Remi Garde confident Aston Villa can move away from trouble

03 November 2015 20:46

Aston Villa's new manager Remi Garde believes the club have been unlucky this season and is confident the players have the necessary spirit to move up the Barclays Premier League table.

Former Lyon boss Garde, 49, became the sixth permanent French manager in Barclays Premier League history on Monday when he signed a three-and-a-half-year deal to replace Tim Sherwood.

But his first job was to watch from the stands as his new side slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham, leaving them with only four points from 11 matches.

"The team is unfortunate at the moment, I think. Hopefully we can pull together and improve the level," Garde told the club's official website.

"The situation at the moment is very difficult for everybody.

"I am just arriving. I have some ideas, of course, because I have watched a lot of the games they have played since the start of the season.

"I just want to work hard - and the players to have more confidence in themselves, in their team-mates, in the team, in the club because I think when you start losing you are getting low in confidence.

"You cannot play winning games if you are low on confidence.

"But I think the current level of the table doesn't reflect the level of the team."

The loss to Tottenham was Villa's sixth straight loss in all competitions. But Garde is optimistic ahead of his challenge and spoke of his pride and determination to turn things around.

"It feels very good - I am very proud to be the new Aston Villa manager," said Garde, who will face Premier League leaders Manchester City in his first match in charge.

"I am here to do my best - to give a lot to this big football club.

"When you come into a football club there is always pressure, difficulties, problems to solve - but this is what you have to cope with.

"I know it's a huge and historic football club that needs at the moment to improve. I hope to do that.

"I am quite confident because there are some very good players in the team.

"The spirit I saw on the field (at Tottenham) was quite encouraging for me. I am going to work on that.

"I hope we will improve in different ways. It's a very short time before the next game on Sunday.

"I have no time. I know that."

Garde also gave assurances that he will not be focusing on the French players in Villa's squad.

He added: "My focus is the team - and the team result.

"I won't care more about the French players.

"The team is a whole team. We need to be all together."

Source: PA