'Sometimes I feel they can be a little bit against us' - Aston Villa star in plea to fans ahead of crucial run-in
Matty Cash has urged supporters to stick with Villa as they chase Champions League football - claiming it can sometimes feel they are against the team.
Saturday’s 1-0 win over Fulham kept Unai Emery’s team firmly in the race for a top-five Premier League finish, as they bounced back from the previous week’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace.
Cash later revealed how the stinging criticism the team received in the wake of that performance had served as motivation.
While much of the flak was found on social media, the right-back said the atmosphere in the stands can sometimes make it feel as though fans have a “big grudge” against the team.
Villa now face three huge matches against Bournemouth, Tottenham and Manchester United as they fight to make a swift Champions League return.
Cash said: “Sometimes you are going to have tough times and we need them (the supporters) to be the extra man.
“Sometimes I feel like they can be a little bit against us. I understand fans have their own opinions and too right they can moan. They pay for us, they pay their money to be here.
“But we need them now to be with us the whole way because they are the difference.”
Saturday’s win was Villa’s 12th in 16 matches and means they are almost guaranteed to qualify for Europe for a third straight year.
But the back-to-back defeats which preceded it, at Manchester City and then to Palace at Wembley, were the source of much frustration among fans.
While acknowledging the semi-final loss was a setback, Cash believes a sense of perspective is required.
He said: “I think sometimes people can get lost in it. We lost at City, we lost at Wembley and it was all of a sudden like, wow, we are such a bad team!
“But the run we went on before was unbelievable. I think we have been fantastic the last couple of months. Nowadays, there is so much pressure to play. Just let us play and enjoy, you know? Try and win.”
He continued: “People expected us to turn up at Wembley and smash Palace 3-0, it does not work like that. We are playing against a good team who were in good form. We were all disappointed.
“We want to win as many games as we can. But people need to realise we are humans, we are trying our best.
“Playing a lot of games, consistently, against good teams you are going to have spells when you lose, when you are not as consistent.
“We are still in a great position, joint-fifth in the league fighting for the Champions League. “We just need the fans to be with us. We don’t need them against us. We need them supporting us.”
Cash continued: “Sometimes you read things on social media and you think: ‘Just stick with us’. We have three massive games now and try to give us as much confidence as you can.
“Even during games and stuff, if things don’t go well it is like there is a big grudge against us, do you know what I mean?
“Be with us, stick with us. That will help us massively in getting over the line. We need that.”
Villa remain outsiders in the top-five race but Cash believes plenty of twists and turns lie ahead.
He said: “We are right in it. You have us, Newcastle, Chelsea, Forest who are all in the same boat.
“That is why I am talking so much about the people outside and how we need them to help us get through.
“We are trying our best and we need them to support us and get us over the line.
“They can make a massive difference. Especially here at Villa Park. We also appreciate the travelling they do around the country.
“As players we love that, we love them being with us. But we just want them to be with us, to get us over the line.”
