Remi Garde will stay even if Aston Villa are relegated

Remi Garde insists he will stay at Aston Villa even if they are relegated.

The former Lyon boss arrived at Villa Park in November, but has been unable to change their fortunes.

Villa head to fellow strugglers Sunderland today sitting bottom of the Premier League 11 points from safety.

However, the Frenchman says he will stay to guide them out of the Sky Bet Championship if they are relegated and that the club want him to.

“Yes — both answers are yes,” he said. “I have got a very good feeling in my mind.

“In every football club, there are some difficulties and problems. Of course I thought we would have won earlier, but I knew when you come to a club that has played 11 and lost nine, you don’t expect to find everything going well.

“I knew it would be difficult but now I am full of confidence for what we can achieve in this club.”

Garde is without the suspended Jordan Ayew and Ashley Westwood, while Gabriel Agbonlahor and Carlos Sanchez are sidelined by injury.

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is keeping his fingers crossed amid a defensive crisis. Sebastian Coates limped out of Wednesday night’s 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool suffering from a dead leg and is a doubt while John O’Shea is battling a calf problem.