O' Neill

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Sure Neil Lennon wouldn't mind having him at Celtic in some capacity.

[Guest]

Do you know what that 'view new content' thing does at the top right hand side of the screen?

[Guest Mee-9]

Has he left Villa? Few people on facebook saying he has! Anyone got any more info as on my phone!!

He's left mate,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/astonvilla/7935179/Martin-ONeill-resigns-as-Aston-Villa-manager.html

Shouldn't this be in general sport?

[MattyFromLE]

Just found it. Sorry.

[Guesty]

Yeh he has its official. Not given a reason yet though. All over SSN.

[MikeyT]

Aha. Where is he off to then?

New England manager?

[Guest Mee-9]

It must be Milner.

[dandannieldanok]

If Villa fans didn't like him and the way he set-up his team up then who are we to argue, only Villa fans watch Villa regularly enough to form a valid opinion. I think he'll struggle to get a job as big as Villa in the future.

[Corky]

If Villa fans didn't like him and the way he set-up his team up then who are we to argue, only Villa fans watch Villa regularly enough to form a valid opinion. I think he'll struggle to get a job as big as Villa in the future.

I also think Villa won't be better off without him. It's going to be tougher this season, the top three will remain strong along with Spurs, Man City are strengthening and Liverpool will be a much more solid outfit. Everton as well not far behind them.

[foxoffderby]

Sousa out.... O'Neill in!

Would love that too. I don't think it would happen unless we were a Prem club. Even then it may be a backward step for him. This guy should be managing a top 4/5 club. I know MON has very stong principles, if promises have been broken etc he won't stand for it. Whatever has happened Villa have made a big mistake, look whats happened to Celtic since he left there. Villa will go down hill this season.

[Stadt]

O'neil don't take crap if something has upset him and villa don't wont to go public with it was what they probably thought was the best way to deal with it.

As for the milner saga its also rumoured that youngs on his way out - with theese players leaving he doesn't have much to work with.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Probably just annoyed at having to be one of the Premier League's 'selling clubs.'

Must be something to do with the whole Milner business.

If I remember correctly, there were rummours about him quitting towards the end of last season as well and I don't think everything was as rosey as it seemed. I don't think O'neil was too happy with the Barry situation last season and after pulling an iron out of the fire with playing Milner in central midfield, it must have been gawling to see the same happening again.

There have also been rummours about bid's from Spurs for Ashley Young and with Villa selling the likes of Barry and Milner it would become very difficult to keep hold of him and Villa's other better players. With a relatively small squad in terms of quality and the Top 8 becoming ever more competetive I imagine O'Neil felt he just couldn't compete anymore and so rather than just sink with a losing ship (Villa fans would have become unbearable if they were outside the top 10 the ungreatful idiots) he's got out now, which makes sense.

I don't expect O'Neil to have a job lined up to move into, but what if the England vs Hungry game goes badly and forces Capello's or the FA's hand (things are already looking bad for Capello as players seem to be revolting against him) - would they have the balls to appiont O'Neil?

[Jimothy]

Is this Kevin MacDonald the 1994 Leicester caretaker manager Kevin Macdonald?

[foxoffderby]

If I remember correctly, there were rummours about him quitting towards the end of last season as well and I don't think everything was as rosey as it seemed. I don't think O'neil was too happy with the Barry situation last season and after pulling an iron out of the fire with playing Milner in central midfield, it must have been gawling to see the same happening again.

There have also been rummours about bid's from Spurs for Ashley Young and with Villa selling the likes of Barry and Milner it would become very difficult to keep hold of him and Villa's other better players. With a relatively small squad in terms of quality and the Top 8 becoming ever more competetive I imagine O'Neil felt he just couldn't compete anymore and so rather than just sink with a losing ship (Villa fans would have become unbearable if they were outside the top 10 the ungreatful idiots) he's got out now, which makes sense.

I don't expect O'Neil to have a job lined up to move into, but what if the England vs Hungry game goes badly and forces Capello's or the FA's hand (things are already looking bad for Capello as players seem to be revolting against him) - would they have the balls to appiont O'Neil?

He was interviwed and by passed on a previous occasion, I think that hurt O'Neil a lot. Im not sure weather he would want the hassle now. His mentor Brian Clough was also bypassed because of he was strong minded. The FA just want Yes men hes better off without. I still think he would be perfect replacement for Sir Alex. However, I doubt he would get that job as Fergusan has stated he would like David Moyes.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Dont know why he has left, but there must be valid reasons just before the season.

[ousefox]

Bit of time out and then to Man Utd when Sir Alex has gone?

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Bit of time out and then to Man Utd when Sir Alex has gone?

I thought that. My liking of Man Utd would improve a bit.

[Salieri]

Anyone know what his net transfer spend was? My Villa supporting mate is delighted he's gone and reckons he has 'wasted' £150 million since he's been there.

That can't be accurate, can it?

[DB11]

That was a shock!

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Anyone know what his net transfer spend was? My Villa supporting mate is delighted he's gone and reckons he has 'wasted' £150 million since he's been there.

That can't be accurate, can it?

The guy's a numpty! Probably better looking at http://www.footbo.com/Teams/Aston_Villa/Transfers but details are below but I make it around a £52.8 Million net spend.

Summer Transfers 2010

In:

None Out:

Net = £0

None

January 2010 Transfers

In:

None Out:

Craig Gardner (£3million, Birmingham City)

Shane Thomas Lowry (loan, Leeds United)

Nicky Shorey (loan, Fulham)

Net = -£3,000,000

Summer Transfers 2009

In:

Stewart Downing (£12m, Middlesbrough)

Fabian Delph (undisclosed, Leeds United)

Habib Beye (undisclosed, Newcastle United)

Stephen Warnock (undisclosed, Blackburn Rovers)

Out:

Gareth Barry (£12m, Manchester City)

Stuart Taylor (undisclosed, Manchester City)

Martin Laursen (retired)

Zatyiah Knight (undisclosed, Bolton)

Confirmed net = £0 (probably more likely to be around £10,000,000 I expect)

January 2009 Transfers

In:

Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey (£3.5m, Wigan)

Out:

None

Net = £3.5 Million

Summer 2008 Transfers

In:

Curtis Eugene Davies (Curtis Davies)

Steve Sidwell (£5m, Chelsea)

Bradley Howard Friedel (undisclosed, Blackburn)

Nicky Shorey (£3m, Reading)

Luke Paul Young (£6m, Middlesbrough)

Carlos Javier Cuéllar Jiménez (£7.8m, Rangers)

James Milner (£12.5m, Newcastle)

Out:

Luke Isaac Moore (£3m, West Brom)

Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen (released)

Olof Mellberg (free, Juventus)

Patrick Berger (free, Sparta Prague)

Shaun Maloney (£2.5m, Celtic)

Net = £28.8 Million

January 2008 Transfers

In:

Wayne Neville Anthony Routledge (£1.5m, Tottenham)

Out:

Zoltán Stieber (loan, Yeovil)

Stephen O'Halloran (loan, Southampton)

Gary Cahill (£5m, Bolton)

Net = -£3.5 Million

Summer 2007 Transfers

In:

None Out:

None

January 2007 Transfers

In:

Shaun Maloney (Celtic, £1m)

Phillip Anthony Bardsley (Manchester United, loan)

John Alieu Carew (Lyon, swap deal for Milan Baros)

Ashley Simon Young (Watford, £9.65m)

Out:

Peter Whittingham (Cardiff, £350,000)

Eric Djemba-Djemba (Burnley, loan)

Milan Baros (Lyon, swap deal for John Carew)

Lee Hendrie (Stoke, loan)

Net = £10 Million (shall we say)

Summer 2006 Transfers

In:

Stiliyan Petrov (Celtic, undisclosed))

Out:

James Milner (Newcastle United, loan return)

Danny Phillips (West Bromwich Albion, £700,000)

Net = unsure (I expect somewhere between £5-7 Million here? )

[pooleyLCFC]

Just said on SSN that MO'N wanted all of the money from the milner deal but the board have got other ideas

[Babylon]

My Villa supporting mate is delighted he's gone

We'll see how delighted his is when they drift off to mid table obscurity again.

[Salieri]

Villa transfers

Cheers for that, knew he was talking bollocks.

We'll see how delighted his is when they drift off to mid table obscurity again.

Exactly what i said to him.

[Arkie Bennett]

O'Neill won't get the chance to manage Man U. He wears his heart on his sleeve, gets emotionally involved with everything happening on the pitch from the edge of his technical area, and goes into a frenzy at every perceived injustice. That isn't the Man U way.

If he has left through frustration at Villa continuing to be a selling club, it's very sad. We can't all be on the winning team all the time.

[FoxyPV]

Villa are fucked now.

All these Villa fans who denigrated O'Neill will be crying for his return in 6 months.

It must be absolutely gutting to try and build a team to challenge for honours only to have two players who are/were key to your plans sold thus setting you back. No one can really compete with Man City's money - up to £200k a week in wages?! Very, very few people can turn that down.