James Milner admits he was below-par for Aston Villa in their derby win over Birmingham City.

“I think there was something wrong with the radar,” said Milner. “I kept trying to get it out to Stephen Warnock but ended up knocking it out of play for some reason.

“But that happens sometimes. Apart from that it wasn’t too bad a day. I worked hard but for some reason I kept knocking it out for a throw-in.

“I’m sorry. I hope that was a one-off and I’ll get it right next time.

“Football’s about confidence but you’ve just got to keep trying.

“Things don’t always go your way, like against Birmingham, and a few passes can go astray but you can’t hide because that won’t do you any good.

“You’ve just got to keep going on and trust your ability and that’s what I try to do.”