Martin O'Neill: Stoke City won't ruin the Aston Villa feelgood factor

Aug 23 2008

MARTIN O’Neill insists Aston Villa’s Stoke shocker will not disrupt the feelgood factor sweeping the club.

Villa entered the new season on a wave of optimism after O’Neill was given more than £30 million to spend.

And that was cranked up further with an opening day win over Manchester City and progress in Europe.

But yesterday’s surprise 3-2 defeat to Tony Pulis’s Premier League newcomers has threatened to stop them in their tracks. O’Neill took a different view though.

‘I don’t think that our optimism will be quelled by this result,’’ he insisted.

‘‘Good expectation is what I want to see around the football club.

‘‘The Premier League is tough going, so I’m still very very positive.’’