Martin Laursen: Keep feet on ground
VILLA skipper Martin Laursen has warned his team-mates to keep their feet on the ground despite a fine start to the season.
Martin O’Neill’s side have won three successive Premier League matches and sit third in the table.
But Laursen is not getting over-excited.
“We are playing well, scoring goals and winning games, so it is fantastic,’’ he said.
“But we can’t get carried away. Sunderland was a very important win.
“The fact that we can bounce back after going behind in games also makes it even better.
“We can enjoy things at the moment but we must all not forget that it is still early. Anything can still happen,” he said.
“We need to work hard because if we don’t it will be difficult to win games.
“We also have a manager who keeps reminding us of that.
“He says we have to be at our best to win games, and we have to work hard in every game as best as we can.
“So there is no way we can get carried away.”
Laursen says there is no chance of Villa “messing up” as they aim to secure a safe passage through to the lucrative stages of the UEFA Cup.
O’Neill’s ‘midweek’ side, containing six changes, were sent crashing out of the Carling Cup by QPR and a ‘second string’ are likely to step out against Litex Lovech with the trip to Chelsea just three days later.
Laursen was held back from the Rangers tie but has told O’Neill he is keen to play on Thursday even though Villa already hold a 3-1 advantage.
“I will look to play, definitely,’’ he said.
“I have already proved I can cope with midweek games but if the manager decides to rest me, that is up to him.
“They (Litex Lovech) shouldn’t have a chance because I think we were definitely the better team and we got a really good result over there.
“It is now up to us to close the tie and get into the group stages.
“We have a good team and we have players who work hard but who still have the ability to play football.
“We have got a good combination of strength and ability.
“So I don’t see Thursday as a problem. I don’t think we will mess it up.
“I think we will prepare for the game and be focused because it is important for us to qualify for the group stages.
“We will be up for it definitely.
“What happened against QPR we cannot allow again and it is so important for us to get through.
“Even though we have won 3-1 and felt we were the better side, that won’t change a thing.
“We just want to win this game and we will be fully focused on that.”
Carlos Cuellar, Zat Knight, Craig Gardner, Marlon Harewood, Brad Guzan, Wayne Routledge, Isaiah Osbourne and Moustapha Salifou are all likely to come into the reckoning.
