George McCartney: I expected Cats to take off

Dec 17 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal

“Our form has been great until the last two matches. We got punished against Portsmouth and that felt like a defeat. It knocked us back but even then I felt against Villa we should have got something from it.

“It’s disappointing, everyone in the dressing room is disappointed with losing 2-0 and by the manner of the goals we conceded.

“Aston Villa was always going to be tough after them beating Manchester United, but overall we have to think that we matched then. I would say we even shaded it until the last ten (minutes).

“They had two chances and scored two goals, that was the difference.

“We will sit down with the manager on Thursday and discuss things, where we can improve. We are away at Manchester City (on Saturday) and we have to get back on track again.”

The problem is not a new one.

“Last season there were a lot of changes, the managers were coming and going and we didn’t have a settled team or backroom team.” McCartney added.

“Steve Bruce has come in and had his own ideas. We started the season really well, but we have got to be disappointed with the defeats we have had to Birmingham, Stoke, Burnley and then a draw with Portsmouth.

“If you want to go places, these are the teams you have to be winning.

“We want to push into Europe and in the last few weeks we have not been performing.

“It’s the tightest league I have seen in a long time, from the bottom up to seventh. A couple of wins and you are up there, just like a couple of defeats and you are down there.

“After the start we have had and the money the club has spent, with the players we have in the team, we should be looking to push into the top half.

“We have slipped away in the last few weeks and luckily we built up enough points at the start of the season that keeps us up in 10th at the moment. But we need to get back to winning ways in the next few weeks.”1 SOCCER Sunderland O’Neill

l Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill saluted James Milner after the former Newcastle midfielder helped fire the club into the Premier League’s top three with a stunner at Sunderland.

O’Neill said: “Milner has just been fantastic since he arrived. He has come into the middle now and he has just been colossal.”