Micah Richards is remaining positive despite a substandard beginning from Aston Villa.

The Villans currently sit third bottom on the Premier League table with just four points for their opening eight fixtures but captain Richards is upbeat about turning that poor beginning into something very positive.

Ahead of the weekend's crucial clash with fellow strugglers Chelsea, defender Richards said: "As the skipper, it's my job to make sure the boys are staying positive during this difficult spell.

"But this hasn't been a problem because I can't fault the attitude of the boys.

"Their desire to do the best they can is there in abundance too - and we will soon start picking up.

"I'm really confident that results will come sooner rather than later.

"Overall, I don't think you can say we've played badly in the majority of our games so far this season.

"Yes we've been sloppy at times and made too many costly mistakes but on the whole we've been creating chances and scoring goals."