Source: Daily_Mail
Stewart Downing tells Aston Villa to stand up and fight after Liverpool humbling
Aston Villa's Stewart Downing has issued a war cry to his team-mates in the aftermath of the 3-0 demolition by Liverpool at Anfield.[LNB]The 26-year-old winger was devastated by the the performance on Merseyside as Villa slumped to their third consecutive Barclays Premier League defeat, but insisted that the club look forward, not back.[LNB]'We wanted to start off well against Liverpool but we didn't. We conceded two schoolboy goals really.[LNB]'Thesecond goal was offside but we've still got to be better than that andshow more fight. It just wasn't a very good performance.[LNB] War cry: Downing (right)[LNB]'We went toAnfield thinking we had a real chance. We've had players out throughillness but we started sloppily and the goal gave them a big lift. Itdeflated us really.[LNB]'Once that goal went in, we went a bit flat and stopped playing forward and getting into people.[LNB]'We seemed to give them too much respect and they were playing around us. We've got to improve with that.'[LNB]Downing has issued a war cry, telling Villa to turn around their woeful league form - beginning with the derby clash with West Brom at Villa Park on Saturday. [LNB]'We've got a massive game now on Saturday in which we've got to put things right.[LNB]'Earlier this season we put in some terrific performances and lost games that we should have won, where we basically did everything right.[LNB]'But against Liverpool we didn't fight, we didn't get amongst people and we didn't finish chances when we had them.[LNB]'We need to defend better as a team. Against a team like Liverpool, if you don't do that, they will punish you because they have the players to do it.[LNB]'I'm still confident, though, that we can put things right. We have to be man enough to stand up and have a right go.[LNB]'You need to fight as a team and be hard to beat. We weren't against Liverpool but in the past we have been.[LNB]'We need to stick together as a team. We have to do things right on the training ground and put it into practice. But it's one thing talking about it, we need to go out and do it. We need to keep fighting.'[LNB] Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0: Hard labour for former boss Houllier at AnfieldJuventus prepared to let Sissoko go to Aston Villa but giants will ask for £7mASTON VILLA FC
