Birmingham Mail

I have never known a player like Stiliyan Petrov.
Well, more accurately, I mean I have never known opinion so varied and so split down the middle about a player.
Football is a game about opinion.
Two blokes can see a game and argue throughout the night, even if they support the same team.
We all have favourites.
I still think David James was the best goalkeeper Villa have had since Rimmer and Spink, although I understand Mark Bosnich's claims.
I think Mark Delaney was a terrific right back... that George Boateng's exit to Middlesbrough was a huge dent to the side... that David Ginola was a waste of time...as was Peter Schmeichel...that Bosko Balaban could, just could have become a half-decent player- though never £6million worth- if he had scored that one-on-one at Southampton.
I thought James Milner was a lot of huff and puff but not always with an end produce, I thought Nobby Salano was lovely to watch at times but shouldn't really have been anywhere near a Villa shirt, particularly away from home... that Hassan Kachloul showed real promise.
We all thought Steven Davis was a real class home-grown player, as the majority of us still do about Gary Cahill.
I can't fathom how bad Marlon Harewood has become, even in the reserves, I wonder just why Martin O'Neill signed him or for that matter, Zat Knight, when Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen would be my dream ticket.
I could go on and on but you probably get the message.
Back to Petrov.
Most, including manager and player himself, agree he has had a pretty torrid time of it in 15 months at Villa.
I remember his good games off the top of my head: Watford, West Ham, Sheffield United, Tottenham, Everton, Chelsea...don't think I've missed one.
He gets dropped after two and-a-half games this season, then what happens? He's back in at Bolton, keeps his place against Derby and wins huge plaudits in the derby win at Blues.
Now I saw all three of those games.
And I have to ask myself, am I now prejudiced to an extent, against him because of past faults?
I thought Petrov was poor at Blues. He didn't do much for me, he was presented with a few chances to dart into the box but elected a square or a backward pass.
And there was one shot that must have worried the nearby busses.
I sat next to another journalist last Sunday. And we were aghast at some of his decisions.
But I came away from the game and first heard Martin O'Neill singing his priases (well, he would, wouldn't he after spending £7million?) and that coloured my judgement to a degree.
I then walked into the press room where a very well-spoken Martin Keown was singing his praises big-style. "He is a total footballer", said Keown.
Garry Thompson, my old mate, was somewhere inbetween but more favouring the school of thought that Petrov could be some player.
I don't disagree. There must be something there as O'Neill, I admit, is some scout of talent.
But having spent the last few days since St Andrew's talking to fans and the like, I still can't get to grips with the differences of opinion that this one player can garner.
Somebody help!