Tim Sherwood has urged his Aston Villa side to prove they can perform under pressure as they battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

There was no dream start for new manager Sherwood on Saturday, as his first game in charge ended in a 2-1 home defeat against Stoke City.

Villa are now second-bottom of the table with 12 matches remaining and Sherwood expects a response at Newcastle United on Saturday, when they will attempt to end a run of six consecutive top-flight defeats.

He told the club's official website: "The fans were as good as gold. It's up to us now as a group to grind out those results.

"It's all about results now. We need to improve. We need to start improving very quickly.

"I have seen the quality of the group. It's about delivering it on matchday now. I am sure we will get it right.

"I want them to play a little bit more relaxed in the final third, get on the ball and express themselves a bit more.

"They are at a big club, the demands are high and they need to show that they are capable of delivering on the big stage.

"I can only judge them from what I have seen in training and I believe we have a group who are capable of doing that.

"We will build. We will work on the training field this week. We will improve.

"The players were bitterly disappointed in the dressing room after the match. The fans went home disappointed. But now we have to look forward, build and get a positive result at Newcastle."