Boss grateful as fans flock to Villa Park

Nov 5 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

VILLA'S weekend crowd of 40,938 took their average attendance this season to 39,889 - the fourth highest in the club's history.

Martin O'Neill was keen to give credit to the part they played in encouraging the victory over Derby.

"The crowd got a bit anxious and a bit frustrated but in the second half we improved," he said. "It was a great crowd for us again."

O'Neill is only just starting to take an interest in the league table, which is beginning to take shape in his opinion.

"After 10 or 11 games you glance at the table, and that's fine. More important for us was to win on Saturday, more so than the performance after the defeat to Manchester United and draw at Bolton.

"Interestingly though, in the first half against United we were miles better than we were on Saturday."

The manager believes there is still hope for Derby who may have won just one match all season but who remain only one win behind 15th-placed Sunderland.

"Derby have to come to terms with the Premier League and I know from my time at Leicester that that takes a wee bit of time.

"Then you win a game that you are not expected to win and suddenly you've got three more points and are right in there."