Just wondered what you lots view on this is? In case you aren't aware, he has left 8 first team regulars back home to face a CSKA Moscow team in their own plastic back yard in a tie that is currently 1-1!!!! If it comes off he has the luck of the Irish and balls bigger than water melons, but then again he hasn't really because the reason for this is to safeguard Villas march towards a Champions League place via, probably, a 4th place finish which would still involve a qualifying round next summer. And all this because Villa looked jaded against Chelsea last Saturday!! ******, try pulling other one O'Neil, Chelsea were the better side and at the minute you are just playing at competing with them. Guess who Villa play at the weekend? The reason for resting his 'superstars', yep you guessed it STOKE CITY. The mighty Stoke City, that prolific away from home that i believe they have actually won, yes, NO games away in league this season. People call him a good manager, i don't, i think its a total disrespect to all Villa fans and in particular the 300 (yes 300, good eh for a side that come from the 2nd city and get close to 40'000 for a home game) fans that have shelled out hundreds to get there. I imagine Barnsley would take at least that. There's no real point to the post as it dosen't concern BFC but im bored and just fancied sounding off, just wondered if that was Barnsley (god we can dream) how would you react? You can't rule out Arsenal catching Villa (especially as they have to go to Anfield and OT) leaving them with a UEFA spot again and the chance denied of possibly facing a giant like Milan in the next round or better still a semi or final for them in a major competition Reight, im off now, Deal or No Deal is on
It comes down to money. Win UEFA Cup? a couple of million perhaps? Qualify to Champions League? ten times+ More likely to get to CL without injured players playing on that crap surface.
If they finish 3rd he should get manager of the year. Largely English players who have been allowed to develop (Agbonlahor, Young, Curtis Davies) & with one of the smallest squads in the league. How have you come to the conclusion that he's not a good manager?
I find it very strange the squad he has sent to Moscow and it seems last season was a waste of time for Villa. They gave it there all to qualify for UEFA Cup and cannot now be bothered with it Re 300 fans going to Moscow i believe it is a good turn out and a number of reasons for this. Credit crunch, the cost to get there and believe me Moscow is 1 grim place. I went other year for England game and would not go back in a rush
If I was O'Neill i'd do the same. They're pretty much guaranteed UEFA cup football next season anyway. If I were them, i'd take the gamble og Champions League definitely.
O neil, tends to play where possible his strongest XI regardless of competition. Very rare he rotates.
Not sure about your opinion on O'Neills managerial ability but I do think this is a massive gamble. He is effectively saying that he isn't bothered about the UEFA Cup because he doesn't want the extra fixtures, so as to concentrate on finishing in top 4. I don't think he is just wanting to drop his players for tonights game, he actually wants to be out of the competition. If they don't finish in the top 4 they have thrown away a chance of winning a European trophy. And it is a very real chance that they might not be in the top 4. Arsenal have got Arshavin in the side now and Eduardo coming back (who I think is a top player, a natural goalscorer) so they are gonna be a lot stronger than they have been so far this season.
I think it's a shockingly bad decision from O'Neill in all honesty. Look at the teams who didn't qualify for the UEFA Cup that will be seething at this, that could have had their place. Like Ponty above said, there is a chance that Chelsea and Arsenal will overtake them - all it takes is for the rest of their season to go wrong and they could end up with a lot of egg on their faces. Disrespecting a domestic competition like the Carling Cup is one thing, but to do the same for European competition is seriously wrong. I am a big fan of Martin but he's definitely gone down in my estimation over this.
Yes my mind boggled too when O'Neil said he dosen't rate Totti or Ibrahimovic So i guess that makes me and Martin equals, we bother clearly are mental
I went to moscow in the summer and loved it. If Barnsley were playing out there I would be back like a shot. Its a great place.
It's really coming to something when clubs can just show no regard for the possibility of winning a trophy like the UEFA Cup - it's about time they scrapped it, they devalued it when they allowed teams to drop out of the Champions League into it. Also, Blackburn put a reserve team in the FA Cup, FFS it's the FA Cup and a Premier League club don't give a ****!
Maybe he's as confused as I am Whenever I watch a European Game on Telly, they always seem to be "dead rubbers".
RE: Yes my mind boggled too when O'Neil said he dosen't rate Totti or Ibrahimovic So the fact that he has been successful at every club he has been at is irrelevant because he doesn't Zlatan Ibrahimovic as highly as you do?
Totti has failed to impress on the big stage time and time again Ibrahimovic - very hit and miss (but we all know you're just a biased Inter fan!!!!)