Bruce: We’ve put pressure on our rivals
ASTON Villa boss Steve Bruce thinks automatic promotion is probably beyond his team but says stranger things have happened.
Villa kept themselves in the hunt for a top-two finish with a home victory over Cardiff in midweek and they are five points behind secondplaced Fulham heading into tonight’s clash with Leeds.
Victory would put the pressure on both Cardiff and Fulham ahead of their matches tomorrow.
While Corbridge-born Bruce reckons the play-offs are probably Villa’s best chance of promotion, he knows pressure can do strange things to teams.
He said: “We have applied a bit of pressure but we have to win our own games now.
“Let’s get to the points total we have set ourselves and see where it takes us.
“It is going to be very difficult now to pip Cardiff and/or Fulham but we have to try.
“We know how difficult it is, we have had a bad run ourselves.
“We played a Norwich team last weekend who had nothing to play for and could not match their levels, so it can happen.”
Like Norwich, this evening’s opponents Leeds have little left to play for this season but Bruce he is hoping Villa can continue their recent knack of good performance under the lights at Villa Park.
He added: “Anyone coming here for a night game live on television is going to be up for it.
“Leeds have a big following and they aree a big club with big history and tradition.
“We can expect a tough game but a night game at Villa Park always seems to bring out the best in us. Touch wood, let’s hope it can happen again.”
Leeds boss Paul Heckingbottom has won just two matches since his appointment just over two months ago but he thinks the pressure is all on Villa to win the match.
He said: “The pressure they are under could be good for us. We may produce a top performance but Villa are a top side .”