McLeish determined Villa will decide own destiny

Alex McLeish has called for his side to put their on and off-pitch woes behind them to claim a vital win against Tottenham on Sunday.

Villa have not won in their last eight Barclays Premier League games and are just three points above the relegation zone. Their preparation for the penultimate match of the season has been marred by an altercation outside a nightclub which involved midfielders Fabian Delph and Chris Herd and defender James Collins. The players have subsequently been fined and the incident dealt with internally by the club, and with his side staring relegation in the face, McLeish has called for his side to raise their game at Villa Park against Champions League contenders Spurs. "I would like for us to cross the line via our own devices," McLeish said. "I know we face a talented Tottenham side. We've not done ourselves justice at all at Villa Park this season but Sunday would be a good day to start. "Every team can be beaten, we know that, but I am sure Spurs will have great confidence. We have got to try to create an identity here where any team leaving Villa Park know they have been in a game."