Leandro Bacuna has insisted that Aston Villa are "more confident" since Tim Sherwood's arrival at the club.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss was appointed last month following the dismissal of Paul Lambert, helping to lift the club away from the relegation zone.
The winger told avtv: "They make a lot of jokes which is very good for team spirit. Small things have been changed and that's good for the team. We're more confident now.
"If it's not going well then sometimes people can hide but if you have confidence you can take on anything. We know that if we win some games we can go high [up in the table].
"Every player has had a new chance. For me I can show what I can do and be a part of the team. That's good for your own feeling because you can have more minutes and you need that to be confident in yourself."
Villa travel to Manchester United after the international break.