Buzzin Football

After listening to an excerpt of an interview with Martin O’Neill on Radio Five Live this evening I feel even more assured that if Liverpool sack Rafa Benitez at the end of the season, as I think they should and will, and give any hint that they would love to replace him with a British manager, then Martin O’Neill will jump at the chance of proving what a good manager he is by making Liverpool great again.

Over the past few days there have been reports that O’Neill is not happy at Aston Villa though all suggestions of a rift between O’Neill & Randy Learner the Aston Villa owner, have been denied.

The reports follow Aston Villa’s humiliating 7-1 thrashing by Chelsea last Saturday when the team looked tired and bereft of ideas. The same happened to Aston Villa this time last season when they were looking to finish fourth and a place in the Champions League but finished the season with a fizz rather than a big bang.

Martin O’Neill has suggested several times that he needs strength in depth if Aston Villa are to seriously threaten the ‘big four’ (Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool & Arsenal); and this season they aren’t going to get a look in all the time Manchester City & Tottenham continue to impress.

Martin O’Neill told Radio Five live there would be a “number of determining factors” dictating whether or not he stays at the Aston Villa at the end of the season.

“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.”

I don’t think there’s any doubt that O’Neill has taken Aston Villa forward in the few seasons he has been at Villa Park.  But to speak out in this way makes me think he is either playing owner/chairman Randy Learner at a game of ‘call my bluff’ to get an injection of money to bring in some top quality players in the summer.  Or he is simply putting out a feeler to see if there is any response from interested parties.