There are times in any season when Aston Villa's fans have justifiable cause to complain that they do not give value for money.

Some of the football at Villa Park in recent years has indeed been downright dreary.

But, having reached the halfway mark of another roll-ercoaster ride of a campaign, right now is not one of them.

David O'Leary's men have experienced their usual share of downs. But they are ending 2005 on a definite up.

Wednesday night's visit to freezing Fulham risked treatment for frostbite for any visiting fan not wrapped under at least four layers of clothing. But, for those who witnessed a footballing 'Christmas Cracker' at Craven Cottage, there was plenty to warm the heart.

The down side were the three goals Villa conceded, two of them straight after just having equalised.

But there were so many positives. Most notably the sheer character of the team! To come back three times said a lot for a team so recently ridiculed - on and off the pitch.

Fulham take credit, too, for the way they joined battle, but what proved most captivating was the fearless, allout attack approach favoured by the visitors.

Night games have not proved too happy an experience for Villa over the past 12 months.

They have not actually won a midweek league game under lights since beating Spurs at Villa Park last November. And, although tails were up after the Boxing Day stuffing of Everton, it would have been no surprise to see the visitors fail again after the setback of leaking such an early goal. But Villa rolled their sleeves up, fought fire with fire, traded blows and played their part in a footballing classic.

With Milan Baros causing panic in the home defence, it was exciting stuff - a welcome relief from the over-coached, negative fare served up most weekends in the Premiership.

Sadly, it was all too much for the two managers. Their nerves were presumably so torn to tatters by the end that neither had the stomach to attend the post-match press conference.

But, when his indigestion of Wednesday night's more worrying moments has cleared up, O'Leary can sit back with more contentment than was the case a month ago at the way things are going at Villa Park.

Villa have now lost just once in seven league games, picking up 12 points. Not a bad response to their public mauling following the Doncaster debacle that briefly threatened to take the feet from under O'Leary's legs.

Voices were raised then in protest from beyond the usual sporting boundaries both against O'Leary and his chairman, Doug Ellis. And the notion that the Villa boss was on borrowed time was o ne shared by the bookmakers.

But Villa's only defeat in the month since Doncaster was to a Manchester United team just starting to find top gear. And a much better effort against one of the Premier-ship's supposedly unbeatable Fab Four can be expected when O'Leary pits his wits with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal tomorrow.

Of course, it could all yet go horribly wrong if Villa's obvious disenchantment with playing lower league sides away from home erupts again at Hull in the FA Cup on Saturday week.

But, at a time when things remain unresolved in the boardroom, the indications are that Villa still have a lot to play for this season.

If Liverpool's success in Istanbul seven months ago is reflected by a greater haul of European places for English clubs come May, then the battle for Uefa Cup slots could yet take in eighth place.

Villa are only six points shy of that, and, like most of their Premiership rivals, a long way short of the big boys. But they have the pedigree to yet prove this season's best of the rest.

Skipper Olof Mellberg is due back soon after his untimely hamstring injury. And there is just two days to go before the 'window' opens and O'Leary can begin the final push to bring in his main January target, Chelsea defender Robert Huth.

But, most hearteningly, Villa looked like a team the other night. A team who can score goals too, now that Baros has found form.

And, like this season as a whole, regardless of whether Ellis stays or goes, the potential is there for a lot more to come.