Villa faces another tough test against Manchester United in Carling Cup final at Wembley stadium on Sunday, February 28.
"I genuinely mean it when I say I cannot focus on the game on Sunday until we have played this match. Our total focus is on the upcoming match," he told club's official website.
"We want to try and get through this game. If you had seen our elation at Selhurst Park when we forced the equaliser late on that might tell you the players definitely want to stay in the competition and definitely want to win in front of our own fans, if that's possible. It won't be easy.
"Ideally it would have been great to have had a free week but that wasn't to be. The minute we were drawn away to Crystal Palace there was a possibility of that happening [a replay].
"Either side could have won the game. But there was a possibility of this happening - and you take the consequences.
"The FA Cup is such a great competition and you want to stay in it. I hope it has regained its sheen now. Way back when there weren't many live games on television it was the one match you really looked forward to."
The manager further said that they can not be running around pretty ecstatic about what lies ahead in the immediate future.
"I think if you can't be running around pretty ecstatic about what lies ahead in the immediate future, you're going to spend the rest of your life pretty grumpy.
"I am very upbeat and in pretty fine fettle.
"At the moment, we are trying to win an FA Cup tie. We didn't find it too easy down at Selhurst Park - I can't see it being any different this time around.
"At the end of the week we are looking at a really enthralling game against Manchester United in the Carling Cup. To go and compete and have a chance of winning is all you can ask for."
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