Reo-Coker's in it to win it at Villa

Aug 31 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

NIGEL Reo-Coker has urged his Villa teammates to display a winning mentality against table-topping Chelsea as they bid for back-to-back Premier League wins.

Villa head into Sunday's clash protecting a proud eight and-a-half year unbeaten home record with three wins and six draws against Chelsea in all competitions since a 3-0 reverse in March 1999 on an afternoon when a young Gareth Barry played at centre-back.

Reo-Coker's own fortunes against Chelsea aren't so hot - five times since October 2004 he has faced them in a West Ham shirt and has lost all five.

Chelsea even managed to score 12 goals past them in the four Premier league meetings over the past two seasons, including four at Upton Park in April.

But Reo-Coker is undaunted about facing them this weekend at Villa Park.

"It is all about having that winning mentality," he said. "And the thing that Martin O'Neill has established in us so far is a winning mentality - every game we go out to win.

"That's Carling Cup, FA Cup or a league game. We have to win games. As long as you are winning and drawing games and not losing them, that is the foundation we want to set and to build on.

"It was very important to get that first win over Fulham. All teams are anxious for it. Get that first win and you can build and go on from there.

"Fulham was a very difficult game, but at half-time I was telling the boys that we had to keep going, continue to create chances and I truly believed we could win it.

"I told them we could win if we had that belief, even if we took until the 90th minute which is what happened.

"With the chances we are creating we have got to stay positive. We have got a really bright future here and we must continue to play in the same vein."