Gardner on bench while Villa play three up

If you believe what you read in the paper you'll believe this. Craig Gardner is likely to start on the bench this Saturday with David O'Leary bottling it and playing three up front.

He really should start with just the two up front that finished against Middlesbrough otherwise he's not really giving them the chance because we all know he's not going to play three up front every week and he'd only be doing this to keep everyone happy.

Without Smiler and Milner, Hendrie is due to start his first match at Villa Park all season and it makes sense that Gardner starts in the same week he signs an improved contract at Villa Park.

Surely David O'Leary is man enough to know playing three up front will just spoil what we had last week and not allow the relationship between Phillips and Moore to develop any further.