Gordon Cowans and Barry Bannan urge Aston Villa fans to embrace the Kevin MacDonald revolution
Aug 13 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
VILLA legend Gordon Cowans has called on the claret and blue faithful to kick off an exciting era by getting behind caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald tomorrow.
MacDonald will launch the club’s post-Martin O’Neill days when he leads captain Stiliyan Petrov and Co into tomorrow’s Premier League opener at Villa Park.
And Cowans is appealing to all four corners of the famous stadium to pull together and roar Villa towards a winning start after a turbulent week in B6.
Villa’s 1982 European Cup-winning hero is confident that a bumper crowd can lift any lingering gloom by creating a partisan atmosphere against the Hammers.
Cowans paid tribute to departing O’Neill and coaches John Robertson and Steve Walford who left the club on Monday following the manager’s shock resignation.
But the club’s highly-respected academy coach believes MacDonald’s temporary appointment could herald the beginning of a bright new dawn for his beloved club.
Cowans has played a part in picking up the pieces with Villa’s reduced backroom team rallying round to help out MacDonald and assistant Tony McAndrew at Bodymoor Heath.
And ‘Sid’, as he is affectionately known, believes the same togetherness in the stands against Avram Grant’s men tomorrow would give the claret and blues a perfect platform to push on this season.
“What Kevin and the players need against West Ham is for everybody to get behind them and I’m sure they will,” said Cowans.
“I’m sure there will be a good crowd and I’m sure they’ll give him and the lads as much support as they can. It’s always a difficult time when a manager leaves, but it is an exciting time as well.
“It’s been a bit strange this week but everyone has pulled together at the club and that’s what needs to happen on Saturday.
“Kevin has been working with the first-team players and they’ve responded well so I am sure they will be going all-out to win the game for him, for the fans and for themselves.
“He can be fiery, he’s a born winner and he can’t abide losing, but he also knows how to speak to people and how to treat them to bring out the best in them.”
Cowans has got to know MacDonald well through their years nurturing Villa’s up-and-coming talent from youth team, to reserves to the senior squad.
