Skipper Gareth Barry insists Aston Villa will be heading in the right direction if they secure a top-six finish in the Premier League.Tottenham's Carling Cup win and the failure of any of the 'big four' to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup means Villa will have to finish fifth to secure a UEFA Cup spot.
That is now looking increasingly unlikely as Wednesday's disappointing 1-1 home draw with Middlesbrough has left Martin O'Neill's side seven points adrift of Liverpool and Everton.
But Barry still feels healthy progress has been made under Martin O'Neill during his 20 months at the helm as David O'Leary's successor.
The England midfielder said: "We had tough times last season when we were on a bad run in the middle of the season but that feeling after the Middlesbrough game was the lowest the dressing room has been for a while.
"We were very disappointed because it was a good chance for us to close the gap with the teams above us not playing - but mainly because we failed to create many chances at home against a team lacking in confidence.
"The gaffer will be hurting as much as the players and we're all disappointed - as we should be - because we know we can do better.
"I am not sure why we performed like we did. There was a bit of pressure on us because the teams above us all won when we weren't playing at the weekend.
"However, I don't think it's the end of the world. We're still sixth and, if we look at the big picture, we're in a good position. One game doesn't mean we're struggling or we can't finish where we want to."
Barry claimed: "Sixth position would still represent a fantastic season. To go from 11th place last season to sixth is another big stride and certainly the direction we want to be going.
"Whether we'd take a sixth-placed finish now I don't know because we're setting our targets higher but it would still be a fantastic season.
"Europe is still an option because there's nine games left and plenty of points up for grabs still so we'll keep fighting all the way to the end. We have to look to bounce back against Portsmouth on Saturday."
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