New-found Aston Villa fans’ expectations are too high
Mar 20 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail
MARTIN O’Neill believes the expectations of the casual Villa supporter have grown to unrealistic levels and says his critics should be able to look away from the “devastation and destruction” of recent results and concentrate on the bigger picture.
Villa are having their best season in 13 years and are on the verge of direct qualification for next season’s Europa League, the re-named UEFA Cup, something that has eluded the club for more than a decade.
“With a little bit of luck we will be playing European football next season,” said O’Neill.
“Amid the devastation of recent weeks that point should not be overlooked.
“I’m my own harshest critic but the destruction that we have heaped upon ourselves should be put into a bit of perspective.”
Villa travel to Liverpool on Sunday having been booed off in their last two home matches against Stoke and Spurs, and beaten at Manchester City.
“It was never going to be easy,” O’Neill continued.
“The new-found Villa fan that we have, who obviously wasn’t supporting the side a couple of years ago, has turned up now and has decided that winning supposedly mediocre games in the Premiership is a fait accompli.
