Premiership: Gregory keen to stay put

Aston Villa boss John Gregory spelt out his desire to remain at the club for as long as he can but has admitted he will ultimately be judged on results.

Gregory’s tenure is again in the spotlight following reports of a new manager being lined up. The fact is though that he will celebrate his fourth anniversary next month since replacing Brian Little in the hotseat in February 1998.

The former Wycombe boss is the longest-serving manager since Doug Ellis returned to the club as chairman two decades ago.

He has enjoyed a fragile relationship with Ellis, who at the weekend denied reports that he had lined up former Holland coach Louis van Gaal to replace Gregory.

But Gregory, who has only 18 months to run of his current deal, knows that fortunes on the pitch are the key factor.

Villa are currently lying seventh in the Barclaycard Premiership and Gregory has challenged them to clinch a UEFA Cup spot despite injuries having taken their toll over the past couple of months.

He said: ‘‘I concentrate on what I am doing. At the moment I am manager of Aston Villa and I want it to remain that way for as long as I possibly can.

‘‘We got a win on Saturday against Derby and if I can continue to churn out wins week after week then hopefully some of the attention might then go to the players.

‘‘A manager lives and dies by his results and my attitude is that ‘If you can’t handle that, then don’t be in the game’. It comes with the territory.

‘‘You have to produce, to get results and we all should be aware of the consequences if the results don’t come.

‘‘It is always been at the back of my mind since the day I took the job.

‘‘Nobody is infallible. You are always likely to be under threat at one stage.

‘‘But it doesn’t concern me and we are very positive about things at Villa. We want to keep onwards and upwards.’’

Gregory also revealed the club have rejected an undisclosed bid from Bradford to sign midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger.

New Bradford boss Nicky Law wants to renew his links with the 19-year-old German, having had Hitzlsperger on loan when he was in charge at Chesterfield earlier in the season.

But Villa manager John Gregory has no plans to allow the former Bayern Munich player leave Villa Park.

‘‘I am not letting him go anywhere. In a couple of years time I think he will be one of the players who will be very hard to keep out of the first team.’’

Hitzlsperger joined Villa from Bayern under the Bosman ruling in the summer of 2000.