Neil Taylor calls on Aston Villa to maintain 'fear factor' for Championship play-offs
Neil Taylor has urged Villa to maintain momentum and ensure they enter the play-offs as a team to be feared.
Monday’s 1-0 win over Millwall secured a top-six finish for Dean Smith’s men and set a new club record of 10 consecutive league victories.
Villa now head to Leeds on Sunday before completing their Championship campaign by hosting Norwich a week later.
And left-back Taylor believes they can now emulate Fulham, who surged up the table over the second half of last season and into the Premier League courtesy of beating Villa at Wembley in the play-off final.
Taylor said: “There are big games still to play and we don’t want to stop.
“I am sure if we went into a game with a team who have won 10 games in a row, you would fear them a little bit because you know what they are capable of.
“People know what we are capable of at the minute. I suppose it is a bit like Fulham last season. That momentum going into the play-offs can be quite big.”
Taylor, who played in every game of Villa’s record-breaking run, admits confidence in the dressing room is now so high players approach each match expecting to win.
He added: “Honestly, when you are winning that many games you go into each game thinking: ‘We are going to win, we are going to win’. That is the way you have to think.
“To win 10 in a row is really special. I am not sure there are many lads in the training room who have been part of that before. It is a special feeling.
“I think there are still big games to come. There are potentially five big games to come – hopefully that is the case.
“As a club we are going in the right direction and we can’t do any more. We can’t speak about being too far ahead.
“Games like Monday, as you see, are not easy. You have to get through them. It is a great feeling at the moment. I always feel when we step on the pitch we can win the game.”
