got to have no fear at this great stadium of ours.
"We've got to try and make sure the teams are leaving Villa Park knowing they've been in a big game.
"There is no doubt games like this can bring the best out of players.
"This is where they earn their corn and get recognised as great players when they start to take points off the big guns."
Marc Albrighton is one player McLeish is hoping can help fill Downing's role after his summer exit.
The winger has struggled to command a regular spot this season after a dip in form but looked back to his best when scoring in last weekend's win at Bolton.
McLeish said: "Albrighton looks like he has found a wee bit of quality again. He never stopped working hard to get his form back and that is all you can do, never give up.
"Last weekend we saw the Marc Albrighton that shone brightly in last season's campaign.
"In terms of lack of first-team football, it is down to the player. It's players who get themselves in the team and players who get themselves out of the team, pure and simple.
"Marc wasn't doing well enough quality-wise to get into the team but he was really working hard which is why we kept him a big part of everything and we never discarded him."
Striker Gabriel Agbonlahor will serve a one-game ban for incurring five bookings this season with Emile Heskey and Nathan Delfouneso in contention to partner Darren Bent.
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel is wary of the Bent will pose.
The England international has five goals for the season but has not found the net since November 5.
However, he has a decent record against Liverpool with three goals in his last four matches and Skrtel has been on the receiving end of all of them.
"Darren Bent is a great player, an England international striker," said the centre-back.
"We have to keep an eye on him all of the time and stop him from scoring against us."
Sunday's match will have special significance for winger Downing as for the first time he returns to the club he left in the summer to move to Anfield.
Downing was the match-winner the last time the two sides met, with his volley giving the midlanders three points at Villa Park.
Skrtel hopes the 27-year-old will be able to have a similar influence for the Reds this time around.
"It will be a special game for Stewart going back to his former club. He did very well at Villa and I'm sure he will get a good welcome.
"He scored against us in the final game of last season so it would be great if he could do that again for us this time."
Liverpool returned to winnings ways last weekend by beating QPR after seeing their 11-match unbeaten run come to an end at Fulham a few days earlier.
They remain in the hunt for a top-four place and Skrtel believes the start of a compacted six weeks of action is the ideal time to begin picking up momentum again.
"We have a lot of games around Christmas which is a very important period for us," he told liverpoolfc.tv.
"There are a lot of points to play for and we need to get as many wins as we can, starting with Villa.
"They are not an easy side to play against and you always get a difficult game.
"But we will be up for the fight and do everything we can to get the three points."
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