Here’s what has been catching my eye in the last couple of days.

Little Impressed

One of our better managers during the Premiership years, an ex-player himself, Brian Little says that he’s impressed at Villa resurgence over the last few years and happy that we’re back in the mix among the top teams in the table. [Sporting Life]

He’s Not The Messiah

Gabriele Marcotti, who is a competent, but not outstanding writer, makes the case that MON is a competent, but not outstanding manager. He plays a little loose with his “facts” and makes one or two questionable assumptions based on those “facts”, but it would take the most ardent MON fan to argue that there was nothing of substance in his article.

I think Marcotti’s critique, if you wish to call it that, carries some merit until MON puts some silverware in the Aston Villa trophy cabinet. At that point, everything that Marcotti has written, everything, deserves a big, fat “so what?”. [The Times]

Apology

Stiliyan Petrov apologised for the mauling at Stamford Bridge and insists that there will be no repeat at Wembley.

Stiliyan Petrov
We feel sorry for the travelling fans because they have been magnificent for us and what they saw wasn’t pleasant. We’ve got a semi-final to look forward to and we need to play them and I think we’ll be a lot different in the semi-final.

It is going to be a very long week but we will try and forget it as quickly as we can. Results like that are not the best and we want to get it out of the way as quickly as we can and concentrate on the next game.

We didn’t show any spirit which is very surprising. We always battle but we lost our heart which is not like us. That is why we will try and pull things together because we’ve had a good season so far and we won’t let that one result ruin it for us

The Buck Stops Here

To draw a line under the Chelsea debacle, something I meant to get in here before, but time beat me; Martin O’Neill, devastated as he was by the team’s inexplicable capitulation, has assumed full responsibility for the result.

Martin O’Neill
The buck stops with me. It is my responsibility, it is as simple as that and we have got a week now to prepare for Bolton and a week after that the semi-final. Whatever you say about performances and it is all very well talking about the players, that is down to me and that is my responsibility.

I will have to address it obviously and I’ll draw on a couple of experiences from this year and before. Yes, I’ve been beaten before, perhaps not in the same fashion as that but this will be a tough test.

No Repeat

Back to the captain briefly. He reiterates the point that there will be no collapse at Wembley against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final. I think his reasoning of it simply being a different game leaves a little to be desired, but I appreciate the sentiment. That said, a little more conviction in what he’s saying wouldn’t go a miss.

Stiliyan Petrov
I don’t think what happened against Chelsea on Saturday will have a bearing on the semi-final because it will be a different game. It would be great to think we could beat them at Wembley and clinch a place in our second final of the season.

Losing the Carling Cup final was a massive disappointment, particularly after going in front so early in the game, but we are determined to put that behind us by reaching the FA Cup final.

At the moment, it’s not going for us although, before then, our only defeat this year was in the Carling Cup final. Chelsea are always on top of their game and I think we will be a different side in the semi-final

Milner Is The Rafael Nadal Of Football

Ex-Villan Paul Merson is impressed by James Milner’s fitness level and professionalism and compares him to Rafael Nadal from the world of tennis.

Paul Merson
James is one of the fittest footballers I have seen. He just doesn’t stop running. It’s scary. He will just keep on constantly running. He is a certainty to go to the World Cup in my opinion.

He always wants the ball, he covers the ground and he can play anywhere. The lad works so hard. He’s like the Nadal of football. He just doesn’t stop. He will always give you 100 per cent.

He’s mentally strong too. You tell him once what to do and he’s one of those players where you won’t have to tell him again. He is just a good professional and a good footballer.

Maybe the TV commentators could pick up on this and refer to it instead of constantly telling us that Milner is fit because he’s an ex-cross-country runner. It would make a refreshing change at least.

Speaking Of Ex-Villans

Ahead of our game in Bolton, Zat Knight has admitted that leaving Villa Park was effectively the end of living a boyhood dream of his, but playing regularly now means that he has no regrets.

Zat Knight
I don’t live in regret. Going to Villa was a dream of mine and I lived it — but now I have moved on. I don’t beat myself up about it. You could say it is stepping stones but that’s football. It isn’t something I look back on and wonder, what if? I did it for my own personal reasons.

On a personal level, I can’t help but like Zat Knight. He seems a thoroughly decent bloke and is, of course, a genuine Villa fans himself. However, I hope he once again shows us why I also have no regrets about him moving on.