Steve Bruce Compliments Villa Shocker!! + Lawro

Well, I think I quite like Steve Bruce all of a sudden?! Hey, stop those sharp intakes of breath, it appears he is a fan of what Martin O'Neill is doing and has backed Villa to break the top four.

No more Mr Potato head then!!!

Bruce was at Villa Park to see us beat Ajax 2-1 and told Sky Sports News:

'If there's going to be one team that's going to break the top four, then for me the team in the best position at the moment is Aston Villa. I've been mightily impressed with the job Martin O'Neill's done, a new owner's come in and they've got a brand-new training ground. Of course, they've had some investment on the pitch to help Martin but they do it properly.'

Adding, 'They've let Martin go and manage and be responsible for managing his club and, being meticulous as he is, he's gone about it with a plan of trying to bring in the best young British talent and mould them into a team, which is bearing fruit at the moment. You always know what you're going to get with Martin's teams because he always seems to produce a team that mirrors him. They're always going to be competitive and well-organised, and they play with an enthusiasm, which was too much for Ajax.'

He says they were 'fantastic' v Ajax and adds that they were playing with confidence.

And on the Wigan game he said, 'Villa have got good players, a good team and a good manager so it should be an enjoyable game.'

Meanwhile Mark Lawrenson has once again backed Villa to win despite getting last weeks win prediction wrong (he'd predicted a home win v Portsmouth).

Lawro told the BBC site:

'If Wigan sulk after getting robbed at Anfield last week, they could struggle. But I'm sure Steve Bruce won't let that happen. Villa have the kind of team which can sit back away from home, soak up the pressure, and then pick you off. Though they have stuttered of late, I expect them to win at the JJB.' And predicts 2-1 to Villa.

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