Garde: Players must be professional and help themselves

Mark Holmes
Aston Villa fans: Small group abused players after Wycombe game

Aston Villa fans: Small group abused players after Wycombe game

Remi Garde has told his Aston Villa players they must stay professional amid fan dissent and generate their own confidence on the pitch.

Villa’s players were subjected to a torrent of abuse from a handful of fans as they boarded the team buss after Saturday’s 1-1 FA Cup third-round draw at League Two side Wycombe, while Micah Richards had exchanged views with disappointed supporters in the stands immediately following the game.

It is a first for Garde as a manager, and ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Villa Park, the Frenchman has told his players that only they can give themselves a lift.

“As a manager, yes, I’ve never been involved in this kind of situation,” said Garde.

“But in 35 years in football, I’ve been through this kind of situation as a player.

“The extra game through the replay with Wycombe is not the best news, but we can only hope we have some players back after injury.

“Every week I’m speaking about confidence, but we have to try to have more confidence. I’m not waiting on a parcel in the post that will be full of confidence.

“We have to be professional and generate it for ourselves.”

Villa remain winless in 16 matches after the Wycombe game, with Garde accountable for 10 games in that stint.

Villa have not won in the Premier League since a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth on the season’s opening day, leaving Garde to accept he cannot discount any changes of method.

When asked if now was the time for the help of psychologists, Garde replied: “No, not for the moment.

“I’ve never used that in my teams, and that’s it. But I’m very open-minded and if the solution could be from there, then I could do that.”