Kevin MacDonald insists Aston Villa's revival must start immediately if they want to survive relegation.
The caretaker boss takes the Barclays Premier League's bottom side to Tottenham on Monday aiming to avoid a seventh straight defeat.
Villa sacked Tim Sherwood last week and are keen on appointing former Lyon boss Remi Garde as his replacement.
MacDonald, who was previously caretaker manager in 2010, has admitted Garde could be in the crowd at White Hart Lane and knows the struggling side - four points from the safety line - need quick results.
He said: "What we have to do, basically, is get more points than we have so far. It's not a case of changing it. It's a case of changing it to say 'we start again'. This is our first game of the season. We have 28 games in the season now.
"We need to get possibly 36-40 points. It's a big ask looking at the stats we have at the moment but we don't feel it's impossible to do. It has to start on Monday.
"Whoever comes in now has 28 games. It's a 28 game season for us now. It's difficult but it can happen and I am sure it will happen. When the new manager comes in, I am sure he will get his ideas forward to them. Sooner rather than later.
"It may be this week. If not, I am quite happy to wait around and keep the club going."
Villa beat Spurs 1-0 at White Hart Lane last season but Harry Kane rediscovered his scoring touch with a hat-trick against Bournemouth last week and MacDonald is wary of the hosts' quality.
He said: "Harry Kane and Ryan Mason are two outstanding talents for them. Obviously Tim (Sherwood) was involved with them. But they have a hell of a lot of other good players as well.
"You look at their whole squad. Kyle Walker, who was here, is an outstanding talent, Danny Rose has been good as well as Vertonghen, Chadli, Lamela. They have a lot of big names and they could probably pick a couple of very good sides."
Garde has been employed as a match expert for French broadcaster Canal+, which reported on Sunday that he is to become the new Villa manager.
The Canal Football Club programme made the claim on its Twitter feed, saying: "Remi Garde is going to coach Aston Villa. Reginald Ray will be one of his assistants."
It did not name its source. Ray has previously coached at US Boulogne and Bastia.
Source: PA
