Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar has insisted that his teammates are feeling 'calm and optimistic' ahead of their remaining set of fixtures.

The 29-year-old has seen his side go four games without a victory in the Premier League, as the club languishes four points above the relegation zone.

Despite this, the Dutchman has reassured supporters that Villa players are remaining positive.

"We are positive and really optimistic going into the remaining games. Fans need to know we are optimistic, too," Vlaar told the Birmingham Mail.

"We have great belief in the camp. Obviously, we know the situation we are in. We know we have to get results but we also know we can do that.

"We have to win games and we're capable of winning games, so we just have to do it. Within the camp we feel very calm and we're working hard on the things we need to in order to try to win games. That's our approach every day."

Villa are back in action on Saturday when they take on fellow relegation-threatened side Norwich City.