Saturday 16 January 2016 21:27, UK
Former Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood believes striker Rudy Gestede could be key to the club's ambitions of staying in the Premier League.
Villa are nine points from safety at the foot of the Premier League table, after drawing 1-1 at home to Leicester on Saturday.
Gestede came on as a second-half substitute and scored the equaliser at Villa Park, and his impact was praised by Saturday Night Football guest Sherwood.
"Gestede is a player with one outstanding quality," said Sherwood of the striker he signed from Blackburn in the summer. "He's got more, but he's a bully. He's a big threat, he's outstanding in the air and he makes defenders scared.
"(Wes) Morgan and (Robert) Huth knew they were in a game in that second half. Leicester went back and pushed deeper and deeper."
Jamie Redknapp agreed with Sherwood's assessment of Gestede, claiming the option he gives Remi Garde's side enhances their chance of staying up.
"Whether Remi Garde thinks he's an impact sub I don't know, but they look a better side to me when he's in the team," said Redknapp. "He looks like he's going to score.
"In the second half when they played two up front they had a focal point and looked like something might happen. It might not be pretty and it might not be how (Garde) wanted to play when he managed teams in France, but it's a case of needs must and that might just be their way of staying up. I don't think they will, but at least you can see signs that way."
Despite their plight, Sherwood believes his former side can still stay in the Premier League.
"Today is a good example that anyone can beat anyone," he added. "Look how hard Villa pushed the league leaders today. Obviously there's a big deficit now, and they've got to keep winning. They have to put back-to-back wins together, that's the key now.
"The manager will believe he can get out of it. When he took over there were 28 games of the season left, you don't take the job if you don't believe you can get the team out of trouble. 28 games is an awful lot to get enough points to stay in the Premier League."
