Villa host Tottenham on Boxing Day evening, before heading to Manchester City two days later. A trip to Chelsea follows on January 2, and then Sunderland are the visitors to Villa Park the following Wednesday night. McAllister, assistant manager to Gerard Houllier, told the Sunday Mercury: "Everyone knows if you can get through a Christmas period with a good points tally, it bodes well going into the new year. "There are some high-profile games - but they're great games and what we have is players coming back. "We've got a good squad and there's good numbers so we'll need everybody. It's not just about the 11 that are going to start. "Gerard is a big believer that when a team is winning, you try to stay as close to that as possible. "But needs must and that's when the manager and the coaching staff will use their experience if people are looking a wee bit jaded and there might need to be a change. "That's why we need everybody focused, not just the guys who start."
