Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is confident club owner Randy Lerner is still a fan.
Despite announcing in May he was putting Villa up for sale, American entrepreneur Lerner - who took over in 2006 - remains in control.
Lambert said: "He always has loved the football club.
"The situation is that the club is for sale and that is the same, but he has been great since the players came back for pre-season.
"He has always been great with me, and since we came back, the feel-good factor has been due a lot to him, for what he is doing.
"The football club, for all that doom and gloom that was out there before a ball was kicked, is in a really good place at the moment."
