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The last thing Newcastle United supporters travelling to Birmingham want to hear on Sunday is a booming chorus of "We'll Meet again" reverberating around Villa Park. Alan Shearer sends his troops into action against a Villa side that have lost its way in the past few months aware that even a victory might not be enough to keep the side in the Premier League.

It's fair to say that there has been a very vocal dislike of Newcastle United around the country for the past few years. So much so that there is even a 'support Villa for the day' facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82508003455&ref=nf willing relegation for the Magpies. The words deluded, hyped and circus seem to figure prominently in the thoughts of many supporters towards a side who have become a total farce this season. Being a Villa fan living near The Stadium of Light, I think there might just be an  offer of free drinks in every Sunderland pub for the next 20 years if Villa win. I have a soft spot for all the North-East clubs and don't share the sense of pleasure around Newcastle's current demise. I do feel though if they do drop to the Championship then they only have themselves to blame.

There has been far too much negativity surrounding Newcastle this season. They've been run badly by Mike Ashley and the communication from the board towards the fans came far too late. The most contradictory quote of the season came from the North-East when Newcastle's Managing Director Derek Llambias stated "We hope to be like an Aston Villa". From a club who appointed Dennis Wise as a general nuisance, that does sound like a empty statement. If a club is ran well at the top then there is every chance that things will trickle down on the field of play. That hasn't happened and the players at the club have been left full of uncertainties with various managers this season. There is also Joey Barton who is doing his very best (i.e desperate and hollow) impersonation of a player who gives a damn.

I like Newcastle for the exact reason that lots of people laugh at them. Rational thought against pure emotion makes for only one winner in Newcastle. Take Sam Allardyce - a decent straightforward bloke who had done an excellent job at Bolton with limited resources. The rest of the footballing world may have nodded in agreement and felt his appointment was a sound one at St James Park. But the Toon Army only know one approach to football and it involves trying to win in style. They demand flying wingers, big powerful centre forwards, silky skills and most of all - a hero or two. What they don't want is safety in numbers at the back and a scrappy  1-0 win. The chant of 1-0 to the Arsenal may have seen trophies in the cabinet, but it's an alien concept to Newcastle United. They are a romantic club with a bucketload of emotion attached to its badge.

I've been quietly impressed with Alan Shearer. Ok, so he's made some tactical mistakes in his short spell in charge but you'd expect that from somebody who has no previous managerial experience. What he has brought to the club is some order, spirit, discipline, freshness and a will to succeed. He seems to have the backing and respect of his players. The vibes he has been giving seem to suggest that he wants the job on a longer term basis. If Newcastle are relegated, he'd love to be the man that leads the club back to the Premier League. I believe that a Shearer and Dowie amalgamation gives them a far greater hope of long term stability than any further changes at the end of the season.

Villa are in no mood to do Newcastle any favours on Sunday. Martin O'Neill will know that Villa need strengthening in the summer - with or without Gareth Barry. Whether Randy Lerner is prepared to splash out big money remains to be seen and all the talk in the media in recent weeks seem to suggest that the Billionaire owner is keen to tighten the purse strings. But Villa fans were lifted this week by the news that Stiliyan Petrov has signed a four year deal at the club. The Birmingham Evening Mail ran a story this week that Martin O'Neill was preparing to bring Olof Mellberg back to the club this summer from Juventus. However, O'Neill has hit back today by saying "It's news to me. There's nothing in it."

This is a nailed on home win for me (and that's despite watching the poor display against Boro last week). I just can't see Villa will want to end the season with another defeat and O'Neill will be very keen to steal fifth place. Newcastle will be nervous and in pushing forward looking for a victory will play into Villa's hands. Look out for a terrific last day atmosphere and plenty of tension on and off the pitch.

My Prediction: Aston Villa 2 Newcastle United 0

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Middlesbrough all but relegated as Villa snatch point

They may still have the tiniest chance of survival but Middlesbrough are all but relegated to the Championship after failing to beat Aston Villa at the Riverside this afternoon. John Carew's 56th minute equalizer after a slip from Marlon King cancelled out Tuncay's spectacular first half strike.

Villa started the match with James Milner playing right back due to the absence of Luke Young. Emile Heskey played on the right wing and Carlos Cuellar returned to central defence to partner Curtis Davies.

It took barely 20 seconds for Milner to be exposed in an unfamiliar right back role. Stuart Downing beat the Villa winger for pace and his cross was cleared by Curtis Davies for an early Boro corner. The atmosphere was tense at the Riverside Stadium with Villa supporters in very good voice throughout. Arca had a chance on five minutes after Downing again beat Milner for pace but his header lacked power and Fridiel saved comfortably.

Villa really should have been ahead on ten minutes when Gabby Agbonlahor found himself clear in the area with only Brad Jones to beat in the Boro goal. The England striker hit the shot tamely at Jones when he really should've buried it past the Boro keeper. Villa paid for that miss when Boro took the lead on 13 minutes. A Downing cross was deflected by Milner into the path of Tuncay who hit a spectacular overhead kick past Brad Friedel from 12 yards out. The goal lifted the home crowd who began to think that maybe the great escape was on.

Boro suffered a massive blow half way through the first half when Stuart Downing was stretchered off after a heavy challenge by Stiliyan Petrov. Downing was replaced by striker Marlon King with Tuncay drifting out wide.

Villa had a spell of possession but failed to make the most of their final ball. Shorey, Young and Barry both failed to deliver telling crosses into the area when in advantageous positions.

Boro felt they should've had a penalty after 37 minutes when a Gary O'Neil ball into the area was fumbled by Brad Friedel in the Villa goal and it looked as if Carew climbed all over Emnes but the referee Mike Riley waved play on.

Friedel saved well from Hoyte on 39 minutes after Emnes had beaten Cuellar. Emnes was again involved in the action on 41 minutes when he found himself in the area but he took too long on the ball and wasted the opportunity to put Boro 2-0 up. Neat build-up play between Davies and Petrov just before half time found Heskey in space on the right wing but his cross went high and wide. It summed up Villa's abysmal first half showing. Villa lacked determination and many of the players looked as if they were already on their summer holidays.

There was a scrappy start to the second half, and indiscipline was starting to get the better of Villa. Barry and Milner both found themselves booked for late challenges. Villa began to gradually come back into the game and were casing a few panics in the Boro defence. On 54 minutes, Ashley Young found Cuellar at the back-post and he headed it back across goal but no-one in a claret and blue shirt could finish off. Barry and Cuellar were involved in the action a minute later as Villa looked to draw level.

On 56 minutes, Villa grabbed their equalizer. A slip from King allowed Carew to control and pick his spot past Jones in the Boro goal. The goal gave Villa a lift and Petrov burst forward on 57 minutes but fluffed his shot as the goal opened up for him.

Ashley Young should've done much better on 61 minutes. He found himself clear and in with a chance of a goal but the Villa winger lacked composure and allowed the ball to trickle away from danger. King rolled Cuellar on 65 minutes but couldn't get any power on his shot as Boro looked for the all-important second goal. The game was now end to end with both sides looking for three points for entirely different reasons.

ON 76 minutes, Tuncay's free kick hit the Villa wall but returned to the player who hit a spectacular effort over the bar. Barry played Agbonlahor through on 78 minutes but with just Jones to beat, he again lacked conviction and composure and his effort was easily saved.

Boro began to run out of steam in the closing minutes but Villa were unable to make them pay and the match finished 1-1 with Boro travelling to West Ham on the final day of the season needing a miracle. Villa entertain Newcastle at Villa Park in a fixture that could see a second North-East side relegated from the top flight of English football.

Villa Ratings:

Brad Friedel - 6 - Good save from Hoyte in first half. Had little else to do.

James Milner - 4 - Out of his depth at right-back. Exposed.

Nicky Shorey - 5 - Lightweight.

Curtis Davies - 7 - Improved performance from a player who has been struggling with a shoulder injury since January.

Carlos Cuellar - 6 - One or two shaky moments but I felt he was reasonably comfortable today.

Gareth Barry - 7 - A decent second half showing. Became more involved in the game and did at least try and create something.

Stilyan Petrov - 5 - Looked tired and off the pace today.

Emile Heskey - 4 - Woeful. Please tell Martin O'Neill he is not a right winger.

John Carew - 6 - Does what he gets paid for - goalscoring. Took his goal very well.

Gabriel Agbonlahor - 5 - Always an outlet with his pace but his finishing was dreadful today. Confidence and composure are just not there.

Ashley Young - 6 - Up and down afternoon for the Villa winger. His head drops when things don't go his way and you could sense his frustration at times.

Subs:

Nigel Reo-Coker - 6 - Average.

Crowd: 9 - Villa fans in good voice despite not selling out their allocation

Manager Watch:

 Martin O'Neill - 4 - What was he thinking by playing Milner at right-back and Heskey on the wing? Tactically he's all over the place in recent months. At least he did seem to raise the boys at half time after that horror show first 45 minutes. But his signing of Heskey is already looking to be a big mistake.

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Aston Villa captain Martin Laursen has retired at the age of 31 following weeks of speculation about his future in the game.

Martin Laursen signed for Aston Villa for £3M from Italian giants A.C. Milan in May 2004. His partnership with Olof Mellberg looked to be one of the best in the league under David O'Leary but injury problems have kept him out of action at Aston Villa for long periods. His knee injury problems forced him out of the 2005-06 season and a re-occurrence of the same problem in 2006 put his club and international career in doubt. He underwent a full rehabilitation program in Bologna and returned to the Villa side in August 2006.

When Martin O'Neill arrived at Villa Park, it looked as if Laursen would be unable to complete a full season. However his performances in the 2007-08 season were resplendent - scoring six goals from centre back and earning himself a new two year contract with Villa in January 2008. Martin O'Neill was enthralled with the news and said at the time "He has become a firm favourite with supporters and hopefully they are as pleased as we are." Doubts persisted about his long term prospects of staying fit and O'Neill signed Zat Knight, Curtis Davies and Carlos Cuellar to try to compensate for any further injury problems to Laursen.

Laursen replaced Gareth Barry as captain following Barry's on-off Liverpool transfer saga last summer. Once again he was terrific this season for the club until an injury in January. Despite looking at one stage that his return to the game was drawing closer, Laursen again broke down and there were serious doubts about his future in the game.

Laursen was a exceptional player for Aston Villa and the club was exemplary to him too. Had he have been fully fit and managed to complete a full season this term then I am convinced that Villa may just have clinched fourth spot in the Premier League this season. The defensive errors and uncertainty that have dented Villa's progress in recent months are due to Laursen's injury. There isn't a better defender at the club.  You only have to look at the results when he is in the team and then compare them to when he is absent to see what an impact he has on the side. Not only was Martin Laursen a leader off the field, he was a leader on it. Masterful in the air, powerful in the tackle and full of qualities needed to win football matches. It's with good reason that the fans and players at the club would often say that Laursen would head a brick or a bus. He was as brave as a lion.

 Laursen's decision to quit the game is a major blow to Aston Villa and to Martin O'Neill. Replacing him will not be easy. Just how does O'Neill replace such a force? It's now left the Villa manager to send his scouts out throughout the world in an effort to tighten up the Villa defence for next season.

89 starts in five seasons may not sound like great stats..but how will he be remembered? Very fondly by the vast majority of Villa fans who rank Laursen as one of the few bright spots to come out of the David O'Leary era at Villa Park. Put simply, Martin Laursen was one of the most popular defenders at Villa since the days of Paul McGrath. It's a sad day for the club, the player and the fans who idolised him. He will be missed.

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Gareth Southgate looked a broken man on Monday evening. The Boro manager had seen his side take an early lead against fellow strugglers Newcastle in a 'must win' match, only to concede three goals and lose the game. The former Villa defender now needs a miracle as the scrap for Premier League survival reaches boiling point. Anything less than three points against his former club on Saturday will surely see Boro relegated to the Championship in a season of bitter disappointment in the North-East.

The fun times at Middlesbrough when Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli thrilled the Riverside now seems a very distant memory. The closest Boro have to a superstar now is wantaway winger Stuart Downing and he is almost certain to move on in the summer regardless of what division the teeside club are playing in. The problem with Middlesbrough is that they have at least three fatal flaws. They concede too many goals (only West Bromwich Albion can beat them for defensive fragility and only by a single goal) and they lack a striker who can score enough goals. They also seem to lack enough grit and fight when things go wrong. If you were write a report of the Middlesbrough squad then the words 'basic', 'not good enough' and 'hopeless' might be fairly common.

I watched the game against Newcastle on Monday evening and Boro looked like a side who could struggle to even make mid-way in the Championship. I have a few memories of Gareth Southgate as a former Villa player. One is of how composed and cool he was (most of the time) and how articulate he came across. But the other side of Gareth is that he often has the look of the man who breeds negativity. When things go wrong, I'm not so sure he has any answers - other than to state the obvious.

There hasn't been much cheer either at Aston Villa in the past few months. A dismal run of form has seen just one victory in 14 games - relegation form for a side that flirted with the top four for much of the season. Last week's dismal second half showing at Fulham was frustrating - if only for the fact that the previous week Villa had returned to winning ways. Villa should've have been confident and determined enough to get something at Cravan Cottage. However, once again, defensive uncertainty proved costly. Villa boss Martin O'Neill has spoken this week about the possibility of looking abroad to bolster a thin squad and avoid paying the inflated prices for more young English talent. He has a mountain to replace in the form of Martin Laursen and it wont be an easy summer for the Villa boss.

One man who really disappointed me last week was former Reading and England left back Nicky Shorey. I had been quick to praise Shorey after impressing since returning to the side and re-capturing the sort of form that tempted O'Neill to sign him in the summer. However mouthing the words "wanker" in the direction of Villa coach John Robertson after being substituted is really not good enough.

Stiliyan Petrov has emerged from the week with two awards - the Players Player of the year and the Supporters Player of the Year awards. I don't disagree with that. I think he's been sublime at times this season but I think that he needs a different formation and players to prosper really into something special.

Afonso Alves wont be playing against Aston Villa - or for the remainder of the season - after breaking his foot in Monday night's disappointing 3-1 defeat against Newcastle at St James Park. Rarely will such bad fortune to a player be met with such joy by Boro fans who have been increasingly frustrated with the poor form of the Brazilian striker who signed for £10M in January 2008. Alves is likely to be replaced by former Watford striker Marlon King. Villa boss Martin O'Neill was previously linked to King who has still to really convince people that he's a Premiership forward.

You would think that Boro will be really up for this one and the Riverside should be quite intimidating on Saturday with Boro needing all three points to put pressure on Hull and Newcastle. Villa owe it to themselves and the supporters to try to regain some pride again and finish the season on a high and win the battle for fifth. I think Villa will be too strong for Boro on the day.

My Prediction: Middlesbrough 1 Aston Villa 2

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Villa manager Martin O’Neill has this week hailed Fulham manager Roy Hodgson for the exquisite progress he is making at Craven Cottage. There’s no doubt that Fulham have come on leaps and bounds since Hodgson took charge in December 2007. With the club struggling despondently to stay in the Premier League last season, Fulham managed to win their last three games against Manchester City, Birmingham and Portsmouth to secure their status in the top flight.

Hodgson’s appointment had been met primarily with more than a few raised eyebrows. Despite being a successful manager on the continent, Hodgson endured a torrid time as Blackburn manager in 1997.He is only a few years younger than Graham Taylor and Howard Wilkinson - both of whom found Premiership life critically difficult. However, Hodgson has clearly enjoyed being back in England and Fulham have enjoyed a magnificent season. The highlight was undoubtedly a superb 2-0 victory against Manchester Unted in March.

The visit of Villa to Craven Cottage will make for an interesting game. Roy Hodgson will want to recover quickly for last week’s 3-1 at Stamford Bridge and the side still have an outside chance of finishing as high as 7th in the table,

Villa finally returned to winning habits with a 1-0 victory over Hull at Villa Park and Martin O’Neill is keen to end the season on a high. Villa face late tests to key men Ashley Young and Stiliyan Petrov before O’Neill names his side. One man who is certain to play is full back Nickey Shorey. The Villa left back has been in terrific form since returning to the side and has surely done enough to secure his future at the club.

Fulham’s Aaron Hughes is likely to play against his former side. Hughes signed for Villa in May 2005 for a small fee of £1m but made just 64 appearances in a claret and blue shirt before moving to Fulham in June 2007.

I think this will be an classic match with both sides looking to attack freely and win the match. Fulham and Villa are both capable of creating plenty of chances and I wouldn’t be surprised to see quite a few goals. John Carew is on fire for Villa at the moment and I can see him adding a few more to his tally on Saturday. Confidence is so vital in football and Villa’s win over Hull on Monday evening should now be a platform to build on. But they will have to be on top of their game on Saturday.

My Prediction:

Fulham 2 Aston Villa 3

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It wasn't a vintage Villa performance (or a good game) last night, but at least Villa won a football match at last! The final ten minutes or so were very edgy and a better team than Hull might have taken advantage of our nerves but we hung on and gained a much needed three points. Man of the match for me was Nicky Shorey. I've been very impressed with him since he came back into the side and it's clear that he's playing for his future. He looked so composed and used the ball very well. He looks a bit of threat coming forward and can deliver a good ball into the area. The match itself had a very 'end of the season' feel about it with both sides looking tired. As for Hull - I thought they were poor. At least when Nicky Barmby came on, he gave them some hope and passion.

Here's the press reaction to the game:

Villa's fifth amendment

Liverpool Echo

Tigers go down fighting - with each other

Daily Mirror

O'Neill hails Carew's consistency after Hull winner

Soccernet

O'Neill delight at Euro qualification

Teamtalk

Hull players clash after Carew strike

Independent

John's Angel Delight

Daily Star

Tigers bitten by Carew

Daily Express

Villa end winless sequence and leapfrog Everton

Birmingham Post

Carew relieved goal allowed to stand

ITV

Carew books Villa's Euro spot and leaves Hull sweating

Scotsman

John Carew ends Aston Villa's drought as Hull flirt with drop

Guardian Football

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