Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg has insisted he is not brushing up on his Italian language classes, ahead of speculation linking him with a move to Serie A giants Juventus.

The Swedish international is out of contract in the summer and with no new contract deal as yet forthcoming, has been rumoured to be looking for a last big club to end his career.

He and his agent have been in talks with Villa but the 30-year-old, who almost found himself on the score sheet in his side's 2-0 Barclays Premier League win over Derby County on Saturday, insists he is happy in the West Midlands and eager to play his part in Martin O'Neill's side.

The right back, who joined Villa for £5 million in July 2001 from Spanish La Liga side Racing Santander, said: "There have been talks but my focus is on the team and our games. If something happens here before January, we'll have to see.

"I was linked in the Italian press with joining Juventus but, at the moment, all I am focusing on is doing well for Villa and trying to get the team in a good position this year. We will just have to wait and see what happens, but I am not brushing up on my Italian at all."

O'Neill might have been further distracted by an agitated Villa supporter trying to tell him what to do as his side were frustrated in the first half against the league's bottom club, but the manager wasn't going to let that spoil Villa's fifth home win of the season.

The Northern Irishman had to endure the kind of hassle David O'Leary regularly faced behind the dug-out during matches. But he was not going to be fazed, even when pockets of fans booed the team at half-time after they had almost all of the possession, yet failed to take an early lead.

In fact, the Villa manager believes paying fans have every right to vent their frustration - and he is more than grateful for their support as the club celebrates the sort of 40,000 average attendances it last regularly enjoyed in 1949-50.

O'Neill said: "l hope that is the level of expectation because we have generally been pretty good at home this season. Even against Manchester United, that first half-hour may well have been the best we have played. We came into this game knowing the big crowd would be expecting us to go and beat Derby.

"Obviously, they want us to do well and there were some comments when it wasn't happening for ten or 15 minutes and most of that was our fault but I want there to be expectation. I thought we had a little period in the first half when we looked like we might score but we couldn't sustain it. We didn't pass the ball cleverly enough; in the second half, we played with a lot more purpose."

Commenting on his heated discussion with a fan seated just behind his dug-out, O'Neill said: "I felt I heard him saying something that I was thinking. There was no real problem at all. I saw him at half-time and he just came down to me.

"Maybe it's expectation. I've looked behind me in every dug-out I've ever been in. Maybe I shouldn't. He wanted us to get more momentum going. He said out loud what I was trying to impart.

"I have often said this - you pay your money and you are entitled, the minute you walk into that ground, to say what you think. If you decide you want to cheer for the whole 90 minutes, great. If you want to moan for the whole 90 minutes, then that's entirely your prerogative. You have paid a lot of money.

"We played Everton here on a Monday night last season and we'd been through a dicky period. The fans were very frustrated, rightly so, and we got booed off at half-time. We deserved it. In the second half, we forced a couple of corners, got a bit of momentum and the crowd were right behind us and it was the same today.

"I'm really pleased we won. I thought the second half was miles better than the first and now we have set ourselves up for next week." [the Second City derby against Birmingham City next Sunday]

"Expectation is getting higher and I don't mind that, why shouldn't it be? It's the only way forward. We haven't reached the Manchester United or Arsenal level yet but we are going to strive to get there and quickly.

"I don't mind what the fans do. They pay hard-earned money to come here. Once we have given them something to cheer, to be playing swashbuckling football for reasonably lengthy periods, then that's fine.

"Against Derby, the first half was nothing like that at all and people are expecting more. The players are expecting more - which they should do - and I was expecting more.

"We now head for the Birmingham game next week and to get our first away win would be phenomenal, but it will be pretty difficult, I am sure."