Aston Villa set to shake things up for Bolton Wanderers game

Apr 3 2008

MANAGER Martin O'Neill has hinted at one or two changes in personnel ahead of Aston Villa's visit of Bolton Wanderers.

He says Patrik Berger, Moustapha Salifou, Isaiah Osbourne and Wayne Routledge are all in contention after playing for the reserves against Blues this week.

O'Neill has been looking for a positive reaction in training this week after the 4-0 defeat at Manchester United, their third successive reverse.

"I think that when you have suffered a couple of defeats, like anything else, you look to the reasons why you got beaten," O'Neill said.

"Sometimes you can over-analyse, sometimes you can miss things.

"Overall I think with the squad we have this minute everybody is really in contention.

"On Monday night we played a reserve game - Patrik Berger, Isaiah Osbourne and Moustapha Salifou all played - and in terms of our first-team squad, so did Wayne Routledge.

"Everybody is in contention. It is a pity we didn't have a reserve game last week because it would have done Salifou, Osbourne, Berger and Routledge the world of good.

"All came through Monday, the attitude was terrific and now we will see what we do."

O'Neill admits Villa are a long, long way from where he wants them to be.

"We were at the wrong end of a beating (last weekend) but I saw where we want to go. We have miles to go, and I don't think any self-respecting Aston Villa fan will think anything other than that."