MacDonald staying positive at Villa

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin Macdonald hopes the club can recover well and get off to a good start in the league in the wake of Martin O'Neill's shock departure.

"But it is also becomes a big honour for me to be in charge, to be the caretaker, whether it would for one game or for two games, who knows. I am very proud to be doing this job," he said.

Macdonald, who is in charge of the reserve side, will fill the manager's spot on the bench in their match against West Ham United on Saturday.

O'Neill resigned only five days before the start of the season, and the 58-year-old gave no reason for his decision.

"His departure I don't know. That we will be able to tell tomorrow and over the next few weeks - how players react, how players are affected," MacDonald said.

O'Neill's departure comes four years after joining the Midlands club. His tenure included three sixth-place league finishes and Villa's first final in ten years - a 2-1 League Cup defeat by Manchester United last season.