Is Martin O'Neill exempt from negativity?

Hell no. Yet there is a thread on Villa Talk about it at the minute.

I have refrained from posting my thoughts on there because I fear I may end up getting too personal with a few of the posters, and I have no desire to be kicked off the site.

Still, it got me to thinking.

The Wigan game - yes, Wigan were the better side.

But dear oh dear, criticise the team? Why?

First of all, Wigan are a pretty decent side. They were the home team so would be expected to attack more, and also were on a run of four straight Premiership wins - that does not happen by luck.

I read somewhere that they are a side we should be expected to beat. There is so many flaws with that argument I am not even willing to discuss it. Let us just say that it is wrong - most people with a knowledge of football will know why I am right.

Now, onto the Villa:

Keeper - Two good saves. Dealt with almost everything else well.

Defence - Organised. I saw somewhere the word, ‘luck’. So, three clean sheets on the trot in the Premiership is luck?

FACT: that does not happen through just luck.

Last year we was leaking goals left, right and centre. We were shocking at the back. Even early this season, a couple of the goals we conceded were horrible.

We have got better organised, we battle almost 100% more than we did last season, we work harder and ultimately I, quite frankly, get the impression that the players care more.

In addition, we have Mellberg at right-back, two young lads in the middle - one of whom has just come back from injury - and a left back who has also not long been fit himself.

I reckon as a unit, they have played twice together and conceded no goals. Not bloody bad, is it?

Midfield - McCann and Petrov were missing, for starters.

On the right we had Agbonlahor, who ultimately is more a striker than a winger. In the middle we had somebody making his third EVER Premiership start, and our captain playing out of position. On the left we had Peter Whittingham, making his second start of the campaign.

In the second half, Gabi moved to the left and ’stop-gap’ Didier Agathe was on the right. I mean, if we get there, does anybody realistically expect Agathe to be a regular part of a Villa first-team that would be competing at the upper reaches of the Premiership?

Finally, Steven Davis come on. By his own admission he is out of form, yet looked lively, was instrumental in creating a chance towards the end and all in all we looked better once he was on the pitch.

They grafted as well as they could. They were over-powered mostly, but they did as well as I reckon can reasonably be expected, and in fact the midfield grew as it went on.

Forwards - Ok, let us get something straight now. Realistically, when under pressure, a team needs a player up front that can hold the ball up, and someone with pace. Ideally both ; Man U, for example.

Neither Angel nor Sutton have pace, so when under pressure, they need the midfield players joining them. But, Osborne was playing in the Gavin McCann role, and while Gareth Barry has many talents, being a particularly mobile box-to-box midfielder is not one of them.

So it is unsurprising that we looked better once Davis was in the middle and Agbonlahor went up front. Not complicated, eh?

Still, with the young lads I can see why O’Neill would opt for Barry in the middle to add some steel - after all, Osborne looked better alongside McCann than he did alongside Petrov - and bearing in mind Whittingham has a nice left peg, that is almost certainly why he was on the left wing in a team with two forwards that are good in the air. Again, it is not complicated, but I feel the need to explain it nonetheless.

Also, some people have commented on the difference between this team and the previous management regime. Well, I not only refuse to comment about DO’L on VillaTalk anymore, but I do not wish to discuss him on this blog as to do that would be doing what he is - a waste of space.

All I will say is this. The differences are there for all to see, and on the most basic of levels too, like organisation, commitment and desire. If people can not see that, or see why the Wigan game was nothing to be too concerned about, then I do not think that even a basic knowledge of football can be taught to them.

The future of Aston Villa is a bright one. Some people will just always need a cloud.

This is a post taken, with permission, from Sheriff Kimbo's Villa Blog.