Aston Villa
Great things expected of Martin O'Neill
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Tuesday, 01, Aug 2006 04:34
There are winds of change swirling around Villa Park at the moment.
Out with the old and in with the new, David O'Leary has been shown the door, Doug Ellis is set to follow and the money men are loitering like vultures around the sleeping giant that Villa certainly are.
With Martin O'Neill ready to get back on the managerial bandwagon in style, there's a real chance the mediocrity that has shrouded the club in recent years may finally be about to be lifted.
O'Neill, who managed to make even Leicester City look good, is likely to be a vast improvement on O'Leary for many Villa fans who have grown tired of the smug Irishman.
But, with Birmingham City and West Brom both dropping out of the top flight last season and Villa not far behind, the Midlands really does need the Aston club to do well.
They've flattered to deceive for far too long and are not so much nearly-rans as also-rans these days.
Whether this season will indeed mark the start of a Brummie revolution, however, remains to be seen.
Facts
Formed: 1874
Home: Villa Park, capacity 42,553
Nickname: Villa, The Villans
Adult 2006/07 season ticket prices: £320-£500
Pedigree
League champions: 7 - 1893-94, 1895-96, 1896-97, 1898-99, 1899-1900, 1909-10, 1980-81
FA Cup winners: 7 - 1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913, 1920, 1957
League Cup winners: 5 - 1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996
Community shield: 1 - 1912
European Cup: 1 - 1982
European Super Cup: 1 - 1983
People
Chairman: Doug Ellis
Chief executive: Bruce Langham
Head coach (acting): Roy Aitken
Team captain: Olof Mellberg
Last season
Premiership: 16th - P 38 W 10 D 12 L 16 GF 42 GA 55 GD -13 PTS 42
FA Cup: fifth round - lost 2-1 to Manchester City (replay)
League Cup: fourth round - lost 3-0 to Doncaster
Major summer ins
Yago Bellon - from FC St Gallen - undisclosed
Damian Bellon - from FC St Gallen - undisclosed
Stilian Petrov - from Celtic - £6 million
Major summer outs
Jamie Ward - to Torquay - free transfer
Kevin Phillips - to West Brom - £700,000
Unheralded star
Gareth Barry
One of the few players to have survived a spell at Villa Park with their reputations still intact, Barry is a genuinely talented left-footed midfielder - a rarity in English football.
Once touted as the answer to England's oft-quoted left-sided problem but he is now largely forgotten. He already has eight international caps but would surely have a hatful if he played for a more glamorous club.
But the 25-year-old has remained true to the claret and blues, and has been at the club his entire career. He is unlikely to hang around much longer if there is no sign of success this season though, with Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth a known admirer.
Tottenham are also said to be interested in last season's players' player of the year at Villa, but fans will be desperate for him to stay and lead the club into a new era.
Starlet
Luke Moore
The 20-year-old striker is seen as real future star at Villa and his impressive brace against Walsall in a pre-season friendly has only added to that feeling.
He scored a hat-trick against a dismal Middlesbrough side last season and could well be set to take his game to the next level this time around.
With Milan Baros, Kevin Phillips and Juan Pablo Angel all failing to live up to their reputations the new boss at Villa could do worse than to make Moore his first-choice hitman.
Predictions
League position: 15th.
An improvement on last season but Villa are still unlikely to cause any shockwaves this year.
Chances of managerial change: Definitely
Aitken is only there until someone better comes along, who could well be a certain Swede.
Top scorer: Luke Moore
Ready to move out of the shadows and show his more illustrious team-mates where the goal is.
Player most likely to rock the boat: Lee Hendrie
He didn't like O'Leary much and seems to think he's better than he actually is. Unlikely to be happy with another extended spell on the sidelines so expect t a hissy fit.
Martin Ashplant.