"I don't think it is hard for the players to lift themselves away from the Champions League," he said.
"In fact, we were talking about making sure we finished in the top four and the importance of winning at Villa.
"When you are thinking about the win and only get a point then you must be disappointed - but we are a little bit closer in terms of finishing in the top four.
"We want to ensure we will be playing in the Champions League again next season.
"It wasn't a good game. We didn't create clear chances. In the final third, we had problems and Villa were pressing well in the middle and playing counter-attack football."