Aston Villa: Tim Sherwood wants to 'get the shackles off'

Newly appointed Aston Villa manager, Tim Sherwood says he wants to 'get the shackles off' the team and let them play with a bit more freedom.

Excited, he's fully focused on the short-term goal of keeping Villa in the Barclays Premier League.

Sherwood says he has long-term ambitions for the club in terms of its identity and style of play. He believes the best way for his players to perform is to play without "fear of losing."

"What you'll see between now and the end of the season possibly will not be my long term philosophy on the field," he said.

"It's all about winning, nothing else. I can't look any further than the end of the season. The result in the FA Cup was very important because players can get confidence from that. I have told them to go and play with a bit more freedom and don't be afraid to lose. When you're on a run of losing games, sometimes it scares you to death.

"They can't be scared. You're going to lose games along the way, there will be ups and downs but let's go on the front foot and try win as many as we can. There's a little bit of apprehension around the place. It's about getting the shackles off. They're all good players and they need to start playing with a bit more confidence.

"I don't know the group yet. I've been looking from the outside. But I think they need to play on the front foot a little bit more. You're going to win games, you're going to lose games between now and the end of the season. But let's have a go fighting and start throwing a few punches ourselves."