Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar knows with only 12 matches remaining of the Premier League season the Midlanders cannot afford to be dragged into a relegation scrap. "It will stay really close together for a few weeks," Vlaar told the Birmingham Mail.
"You see that anybody can beat anybody else. We have to make sure we don't really get in trouble and go below the relegation line.
"I've said before I think we shouldn't be in trouble this year but we have to get results and we have to show every game what we are capable of because otherwise we can get dragged into it."
Vlaar also admits there is a determination within the squad to improve their predicament.
"We don't really talk about relegation. We know we need points and that's what we go for every game. We know we must play as a team and work really hard," Vlaar added.
"We just go from one game to another. The next game is Newcastle away. It's a difficult to match, but I think we have the qualities to win against any team. We showed that earlier in the season."
