Mark Delaney Calls For Character

Delaney is sharing David O'Leary's concerns about relegation. Him and a few hundred thousand fans I'd have thought.

Delaney is calling for 'character' after our worst ever start to a Premiership campaign. Villa are currently two points off the bottom three with tough games against Liverpool, Newcastle, Bolton and Man Utd looming over the next two months. Not to mention the 'six pointers' against Sunderland and Everton.

He told the official site: 'It needs character and it's down to us now to get ourselves out of it,' said Delaney. 'The manager has put faith in the squad and it's down to us. We've got to stay strong and we can't let our heads go down otherwise we'll be in serious trouble by Christmas.'

Delaney admitted: 'We've been poor for a while, and teams who are down there don't have the rub of the green. They give sloppy goals away and they're behind before they get going. That seems to be what we're doing at the moment. It's disappointing, and we're going to be down there if we keep playing like this.'

O'Leary, not one to miss a chance of an excuse, said the takeover speculation had proved 'unsettling' but Delaney disagrees: 'The takeover talk hasn't affected us at all. We've got to concentrate on what's happening on the pitch. If it does happen, then we want to try to stay in this division.'