O'Neill - Share the wealth

O'Neill: Keen for midfielders to score more

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Martin O'Neill wants Aston Villa to share their goals about more and for his midfielders to start getting in on the act.

The comments are slightly curious as the high-flying midlands outfit demolished Bolton last week with five different players netting.

Ashley Young has three league goals so far while James Milner has found the back of the net twice in Premier League action.

However, the likes of Stiliyan Petrov, Steve Sidwell and Nigel Reo-Coker are all yet to score and O'Neill believes the goals should be shared around more.

O'Neill hopes one of his midfield stars achieve double figures this season, claiming it could be the difference between success and failure.

Successful

"I think if you are going to be successful, you have to have a goal-scoring midfield," explained O'Neill.

"You would have to be exceptionally lucky to go through a season and not have someone scoring from midfield, and yet still be really successful. We should be sharing goals around more.

"We should be getting more from midfield. That is something we haven't really had here. In my time here Gareth Barry scored although a lot of his were penalty kicks.

"If you are playing with three in the middle of the pitch, and we have done it sometimes, with a lone centre-forward then I think the onus is on the midfield to get into the box, past the centre forward and score.

"I keep telling midfielders they are worth their weight in gold if they can get into double figures. That is why players like Frank Lampard are so brilliant.

"He is one who will get you 20 goals a season, every season."