Just four points clear of Charlton Athletic, you might think this is no time for Villa to be going head-to-head with a Toffees side bang in form, brimful of confidence and looking good value for a UEFA Cup place.

Indeed, you might even understand if Villa played this game with more than a degree of caution.

But the last thing I want to see from the claret-and-blues this evening is a cautious approach. The side is lacking confidence and is seriously short on self-belief. Squad and fans both need a shot in the arm this evening, and I don't see that coming from ths sort of display we saw against the red half of Merseyside. Eleven men behind the ball, and - who knows? - Big John may even pinch one at the far end (if we're lucky).

No. Everton have a poor record at Villa Park and need to leave with a poorer one. Villa need to get the season back on track not with a hard-fought 0-0, nor with a narrow 1-0 victory with a goal deflected off Carew's bum. This needs to be a rousing display of attacking intent, and three points as good as won with twenty left on the clock. To do that, O'Neill is going to have to make one or two brave decisions and the players are going to have to play without fear of defeat and with complete belief in victory.

It's time for two players in particular to take a bow and a seat on the bench or in the stand. Gavin McCann and Gabby Agbonlahor were critical components of Villa's success in the first half of the season, but there is room for neither sentiment nor gratitude this evening. Both lack sharpness, both look tired. Gabby has increasingly become a counter-attacking weapon, and is at a loss if the opposition holds it's shape. Smiler has looked less and less mobile and, for my money, has dragged Stan Petrov deeper and deeper, thus watering down his attacking creativity.

There are two players, on the other hand, who I would like to see start this evening. Steven Davis and Shaun Maloney both played well for their respective international sides last week and are the kind of busy, positive players who can get Villa buzzing again and start to cause Everton some problems. I don't want to see Petrov dropped, but I think Davis will bring a more effective performance out of him than McCann - even if Petrov needs to anchor the midfield and let Davis run. Stan has proved himself a mobile and aggressive midfielder on defensive duty, and has even out-McCanned McCann in recent games. He could also be instrumental in getting the ball from the back four and through midfield, instead of watching Bardsley and Mellberg thump it over his head.

On the flanks, I really don't want to see Barry and Young treading on each others toes again. I know the gaffer is no great lover of the 4-4-2 formation, but we have got to get either Ashley Young or Shaun Maloney in and around Carew. I'm sure those were the instructions against Liverpool, though Young and Gabby effectively settled into a five-man midfield and went to sleep (with the rest of us). For what it's worth, the Doc would play Young in the hole behind Carew and Maloney wide right.

And now to Andy Johnson. Wary of Johnson's pace, a nervous or wary Villa might defend deep and allow the Everton midfield too much space to play. That musn't happen. I'm especially concerned given that Gary Cahill, who O'Neill clearly prefers to Liam Ridgewell, was constantly too deep at Wembley for the U21's. I'd like to see Olof Mellberg, the more streetwise of the pair, doing a man-to-man job on Johnson. Personally, if he's genuinely fit and has been training well, I'd start Laursen next to him: on the rare occasions he plays, he looks like he's never been out and has more class than the other three centre backs put together.

I agree with Martin O'Neill's tactic of using Berger's touch and vision late on when the game has become stretched. Even so, I'd like to see him given at least twenty-five minutes rather than twelve. He's looked a class act when he's come on in recent games.

All in all, those are my thoughts on team selection. Far more important is Villa's mentality as they take to the field tonight. We now have dangerous attacking players in the squad - let's see Villa playing some dangerous attacking football.

Caution to the wind.

The Doc's Eleven: Sorensen - Bardsley; Mellberg; Laursen; Bouma - Maloney; Petrov; Davis; Barry - Young; Carew