I have absolutely no doubt that it was an innocent slip from Marc Albrighton, but even so, the Villa winger was probably more accurate with his first tweet following the drab home defeat to Liverpool.

'Tough game!' he messaged. 'At least we only have 3 days to wait until we can't put right!'

Quite, Marc. Although he quickly realised his spelling error and tweeted, 'I did mean 'can' put it right!', Albrighton's unintentionally echoed what many Villa fans are feeling heading into Christmas.

And so, with immaculate timing, Martin O'Neill is back in football, emerging from the shadows and pitchside Champions League chit-chat with Roy Keane and Gareth Southgate - two men who know plenty about managing north east clubs - to take over at Sunderland.

His decision to succeed Steve Bruce at the Stadium of Light could not have been more poignantly made in the hearts and minds of Villa fans.

We are approaching Christmas, after all, the traditional time of year to reminisce and indulge in nostalgia, and considering that discussion over O'Neill - his time as Villa manager, the manner of his abrupt departure and the legacy he left behind - has barely been far from the agenda since he walked away from Villa Park in August 2010, it has yet again sparked debate and counter-debate.