REUTERS – Manager Tim Sherwood has taken responsibility for Aston Villa’s abysmal form this season but says he is confident he can turn their fortunes around.

Villa have failed to win since beating promoted Bournemouth on the opening weekend and are third from bottom in the Premier League following a run of six defeats in seven matches.

No team has lost more league games than Sherwood’s men and the pressure is mounting on the former Tottenham Hotspur boss.

“I am the manager and I take responsibility for the performances. But it’s the same Tim Sherwood they were singing the name of last season. I am not working any less hard now,” he told the club’s website (www.avfc.co.uk).

“I can turn it around. I know I can, and I will. I am confident in my ability. The more I see of the boys, lack of effort is not the problem. They try.

“Now I have to find the right ingredients to put them on the pitch at the right time against the opposition we play and try and get a spark. I am still searching for that,” added Sherwood.

“At the moment it isn’t there. I think it’s only right that I keep changing it because we’re not finding the wins.”

To make matters more difficult, Villa face four of last season’s top eight in Chelsea, Swansea City, Tottenham and Manchester City in their next four league fixtures.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Tony Jimenez)