So it’s now four wins out of four, a sure sign of the progress being made under the O’Neill regime, writes Villa blogger Gregg Williams.
Some villa fans felt that we were a little lucky to escape with three points, but if we’d been given any of the three penalty shouts we had in the game, the score-line would have been more comfortable.
The one negative from Saturday was the needless booing of Stiliyan Petrov by some in the crowd.
It may have only been a minority who felt the need to boo, but they were still a very vocal minority and I for one was really disappointed.
As far as I am concerned booing a player in a Villa shirt is only excusable if they have committed an inexcusable offence, for example the Savo Milosevic spitting incident.
It’s not Petrov’s fault that O’Neill paid so much for him, nor that he has continued to be picked despite his poor form and lack of confidence.
How will booing the guy help this situation?
If he had encouragement from 40,000 Villa fans, he’d be twice as likely to recapture the form he showed on his scintillating debut last year.
I saw him last week in Birmingham and he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I’m sure he gets paid a great deal, and maybe some people find it hard to feel sorry for someone who is paid more in a week than they are in a year, I can understand that, but personally I was gutted for him when he came on to that reception.
What must the other players think?
We are above all supporters of this club and in particular this team, and we must take every opportunity to get behind them, especially if they are short of confidence.
I for one now hope more than ever that he can turn this situation around.
If I could pick out one player to score the winner against Man Utd, it would be Stiliyan Petrov.
Villa fans what do you think? Have your say below
6 Comments
I couldn’t agree more. Enough said.
anyone booing petrov shouldnt bother tuning up against manu - your a disgrace and should be ashamed.
Spot on!!! The Boo Boys are just people at the wrong end of the IQ Ladder… They think its a pantomime….. even if it were.. HE’S ON OUR SIDE!!!Would love Harewood to grab one as well against Utd.. he could do with a boost…
Even as a sub I do not rate Petrov and think the team falls away very quickly whenever he comes on. We have given him the benefit of the doubt for over a season now and he has not produced.
Like many Villa fans I was disappointed when he was again brought-on on Saturday.
However I was very shocked when I heard the boos. I totally condemn that. It is so obvious that once a Villa player pulls on the shirt booing him can only do harm to the team and the performance as a whole.
But you can’t just tell these supporters to stay away as it was not from only a handful of supporters as has been suggested. And as far as we could tell and I may be wrong on this but the booing came from among the big section of fans in the Holte that always give the lads the most vocal support. And to be fair the booing only took place as he came on during the break in play. Petrov was not booed once the game had restarted.
when petrov came on on saturday i was one of the villa the fans that booed it was like a knee-jerke reaction which i now regret as no player in the claret an blue should have to hear that i have never done that before well apart from savo but in my defence i dont think i was booing the player more the combonation of gardner going off and the effect it had against man city when the same switch was made sorry stan
i want to say petrov will shine for
aston villa this year.