Carson wants permanent move to Villa

SCOTT CARSON wants to make his loan move from Liverpool permanent after targeting a European challenge with Aston Villa.

Carson is currently only at Villa Park for this season but is keen to stay after adjusting to life with the midlands club.

The England international has been in impressive form and kept another clean sheet in this comfortable home success over rock-bottom Derby.

Carson said: “I think something has been agreed whereby, if everyone is happy, it could be made a permanent transfer.

“That s obviously up to the boss but it’s something I would welcome. I want to establish myself as a number one and preferably I would like to do it here.

“I’ve been out on loan a lot over the past couple of seasons and it’s not easy when you keep moving up and down the country. It would be nice to settle at a club that I like and where the fans like me. I want to play as many games as possible.”

Villa are only four points off fourth spot in the Premier League after goals from Martin Laursen and Ashley Young, both dispatched from close range early in the second half, disposed of Derby.

Carson said: “When I first came to Villa, I said I had to be looking to get into Europe and, from the way we have been playing, it is not out of the question.”

Derby can ill afford to make the kind of defensive errors which were punished by Laursen and Young if they are to survive in the top flight.

Manager Billy Davies said: “We know we are playing some decent stuff and, with one win, we are out of the bottom three.”

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Carson 6, Mellberg 7, Knight 6 (Davies 88, 5), Bouma 6, Laursen 8, Young 7 (Maloney 69, 5), Petrov 5, Reo-Coker 5, Barry 6, Moore 5 (Berger 77, 6), Agbonlahor 6.

Subs Not Used: Taylor, Gardner.

DERBY COUNTY (4-4-2): Bywater 7, Griffin 7, Moore 7, Davis 6 (Teale 46, 5), McEveley 6, Fagan 6 (Earnshaw 66), Oakley 6, Leacock 4, Pearson 4, Barnes 5, Howard 5.

Subs Not Used: Price, Jones, Mears.

REFEREE: Mark Halsey (Lancashire) 7: A simple game to officiate, but Halsey kept things flowing and was generally impressive.

MATCH RATING: ** A tale of two halves, with Derby dominating the first and Villa the second, although it will not linger long in the memory.