IN THE past two months, with Aston Villa’s form sagging like a slowly deflating balloon, Martin O’Neill has become a victim of the dreaded Great Expectation syndrome. It usually infects clubs who overachieve and the principal symptoms are barely concealed frustration among those who follow them, and unjust grumbling about the manager as a consequence. Villa are emerging as a classic case history, which is a pity.

Last August nobody was confidently laying big-money bets on O’Neill nudging Arsenal out of the top four. The fact his astute stewardship made it seem possible for so long is testament to his gifts. The cold wash of reality that followed doesn’t diminish either him or his skills. It demonstrates instead two things that O’Neill, with his discerning lawyer’s eye, will have known anyway. Villa need strengthening this summer, and it is more difficult than ever to break into the Premier League’s aristocracy. After all, nothing excellent is wrought suddenly.

Of course, the only known cure for Great Expectation syndrome is three points, which need to be taken at regular intervals. Much to O’Neill’s exasperation, Villa still can’t manage either a win or a clean sheet, a run that has now stretched to nine league matches.

Even when a fortuitous goal from Ashley Young gave them the lead at the Reebok yesterday, Villa looked vulnerable against a fightback. And so it proved when Tamir Cohen capitalised on a piece of typical defensive dithering in the second half.

At least the blow of it was slightly softened for O’Neill as news of Everton’s defeat at Goodison Park floated in like sweet music. Villa’s arm-wrestle with the FA Cup finalists goes on nonetheless – possibly to the season’s last match. It is a crucial one too. For there is an appreciable difference between reaching the playoff round of the Europa League in mid-to-late August, which fifth place provides, and being obliged to jump through the inconvenient hoop of a third qualifying round. This is played so early that it clashes with the third Ashes Test, coincidentally staged at Edgbaston. No doubt O’Neill would prefer a tranquil afternoon at the cricket.

Villa, however, are like a jumpy magician fumbling his tricks. Either passes are misplaced or moves swollen with possibility suddenly dissolve into nothing at the critical moment because of a lack of concentration or nerve.

Even when the inventive Young made their breakthrough – with half-time two minutes away – his goal relied on good fortune rather than dazzling craft. He darted innocuously in from the left touchline before pushing over a straightforward right-foot centre. Jussi Jaaskelainen made wholly the wrong assumption about it. He thought the waiting John Carew would get a modest flick and prepared himself for the header. Instead, the ball drifted beyond Carew’s lunge and gave the keeper no time to readjust. The cross drifted past him and clipped the inside of the far post.

Until then, the first half was a drowsy, arid affair. Rarely did anybody’s heart beat faster because of it. Bolton came closest when Fabrice Muamba nearly fastened onto a chance at the near post. He mistimed his swinging kick and the ball briefly got tangled up in his legs before Brad Friedel smothered it in a blanket dive. It was an inelegant but necessary solution to the danger.

A queasy apprehension still fell over Villa whenever Bolton went on a surge. It culminated in Cohen lashing the ball into the net from seven yards after Villa made an untidy hash of trying to clear it on the hour.

It was a decent day’s work for Bolton, who are edging themselves towards safety. Truth to tell, nobody has mentioned them as serious relegation candidates this spring, which is an enormous compliment to their boss Gary Megson and emphasises the resilience and drill-like discipline he has instilled. “We didn’t play well,” insisted Megson. “But at least we worked our socks off.” He’s obviously a hard man to please.

Star man: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Yellow card: Aston Villa: Barry

Referee: L Probert

Attendance: 21,709

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen 7, Steinsson 7, O’Brien 7 (Puygrenier 78min), Cahill 7, Samuel 7, K Davies 7, McCann 7, Muamba 7, Cohen 7 (Basham 87min), Elmander 7, Taylor 7

ASTON VILLA: Friedel 7, Knight 7, Cuellar 7, C Davies 7, Shorey 7, Milner 7, Petrov 7, Barry 7, Young 8, Heskey 6 (Delfouneso 76min), Carew 7