IT WOULD come as no surprise to see Graham Taylor and the whole Villa team walking on water, so charmed are they at this moment.

The statistics make powerful enough reading - eight League wins out of nine, third in the table [sic], without even considering the factors which have landed them on the other side of a potential sea of discontent.

It was on September 23 that Trevor Francis's three goals sent them on their way, leaking anxiety, apparently towards another engagement with the relegation area.

Had anyone that day suggested it was Francis who would sink and Villa buoyantly bob to the top of Division One in nine matches, he would have been a candidate for a miracle cure of the head.

The following two weeks held the key to this remarkable run, however.

For one of the rare times in his life, Gordon Cowans asserted himself, politely told the manager that he was a first-teamer or nothing and was just as politely informed that he had better prove it.

Then, a week later another of the club's model professionals, Kent Nielsen, returned to the central defence, armed with more than hearsay knowledge of the English way of football.

Nielsen and Cowans had two things in common against Forest: they looked high-class international players, Villa's best on the pitch, and they were both booked.

Cowans was faultless on a day he bestrode the centre stage, Villa's virtuoso, while David Platt was assigned to control Steve Hodge, Paul McGrath played as third central defender and the service from elsewhere was off-beat.

Taylor made no attempt afterwards to hide from the truth of this victory - that Villa could just as well have lost.

Villa rose above this because of Cowans, of Platt's penchant to come up with a poisoned dart of a finish almost to order, and of lan Olney's willing front running. Most of all, though, because the team are confident enough to step on water in the first place. It's not only the tide but fortune, too. that is running with them. Next week they face the supreme test.