Martin O'Neill has insisted Aston Villa are not serious contenders to finish in the top six of The Premiership this season despite their six-game unbeaten start.
But the former Celtic boss has his feet firmly on the ground and points to the size of his current squad as one reason why it will be difficult to remain among the front-runners for the next eight months.
O'Neill, whose side visit champions Chelsea on Saturday, said: 'Do I think it is possible we can finish in top six? Not at all. There are moments in games where we are absolutely fine and there are moments in the game where we are a bit uncomfortable.
'First of all I'd be concerned at the size of the squad we have. Sometimes I look at the names on the back of the match programmes and see other clubs with a more extensive list of players.
'But we are enjoying it at the moment and the players have been excellent. You can still be excellent in defeat. It depends how you get beaten.'
used
he's just not putting pressure on his team by not putting them in the spotlight. he is the man that could bring villa to europe. i would love to see him at manu after saf retires
zocoss
Yeah, he is one of the best person for the job. For now, he will just have to continue to prove himself at AV.