'Soft goals' must stop - Knight - Sport in brief

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Villa's slide out of contention for a Champions League spot has coincided with some sloppy defending which has seen them go 10 games without keeping a clean sheet during which period they have conceded 24 goals.

The former Fulham player told PA Sport: "It's frustrating what has been happening - especially as a defender. Your main aim as a defender is to go out there and keep a clean sheet and, we fail to score at the other end, that's not our problem. Our problem is the back. It is frustrating and it's just not good enough is it?"

Injuries have deprived Villa boss Martin O'Neill of skipper and central defender Martin Laursen and left-back Wilfred Bouma for lengthy periods.

But Knight is refusing to look for excuses and is aware of the necessity to address the problems in the final six games of the campaign.

He added: "Yes, we haven't had a settled back four, but everyone's played together before so I think that's just an excuse.

"I don't know what the problem is. If I knew what it was, I'd be the manager wouldn't I?

"There are some very soft goals that we have let in. There have been times times when we have been dropping off too deep and teams are getting a run at us.

"But we've got six games to put it right and we'll just have to sort it out for ourselves."