McLeish orders Villa to get ugly against Stoke

Alex McLeish knows Aston Villa must sort out their slack defending at set-pieces as the visitors prepare for an aerial bombardment at Stoke.

Villa have conceded 13 goals from set-plays this season - the joint-most in the Premier League along with 19th-placed Bolton.

Opta statistics also show of those, Villa have let in nine goals from corners which is more than any other side.

And the proportion of goals McLeish's men have conceded from set plays is 57 per cent - the highest in the division.

Their latest lapse cost Villa dearly when Yossi Benayoun scored a late winner in last week's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.

McLeish has been working hard to address the issue ahead of today's trip to the Britannia Stadium.

But he has also had to preside over a defensive re-shuffle as Alan Hutton is suspended for tonight's game.

The Scot said: "You have to walk them through how to defend on the training ground and review it on video.

"You can also look at other clubs and how they do it.

"Some clubs have a sense of honour and don't lose many goals as when I see them defending I think they should lose more goals.

"But I just think that some teams are intimidated by others and don't really get ugly in their faces but one thing is for certain Stoke do and everyone has to be ugly back.

"It is a great test for us and the players should not be scared.

"They should see it as a challenge.

"It's a challenge for the players in terms of their mental toughness. They have to be of the mentality to get through it."

Defending from corners has been Villa's Achilles heel this season despite possessing several players like Richard Dunne and James Collins who are aggressive in the air.

McLeish added: "The team struggled with defending corners last season so it is not new and put quite simply we have to improve.

"It has really cost us. We have improve our concentration."

McLeish admits Villa's weakness is especially frustrating for him as a former defender at Aberdeen who was known for his uncompromising style.

He said: "Do I wish I could still be out there in the six-yard box heading balls out? Of course, it was one of my strengths.

"I have just got to keep drilling it into their heads that no-one can get free in the box against us as happened in the Liverpool game and with Yossi Benayoun against Arsenal who cleverly eluded is marker in what was a wee lapse in concentration."

Villa: Guzan, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Albrighton, Clark, Petrov, N'Zogbia, Bent, Agbonlahor.