O'Neill walks out on Villa???

[Kenneth]

Fabian Delph (£6million) Who?

[The Birdman]

He's spent approx 70m since he's been there (£50m nett again roughly) and produced a long ball team that either launch it to Heskey or Carew or go even longer for Agbonlahor to chase after.
Milner is a good player but then he was when he signed him, Ashley Young is massively over rated, even Downing keeps him out of England squads

Edit: Having read the figures quoted in the thisislondon article I might have been under on the figures I thought he had spent.

[The Birdman]

Fabian Delph (£6million) Who?

Young lad from Leeds who Ken Bates got his knickers in a twist over.

[PTP]

i'd happily take ANY of their strikers tbh - carew/heskey/abonglahor - not that they are anything special - just i'd take any xtra strikers to be honest.

I'd also happily swap aurelio for warnock, riera for downing , and one of yossi/kuyt/babel for milner - give us a few extra english players, fresh faces, argubably improving the squad.


Not sure why i posted that, ain't happening like just thought i'd share

[BillobShaisley]

Downing has no place at a big club or in international football. Young is a far better player and more reliable bloke. I can only assume that Capello has been on the Crystal Meths again?

[dww]

I'm not sure that Young is that good. He looked excellent last season, seems to have been found out this. That's not to say that he won't kick on again. Downing has always seemed limited to me but he is nothing if not reliable/consistent.

Milner is a far better player than either. The only thing really holding him back from being a really top player is a lack of pace/acceleration.

[Kenneth]

I'm not sure that Young is that good. He looked excellent last season, seems to have been found out this. That's not to say that he won't kick on again. Downing has always seemed limited to me but he is nothing if not reliable/consistent.

Milner is a far better player than either. The only thing really holding him back from being a really top player is a lack of pace/acceleration.

ANd we've got a fair few of these already.

[BillobShaisley]

Totally agree about Milner and Young, its just that Downing is utterly **** and a great choker at the big occasion.

[Guest]

Has he walked yet?

[Bender]

Martin O'Neill will discuss his long-term future as Aston Villa manager following a meeting with owner-chairman Randy Lerner at the end of the season.

O'Neill told BBC Radio 5 live there would be a "number of determining factors" dictating whether or not he stays at the Premier League club.

"Aston Villa supporters will play a part, the chairman will play a big part because he is my employer," he said.

"And I will also play a part in proceedings because it's my future."
O'Neill said there was no truth in internet rumours from earlier in the week suggesting he was ready to quit Villa which followed claims he was was unhappy with Lerner's transfer policy.

"There is not an ounce of truth in the story that I have had a fall-out with Randy Lerner. In fact, he called me earlier in the week to see where these stories were coming from," stated O'Neill.


"He was pretty surprised and also very supportive and it was good to hear that. I have been delighted with the investment put into the club. I have been allowed to invest £80m on players.
"If the chairman decided to sell, and he has no intention of doing so, then he could get his money back with interest on four or five of those players.
"It is nonsense to say that I want to walk away now. There is still so much to play for and there is a renewed determination to see it through.

"I will assess everything at the end of the season. I will sit down with the chairman and see where we are going. I will assess everything at the end of the season. I am contacted on a yearly basis and would hope to continue."
O'Neill, 58, joined the West Midlands club at the start of the 2006-07 season and the nearest he has come to winning a trophy with them came when he took Villa to this year's Carling Cup final. The team lost 2-1 to Manchester United.

They do, however, retain a chance of sealing a top-four finish which would take them into the Champions League next season, and face an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
Villa will look to bounce back from a recent 7-1 league defeat at Chelsea when they visit Bolton on Saturday. They appear to be losing their momentum, with three points from a possible 15 in their last five league games.
But O'Neill said he remained positive: "I have been here four years, and four years ago the club was in a pretty depressed state. I still have the energy and vitality of someone who is 15 years younger and that zest has kept me going.
"In terms of the Champions League, we are going to give it a go as long as it is possible and I expect a positive response from the players after what happened at Chelsea."