Aston Villa’s poor home form baffles boss Martin O’Neill

Apr 13 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O’Neill insists there is not a “common thread” to explain the poor home form which has undermined Villa’s top-four challenge.

Yesterday’s compelling 3-3 draw against Everton was the eleventh Premier League match at Villa Park that O’Neill’s team have failed to win this season.

Of the 16 matches they have played in front of their own fans Villa have won just five, lost three and drawn eight.

A return of 23 points from a possible 48 on offer at Villa Park has been a major cause of Villa’s Champions League challenge collapsing.

But O’Neill admits it is impossible to put his finger on why Villa have struggled at home because each match has been different rather than following a familiar pattern.

“There’s not a common thread,” said O’Neill, who has only seen his team beat Manchester City, Sunderland, Blackburn, Bolton and Albion at Villa Park.

“The results, obviously under very close scrutiny, would suggest we’ve had difficulty winning matches here at home and not so away from home.

“The fans have come again and the performances have not been putting them off.