Gerard Houllier assures low-scoring Aston Villa the goals will come
Oct 27 2010 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
GERARD Houllier remains relaxed about Villa’s goal drought ahead of tonight’s Carling Cup clash against Burnley – fearing that dwelling on missed chances will make things worse.
Villa need to find the net at home to Brian Laws’ Clarets in this evening’s last-16 tie, having put five past them in the Premier League at Villa Park last season.
But despite blanks in their last two league games, the draw against Chelsea and defeat at Sunderland, Houllier is refusing to panic about the lack of goals.
Villa average a top-flight goal a game so far this season with nine in nine, but have scored six in three cup games in the Europa League and Carling Cup.
It gives them an overall total of just 15 goals in 12 games with Emile Heskey’s missed sitter at Sunderland on Saturday epitomising their problems.
Heskey is the joint three-goal top scorer with Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, while there has been one goal apiece from the departed James Milner, Gabby Agbonlahor, Stiliyan Petrov, Luke Young, Marc Albrighton and Barry Bannan.
Houllier reckons that overdoing shooting drills on the training ground can often exacerbate the issue by putting doubts in players’ minds.
