Villa have been operating all season with the smallest squad in the Premier League yet have still managed to challenge for a top-six spot.

But they have collected only two points from the last four games and on Saturday a shock home reversal against Sunderland put a severe dent in their hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Martin O'Neill's side produced a shadow of the performance which saw them draw at Arsenal a fortnight ago.

And the Villa manager admitted he is at one of his lowest ebbs since taking charge of the Midlands club 20 months ago.

Carew is adamant the dip in fortunes is not down to the majority of the squad playing week in, week out - and is refusing to write off Villa's chances of a UEFA Cup spot with seven matches still remaining.

The Norwegian international said: "We shouldn't be more tired than any other team. After the Arsenal game, we should have had a boost.

"It was a positive experience and should have given us great belief. Instead it's turned out to be the opposite.

"But we are all so well trained that we should be able to cope with being 100% in every match in the league.

"I don't think that's too much to ask. That's what everybody expects. I am wondering a bit as to why it hasn't worked out in the last few matches.

"But we don't write off our chances of qualifying for Europe just yet.

"We have more matches to come and, in our head, we have to take things one match at a time.

"If we win the matches we have left then we still have a chance. It's not over until it's over but Saturday was a blow."

Villa have struggled in their last two home games with struggling Middlesbrough and the Black Cats but Carew insisted complacency was not the reason for their below-par showings.

He said: "If we made that mistake against Middlesbrough, then we should have learned and not done it against Sunderland - but I don't think that's been the problem.

"For example, if my shot at goal against Sunderland after two minutes had gone in then it would have been a different match. We felt good, we had the ball and we were really at them.

"Sometimes it's small margins as well in football that make the difference. We really respected Sunderland and we knew they were up for it and we had to be at our best - but we weren't."