Aston Villa keeper Brad Friedel targets derby double against West Bromwich Albion

Jan 8 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

BRAD Friedel heads into Saturday’s showdown with Albion having never tasted defeat in a true English derby.

The American veteran twice sat on the bench for Liverpool in a win and a draw against Everton in February 1998 and April 1999, while three times out of four he helped Blackburn record victories over hated rivals Burnley with a fourth game drawn.

After helping Villa to a 2-1 victory at The Hawthorns in September he is looking forward to keeping up that record but he expects a difficult afternoon against Albion.

“I think all derbies are difficult in their own right,’’ he said.

‘‘You can do away with all the statistics and all talk about ‘on paper’. All of it goes right out of the window.

“We have to go out and perform on the day. We know it’s going to be a difficult game but I know we have the players who are good enough to get us the result.

“They are a team that like to play good football and Tony Mowbray has got them playing the right way.

“I think there have been a lot of games where they have perhaps been unlucky. It will not be easy. It does not matter where we or they are in the league table.”

Friedel replaced Scott Carson at Villa Park as Martin O’Neill plumped for a 37-year-old veteran instead of pursuing a permanent deal for 23-year-old Carson.

He is full of admiration for the way Carson, who broke a 24-year-wait for an