Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish admits his players appeared "afraid" during their 1-1 draw with QPR.

McLeish would rather take the strain on his own shoulders rather than allow his players to under perform like they did during their fifth stalemate of the season.

"I thought the players looked afraid," said McLeish.

"They looked frightened in the first half and I don't know why that should be the case because they are playing in a great game, in this great game of football and they should relish every moment.

"There are some pressures and that, but it is the best time of their lives.

"The expectations at a club like Villa are that we should be higher up the table or winning more games but I'm here to take the pressure off the young players."