For several reasons I'm really looking forward to this match. The main reason is because I think it's a match where we can pick up three points.

Our game raises against the bigger teams and Liverpool are a big team; not one of the top three but big enough for our game to raise. I've also got a feeling that the atmosphere for this game is going to be a little different than what it usually is and that will be good for our players.

Tonight should be a formality, but I suggested that about last Saturday and look what happened. However, I'm going to go all out and actually say, it is a formality.

It's not that they're not a decent side, you can only play what is put in front of you week in week out, it's that we're a much stronger side and we're at Villa Park.

I'd actually be a little worried if we didn't have the three goal advantage and if it was all square or maybe just the one goal, I'd maybe not be as confident but I think it's fair to say we'll go through after tonight.

Martin O'Neill is set to rest some players ahead of the visit from Liverpool this weekend, but with him allowed to have the rest of the first team squad on the bench, if things do start t

Morning. I've just woken to see that the site has almost successfully moved to OleOle. We have a few issues that the technical guys have been emailed about and I'm sure more are going to come up, but for now, this post is just to say, we're here.

It's also a place for you to leave any comments about the site so if you find any bugs tell us, because we need to make it better. Also, if there is anything you don't like, tell us, we'll do our best to change it if it's possible.

James Milner handed in a transfer request a week ago. If Martin O'Neill didn't know about that and if James Milner hadn't already indicated that he wanted to come to Villa, or whatever club has suggested he hand in a transfer request, then I'd be very surprised.

Much like Liverpool chasing Barry all summer and Martin O'Neill telling Liverpool the price, surely if Martin O'Neill has been given a price and really wants James Milner, all he has to do is offer it?

Okay, maybe it isn't that simple, in fact I know it's not that simple but it's not as difficult as Martin O'Neill is making it. James Milner is represented by the PFA and you don't mess them about. If Newcastle have told us a price, then Martin, if you want him, you're going to have to offer it.

It's a rumour in the Daily Mail and we're linked with him along with Newcastle. Those are the two reasons why it is probably made up.

He plays for Standard Liege, who are playing Liverpool tonight in the Champions League and one of the teams, probably Liverpool, will be entering the UEFA Cup proper. The other will in the Chumpians League.

The rumoured price is £10mn. and he's a midfielder. I watched the Liverpool game a couple of weeks ago and nobody really stood out for me, on either side, although Standard Liege really should have won and I hope they do tonight. I'll also be looking out for this player.

That's it so far this morning, but no doubt something else will come up this afternoon as there are six days left of the transfer window and I'm expecting a signing a day.

Saturday started with the expectation that by 5pm we would be chanting 'we are top of the league', but it certainly didn't go to plan.

Let's try to forget about dodgy penalty decisions and Rory Delap's extraordinary long throws. Despite the Stoke defeat we all need to stay positive because all the signs so far are that Villa are going from strength to strength and are now ready for the next phase of the Randy and Martin revolution.

Success this season will be either some silverware or a top four finish. With a couple of class signings this week and holding on to Gareth Barry we are ready. The defence will soon start to click and we haven't even seen the best player in the SPL last season, Carlos Cuellar, in a Villa shirt yet.

On Wednesday night, at about 11pm UK time, the site will be taken off line for a few hours. While it is off line, it will be moved and become part of another site, namely OleOle.

OleOle is a new community driven football website and I decided, actually quite a while ago now, to join up with them and become part of the fastest growing football website on the planet.

Why did I do this? Well, basically they sort of offered me a job. The job isn't doing anything that I'm not already doing but the guys at OleOle are actually going to pay me to keep the blog running.

It took a while to agree everything, mostly because it was very important that the only thing that really changed was where the site was hosted and that we as a community still have control of what happens on the blog.

We've got that control and with everything else that was offered, it made the decision of moving very easy.

I think the philosophy went something like this: we scored a bagful of goals last season, and let a bagful in as well. All we need to do is spend loads of money on a few new defenders and Champions League, here we come.

Err, not. Twenty-four million squiddlies later, plus a couple of goalkeepers, an early return for Curtis and an armband for Martin Laursen, and our defence looks more like The Keystone Cops than ever.

All Stoke City needed to do was chuck the ball into Villa's box to turn supposedly top-notch defenders into quivering blancmanges.

"Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose".

Dare I suggest some work on the training ground, Martin? Any volunteers to chuck the ball in, folks?

It wasn't good enough today, bottom line and if you disagree with me, then you're probably going to be happy finishing top half.

A bookmaker has already paid out for people that had a bet on Stoke going down this season and we really should have won today.

Martin O'Neill talks about this 'quality' he wants to add and I understand why now, because today we didn't have any; both goals came from nothing. While there was some nice build up during the game, everything else came to nothing.

We had no idea how to play against 10 men behind the ball in the first half and the only thing that we can say about today, that has been said about every Martin O'Neill team, is that they gave 100%.

Giving 100% however isn't always enough and today we found out why. Stoke gave 110% and while on paper we have better players they had better tactics and more desire. It is simply not good enough.

Right, we did this last week and it sort of worked, so we're doing it again. Only real concern is that the beer isn't here yet, but apart from that we're ready to go.

Almost the same format from last week, but instead of time, we'll be using minutes played during the match.

We'll start with team news and the lads representing Aston Villa today are: Friedel, L.Young, Shorey, Laursen, Davies, Reo-Coker, Barry, Petrov, A.Young, Carew and Agbonlahor. On the bench: Taylor, Osbourne, Harewood, Knight, Gardner, Salifou and Routledge.

So, we're ready and about to start. Hold on to your hats, I'm thinking a few goals today. Beer just arrived too, absolutely perfect timing. Well done wife.