O’Neill’s decision to walk out on Villa has left the club adrift without a paddle

Martin O’Neil has left the managerial position at Aston Villa with immediate effect and Kevin MacDonald has been appointed caretaker boss.

Appointed in 2006, O’Neill successfully guided Villa to three successive European campaigns and their first Wembley final for ten years in the League Cup.

Having left without clarifying what made him jump ship, Villa find themselves stranded without a manger and limited future prospects, exaggerated by the fact that the Premier League season starts in under a week.

“I have enjoyed my time at Aston Villa immensely. It’s obviously a wrench to be leaving such a magnificent club” the former Villa manger said over his shoulder as he walked away from Villa Park.

“I would like to pay tribute to the Villa players, my coaching staff and the Villa supporters for all the support and encouragement they have given both the club and me personally during my time as manager.

“I wish them all the best for the future. I will obviously be assisting the club in the immediate short-term with regard to the handover of my duties.”

O’Neill had been rumoured to have been ready to quit Villa in March following claims that he was unhappy with owner-chairman Randy Lerner’s transfer policy, but he signed a contract extension the following month and pacified fans fears in an interview with The Observer in April and insisted it wasn’t in his nature to just walk away.

“If that situation did develop, that wouldn’t necessarily mean I would go and down tools and say, ‘Well, listen, we can’t go any further.’

“What you would do is see if you can come up with some other ways, maybe through the scheme here with the younger players coming through, maybe with a bit of trading here and there, maybe taking a risk with a major player to be transferred (out) to sort things out.

“You wouldn’t just down tools. It’s not been in my nature to do that. I couldn’t envisage that sort of scene - just throwing the toys out of the pram.”

This makes his departure surprising then considering his stated desire to see the job through and his willingness to sign a contract extension.

His decision to walk out just days before the big league kick-off is another surprise to a club that would be aiming to maintain pace with the silly spending of City and Champions League hopefuls Spurs and secure another season in Europe.

If he had misgivings about his relationship with Lerner, why sign a contract extension and what forced him to leave Villa just days before the league kick off? If his relationship with Lerner had been damaged beyond repair, couldn’t he have the brave decision to leave at the end of last season, to allow Villa a decent preparation for the following campaign? What factor forced him to leave now that was greater than the problems that were reportedly patched up at the end of last season?

His departure leaves Villa stagnant. Adrift without a paddle. Lost at sea without a captain.

Speculation surrounding his decision is rife amongst fans on forums, as the Northern Irishman failed to state a reason for his departure, but the most likely explanation for his exit seems to be surrounding the transfer policy imposed on him by Lerner.

After successive seasons of operating in the transfer market with a healthy budget, Lerner admitted that O’Neill would have to operate a sell-to-buy policy this season in order for new faces to arrive at Vila Park.

O’Neill failed to make a single signing this summer, with James Milner’s protracted transfer to City providing the biggest transfer buzz, although his departure looks increasingly likely considering his departure.

Further departures could also be imminent in the absence Northern Irishman’s charisma and influence, as players could become unsatisfied with a stagnating club and follow their former manager away from the bosom of spaghetti junction, with Ashley Young a potential departure after reportedly being courted by Spurs.

The lack of further funds could have forced O’Neill’s hand, as potentially other players key to his future plan could have been marked for departure.

O’Neill’s stay at Villa Park has been largely successful, as he has brought a sustained period of success to a club that had previously struggled with consistency under the stewardship of David O’Leary, Graham Taylor and John Gregory.

In the past fans could expect as many highs in a season as there were lows, as the club yo-yoed between the top and the bottom of the table, but O’Neill helped to steady the ship.

His departure though has severely threatened this.

With the opening game less than a week away and with the transfer window closing at the end of the month, Villa will struggle to fill the role with someone of O’Neill’s quality in time for the new manager to associate himself with the existing squad and add to it before the window closes.

O’Neill’s lack of transfer of activity was consistent with his previous summer spending at the club and as a result wasn’t overly alarming, as he waited until a week before deadline day last season to sign James Collins and Richard Dunne, but the lack of new faces at the club will now be a great worry to fans considering his departure.

Under his stewardship another European challenge was a possibility, despite the financial advantage of rivals City and Spurs’ progression towards the Champions League, but this now seems unlikely.

The new manger will need time to gets to grips with the club and the players he will inherit and as a result Villa fans seem likely to be facing a season of consolidation and a return to the yo-yo days, but unfortunately for fans O’Neill’s departure has dragged them down the table and not spinning towards the top.

Posted By Dan Mobbs - Monday August 9, 2010.
Tags: Aston Villa, Martin O'Neill