Aston Villa 'need results immediately' says Goater
Aston Villa interim boss Shaun Goater says the club "needs to get results immediately" following the sacking of manager Robert de Pauw.
Villa are ninth in the Women's Super League table with one win from nine matches and they sit just one point above the relegation zone.
"We need to get results. This is our time. Everyone wants time, but in this situation here, we need to get results immediately," said Goater.
"It's a must-win because of where we are in the table. As a club, the aspirations are to be higher up and we've not had the start of the season we would have liked.
"We use the term 'must-win' and it is because we are better than we are. Therefore we need to show that, play with confidence and start to get results."
Goater said De Pauw's departure came as a surprise on the day but he insists there is a "belief" in the players.
"We are in a business of football where sometimes these things happen. On the day and when things unfolded, yes, I was surprised," he added.
"At the same time, the staff all got together and we made sure the players were right. That has been our intentions ever since.
"I don't know if a change [of manager] was needed, I just think in both boxes it needs to change. The responsibility is now on the players.
"They know that and understand that. All eyes are on them. The belief is in the players and we look forward to this game so we can start to perhaps get some momentum and start winning."
Here are more key lines from Goater's news conference before Sunday's Women's Super League game against West Ham (kick-off 14:00 GMT)
Goater says it is "really important" for his senior players to show leadership as they go through this period.
He will pick Sunday's team against West Ham and will be on the touchline, where Goater hopes to bring "calmness" to the players.
Experiences as a player and a former assistant coach at Manchester City will help Goater, he says, as he urges his team to "play the Villa way".
"I have within me, from those experiences, a fight to work until the end. In all fairness, we have that in abundance," he added.
