Martin O'Neill has promised Aston Villa's fans that the team will come good

Aug 24 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

“Liverpool lost just twice last year in the league and they were beaten first game this season.

“These things can happen. Liverpool will accept the fact they’ll play better. Obviously their home record last season was phenomenal.”

Villa’s hopes of signing Stephen Warnock appear to have been boosted by the left-back’s omission from Blackburn’s defeat at Sunderland on Saturday.

But Rovers boss Sam Allardyce insists the Ewood Park club have yet to receive a satisfactory bid and the former Liverpool defender could stay put.

“There have been no developments on the transfer front, but he didn’t feel and I didn’t feel that it was the right thing to do to play him,” said Allardyce.

“We will wait and see what next week brings, but we haven’t had anything near a bid we could consider to be enough, so he is still our player and I envisage he still will be our player.”

O’Neill was spotted at Wigan v Manchester United and West Ham v Tottenham over the weekend, with Latics defensive midfielder Paul Scharner and Hammers defender Matt Upson believed to be on the manager’s transfer wishlist.

Follow the game live with Mat Kendrick from 7.30pm - click here