I was exactly 232 words into this week's Villa column when I heard the news. Stiliyan Petrov, Villa's captain, has been diagnosed with acute leukemia.

... and everything feels much better.

It's been almost pleasant being a Villa fan for the past couple of weeks; with this Tuesday's scheduled match against Bolton being postponed, the glow that comes with winning has lasted that little bit longer. There's nothing like a victory to put an extra spring in the step and Villa's 1-0 win over Fulham was perfectly timed; without a home win since the beginning of winter 2011 (November 5, to be precise), this was a first Villa Park three-pointer for four months.

There are some not-so-subtle diversionary tactics being deployed around Villa Park; we've only just entered March, but it seems the club has its focus firmly on the 2012-13 season already.

Whether this is excellent forward planning, or a way of trying to ignore the stagnant nature of our current situation, I haven't yet decided.