Players put faith in Tubbs

Last updated : 31 March 2006 By Pancho Villa

Several fans held up banners calling for O'Leary to quit, with the assertion that "We're not fickle, we just don't like you" certainly the pick of the bunch. But after being pushed into the room by a couple of hoodlums, Liam Ridgewell and Aaron Hughes stated that Tubbs has the full backing of the players. "The players and the gaffer are sticking together," Ridgewell said. "If we weren't behind him you might have seen a different result against Fulham." Hughes was staying silent by his side but was brought to life by a chesty cough at the back of the room. "The players are behind the manager," he said, smiling. "We want to get 40 points and finish the season on a high."

Fans also chanted "O'Leary out" as Villa were mauled 4-1 by Everton a week before the game against Fulham, yet goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen believes his side will bounce back under the Irishman. "Even Jose Mourinho gets criticised sometimes when Chelsea win ten games and then go and lose the next one," he said grinning with the air of a man not entirely in control of his mental faculties. "It's just one bad week that we have had. People don't remember two [a 4-1 defeat by Everton] or three [a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City] games back. They remember only what happened last week and forget the rest."