Houllier´s Villa face derby test against Baggies

Gerard Houllier is already under pressure at Villa Park and the Midlands derby with West Brom has taken on extra significance after an appalling PR gaffe by the Frenchman.

Two wins from 12 matches have left Villa peering nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone, with the 3-0 defeat at Liverpool last time out proving that Houllier’s honeymoon period is over.

But it was his conduct at Anfield that has enraged Villa supporters and leaves the 63-year-old facing a crucial period ahead of what already looks likely to become a winter of discontent.

He was even forced to submit a grovelling apology on the club?s official website after his astonishing remark that losing to his former club didn?t make defeat so hard to take.

Houllier’s team could be sucked into the relegation zone if Albion win at Villa and Fulham and Wigan beat Sunderland and Everton respectively.

And England international Stewart Downing has ordered his team-mates to prove they have the guts to avoid a shock relegation battle.

“We’ve got a massive game now on Saturday in which we’ve got to put things right,” he said.

“I’m still confident we can put things right. If we can get some players back fit and start picking up a few points then we’ll be fine.

“We’re starting with a tough game at home against West Brom. We have to be man enough to stand up and have a right go.

“You need to stick together as a team and be strong and hard to beat. In the past we have been, so we know we can do it.”

Admittedly, a severe injury crisis has created problems Houllier could never have envisaged but far too many players that became key men under his predecessor Martin O’Neill are struggling.

He will at least welcome back Ashley Young from suspension against West Brom, while Emile Heskey should return after a knee injury.

West Brom produced one of their best performances of the campaign to beat Newcastle 3-1 last weekend and will arrive at Villa Park full of confidence.

It was the Baggies’ first defeat of Newcastle for 26 years and they are bidding to beat Villa for the first time in over a quarter of a century.

“The main question this season is how many records can we break?” said central midfielder Paul Scharner.

“We did it against Arsenal, Newcastle, Everton and so on, and there is a high potential this season to break this one (against Villa) as well.”

It promises to be a testing 90 minutes for Houllier.

Before his appointment he was criticised for referring to Villa as a club that “belongs between seventh and 12th place”.

What he would give for finishing there in May now.