Striker John Carew has insisted Aston Villa's current dip in form is not due to players feeling jaded.
Villa have been operating all season with the smallest squad in the Barclays Premier League yet have still managed to challenge for a top six spot.
Martin O'Neill's side produced a shadow of the performance which saw them draw at Arsenal a fortnight 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."
