Recently by Paul McGrath

HEARING the Holte End chanting your name at the top of their voices is one the best feelings in the world and I should know because they still do it 50 times during Villa home games.

But I can't imagine how painful it must be when the Villa Park faithful turn against you like they did with Gabby Agbonlahor against Tottenham on Sunday.

Villa fans are usually so patient and they have always been brilliant with me during my playing days and since I've hung up my boots.

MARTIN O'Neill should use Aston Villa's get-away for his players to share a few home truths.

In my playing days sunshine breaks like Villa's current trip to Dubai gave the lads a chance to clear the air.

Villa have suffered a slight slump with no wins in six games in recent weeks and the Dubai training camp is the perfect place to set things straight.

MARTIN O'Neill has made a mockery of a competition which still holds special memories for myself and thousands of Villa fans.

But I'm backing him to learn from his mistake in forfeiting the UEFA Cup last week by leading Villa into the Champions League.

I, like most of the claret and blue faithful, was extremely disappointed with the team he chose for the limp exit at CSKA Moscow on Thursday.

I'm not a big fan of all this rotating malarkey which Rafa Benitez has introduced to this country and prioritising one competition over another.

VILLA can win the FA Cup this year if they can safely negotiate their way through Saturday's tricky fourth-round tie.

I know Villa won't discover who they are playing until after Doncaster's replay with Cheltenham tonight.

But, having battled past Gillingham in the last round, Villa will be well drilled about what to expect against lower-league opponents. And if Martin O'Neill's men do emerge victorious from their away tie then I see no reason why 2009 can't be their year at long last.

TRUST me, the only way West Brom will get anything at Villa Park on Saturday is if one of the Villa players volleys the ball into his own net.

The reason I say that is that all I can remember from my one and only Villa-Albion derby is me nearly smashing an own goal past Nigel Spink.

We were playing them in the FA Cup at The Hawthorns in February 1990 and we won 2-0.

But it might not have been quite so comfortable had Spinksy not shown good handling to stop my shot flying past him.

It was the days when back-passes were still allowed so I attempted to guide the ball to him, but it came at me quicker than I expected and I ended up smashing a fierce volley, which fortunately he saved!

Own goals aside, I can't see Tony Mowbray's strugglers causing too many problems for Martin O'Neill's in-form team this weekend.

I know John Carew did a lot of the damage in the 2-1 win at The Hawthorns but even without him Villa have plenty of firepower to beat the Baggies.

My prediction is 4-1 to Villa with Ashley Young scoring two, along with goals from Gabby Agbonlahor and James Milner, and a consolation from Jonathan Greening.