Boss says club will not be in this situation again if they avoid relegation

Tim Sherwood has insisted that if Aston Villa avoid relegation this season they will never be in such danger on his watch again.

Villa take on West Bromwich Albion at home on Tuesday night in the first of two derbies in four days — they also face them in an FA quarter-final on Saturday — with new manager Sherwood seeking to end a run of seven successive Barclays Premier League defeats.

The former Tottenham boss has overseen the last two of those — at home to Stoke and away to Newcastle on Saturday — but a point on Tuesday would see Villa climb out of the relegation zone as fellow strugglers QPR and Burnley are not in action until Wednesday.

Tim Sherwood has overseen two defeats in his first two games as Aston Villa manager

Former Tottenham boss insists the club will never be in this situation again under him if they beat the drop

While Sherwood does not see this week as make-or-break for Villa — ‘there’s still enough points to get out of trouble’ — he is adamant that survival this season will provide him with a platform to start rebuilding the club.

‘I’m only thinking about tomorrow (Tuesday) night,’ he said. ‘Win that, we’ll be out the relegation zone and we won’t look back.

‘The reality is we’ve got an opportunity to get ourselves out of it.

Sherwood look down at the floor in dejection after Saturday's defeat by Newcastle at St James' Park

Papiss Cisse's goal for Newcastle on Saturday inflicted a seventh straight league defeat on Aston Villa

‘If we can, we will never be in this situation again because I will have the opportunity to build something and I won’t let that happen again.

‘I think there is enough to work with over a long period. I’m just hoping I’ve got enough time here to save the situation.’

The contrast with the immediate impact Tony Pulis has made in lifting West Brom eight points clear of the relegation zone, with five clean sheets and 12 points from his seven league games in charge at The Hawthorns, is stark.

The former Tottenham boss was close to joining Tuesday's opponents West Brom twice in the last year

Sherwood revealed a move to Villa's Midlands rivals was not right for him or the club

There is the added piquancy that Sherwood has twice been in the running to take over at West Brom in the last year.

He discounted any extra needle, although West Brom might feel aggrieved after Sherwood described them as a ‘good little club’, in what was obviously a throwaway comment with no malice intended.