Magic Touch

An extraordinary transformation seems to be taking place at Aston Villa. There is, of course, the much publicised takeover, but with all due respect to Randy Lerner this is primarily the Martin O’Neill effect and remarkably it has been accomplished with very few changes to the squad which he inherited.

History tells us that a Martin O’Neill team has certain well defined characteristics. There is a real spirit and competitiveness about it. It is meticulously organised, refreshingly uncomplicated and determined to play to its strengths. And because of these qualities it is exasperatingly difficult to beat. All this has been in evidence almost from the moment Martin took over and it has enabled Villa to achieve some impressive results – not least a resilient draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and a point at Upton Park that might well have been turned into three.

West Ham were stunned by a goal as early as the third minute, when Laursen’s header from a corner was parried by Carroll and forced in by ex-Hammer Liam Ridgewell. And from that moment the home team was seized by panic at every successive corner. Angel’s header hit the bar, another effort was scrambled clear and in the 35th minute Gareth Barry’s cross brought another stunning Angel header in a first half which had been dominated by the visitors.

Ironically, in a more even second period it was a West Ham corner that brought the equaliser, as Konchesky’s header was turned delicately past Sorensen by Bobby Zamora in the 51st minute. Villa’s response was to put the Hammers under so much pressure that first Mears and then Ferdinand had to clear desperately off the line. In the end, even a rash of substitutions from both managers (including a debut appearance for Argentinian World Cup Star Carlos Tevez) could not produce a win, but it was Aston Villa who were entitled to feel more aggrieved about that. For manager Martin O’Neill there was the satisfaction of another impressive team display and the added bonus of a magnificent creative debut from Petrov, who looked as though he had been a Villa player for at least five years.