We are capable, we are on a roll, and we should be confident.

No longer should we be in awe of the likes of Arsenal or Liverpool. The MON/RL association has ensured that we can now compete on a level playing field with the so called ‘big four’.

so cofident we will hardly conceed

now for 4 points out of 6, arse nothing special today and Plop, well, collapsing ?

Not pretty, and certainly not a game that will live long in the memory, but we battled and scrapped throughout, every player giving his all, and ultimately defeated a Stoke City side that was always going to be a handful.

Three more very valuable points are now stored away, and we can look forward to the remaining Christmas games with plenty of confidence.

Forgetting for one moment his superb second half strike at The Stadium Of Light the other evening, which virtually ended the game as a contest, Milly shone throughout the ninety plus minutes, always involved in the action, demonstrating to the partisan wearsiders who had come to taunt him because of his St James Park connections, the reasons why he is not only so highly rated by MON and his staff, and of course the Villa Park regulars, but by Fabio Cappello also.

Another superb display by James.

As for the meet up with The Stokies this weekend, here’s hoping that we exit the encounter with three more valuable points, which should set us up nicely for the visit to The Emirates, and the home game against the reds of merseyside.

Wont be easy again Tony Pulis’ outfit, far from it, but you’re right. We do owe them one, and hopefully we are in the mood to do just that, and exact ‘revenge’ for dropping four points to them in last seasons encounters.