Thursday 29 October 2015 15:31, UK
Kevin MacDonald insists Aston Villa will improve following their 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday evening.
Scott Sinclair scored a late penalty after Maya Yoshida and Graziano Pelle had put Southampton ahead, but the visitors did have opportunities to take the lead in the first half through Rudy Gestede and Leandro Bacuna.
And MacDonald, who has taken caretaker charge after the departure of Tim Sherwood, believes his side can take the positives from an impressive first-half performance.
"We were quite happy, especially with the first half," MacDonald told Sky Sports. "We controlled the game up to a point and snuffed out their forward players.
"We created two or three half chances, and their goalkeeper probably had to make more saves than Brad [Guzan] had to do, but if you don't convert your chances against good sides [you suffer].
"In the second half it was a bit more even and then they took a 2-0 lead. We managed to get a consolation goal but there are more positives than negatives.
"A cup run would have been great. You never know, if you get a home draw against anybody, you take your chances. It wasn't to be tonight and well done to Southampton and good luck to them in the next round."
MacDonald, in his second stint as caretaker manager at Villa Park, is aiming to lift his players ahead of a difficult Premier League fixture list over the next three weeks.
Villa find themselves bottom of the Premier League, and face trips to Tottenham and Everton as well as the visit of Manchester City to Villa Park before November 21.
"I've lost my voice already and I've only been in the job for two days," MacDonald continued. "You've got to enjoy yourself and make the players enjoy themselves.
"Players never want to see a manager lose their job, I don't care what anybody says. Players are playing professional sport because they want to be the best they can be.
"They have pride, at the moment they are a little bit low but they will come through it. We'll hopefully progress up the league starting on Monday."
On his caretaker role, he added: "(It's) probably better for the club (to get a new manager) sooner rather than later so we can get back to doing what we are doing.
"I have not had time to read the news. They have gone down the road of speaking to one or two.
"Sooner rather than later would be better for the club. If they ask me to stay on for Monday's game (in the Premier League at Tottenham) fine by me."
