Source: PA
Petrov - MacDonald deserves chance to lead
Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov has urged the club's American owner Randy Lerner to appoint Kevin MacDonald as the full-time replacement for Martin O'Neill.
MacDonald took over as caretaker manager after O'Neill's shock resignation and he made the perfect start with Saturday's 3-0 destruction of West Ham.
The Scot, who briefly held the caretaker role at Leicester in 1994 before following Brian Little to Villa, has said he is not a big enough name for the job. But Lerner suggested MacDonald is in the running, having given him the green light to stay in charge for Thursday's Europa League clash with Rapid Vienna.
And Petrov, who scored Villa's second goal in a commanding opening-day performance against the hapless Hammers, revealed the players are right behind him.
"The way he prepared us for the game showed us that he wants to hold onto that job - and I hope we can help him take that job," said Petrov.
"We are behind him. He has been at the club a long time, done a great job with the youth and he has the opportunity to do it now. We played really well, we showed what we can do and if it keeps going that way there is no reason why he cannot make his own name."
