The squad's getting bigger all the time

I must admit, I was mildly surprised reading The Times' prediction on Saturday morning that both James Milner and Eirik Bakke were likely to start for Villa at Upton Park (does anybody, by the way, who knows the slightest thing about football ever really call it "The Boleyn Ground"?).

Now I have nothing against a bit of licence, still less against a bit of imagination; but either this was written at three in the morning by a pundit who'd been at the Black Label, or DOL has a new job (or, an amusing thought, both!). Or maybe it was just dear old Freddie Shepherd - luv 'im - taking the p***?

Sometimes, of course, reality is stranger than fiction: settling down with a bottle of Becks at 3.30 on Sunday afternoon, I learn that Laursen starts with Ridgewell at centre back; Olof Mellberg fills in for Hughes at right back; Patrik Berger is fully fit and on the bench - and Stan Petrov makes his full debut in front of Barry (who moves to left back)!

As well as giving belief to young, inexperienced players (Gabby; Luke Moore; Ridgewell) and inspiring knackered older charges to new heights (McCann; Mellberg), it seems that Aston Martin may even have the capacity to raise the dead.

To be frank, I had quite given up hope of seeing Martin Laursen pull on a first-team shirt again - and I had more or less forgotten what Berger even looks like (having been reduced to a naming game for my Young Villains: "I know: Patrik Hot Dog"; "I've got one: Patrik Pastie" etc.).

I must confess to having a rather strange vision of a newly-arm-banded Gareth Barry lowering Laursen and Berger Lazarus-like through the roof of MON's office at Bodymoor Heath! I know, maybe that was the Black Label too...

Somewhere, here, there are a couple of serious points to be made: firstly, it seems that Villa's thin, threadbare squad is not so thin and threadbare after all: we don't seem so far from a situation where there are two credible players competing for each position (the exceptions, to my mind, being at striker and right back).

Secondly, isn't it interesting that players with career-threatening injuries, who most of us (if we are honest) didn't expect to see play for Villa again, are right back up there the moment the buzz is back in the squad?

That says a lot to me about the relative motivational qualities of Messrs O'Leary and O'Neill.

You can contact Doc by emailing doc.bowles@astonvilla.biz.