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Brian Little: Martin O'Neill has transformed Aston Villa into a top club
Former Villa boss praises current incumbent.
Feb 9, 2010 10:33:00 AM
By Adithya Ananth
Former Aston Villa manager Brian Little believes Martin O'Neill has done extremely well to transform the club into one that is competing for a Champions League spot this season.
Villa are currently three points behind fourth placed Liverpool, but have a game in hand as they play host to Manchester United on Wednesday. They will play the Red Devils again at Wembley in the final of the League Cup later this month.
Little said on the club's official website: "Villa, for me from a distance, are now once again cemented as one of the top six or seven clubs in the country. It's great to see.
"You have Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool of course but then there's the Manchester City, Spurs [Tottenham Hotspur] and Villa now very much in among that ruck. Everton will always be there or thereabouts too.
"Looking at Villa as a top seven club is great because prior to Martin arriving - in the two, three, four years before - there were lean times and it looked difficult.
"But it's great to see the club now. It's fantastic to arrive at the club and see the magnificent stadium and to watch them play and see how competitive they have become again. That's great to see."
Villa experienced a varied period under Little from 1994 to 1998, narrowly avoiding relegation and then finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the League Cup.
Of Villa's League Cup final appearance this season, Little added: "I think it's a marvellous achievement to get to a final. It's just not an easy thing to do these days. I really hope they win it - it would be a fantastic achievement.
"It's just nice for me to bump into people now and talk about Villa being one of the top seven clubs in the country. There are seven really top sides now - top clubs who are being run tremendously well, on and off the field. It's great to see and I'm delighted."
Little hailed the club's defenders for their performances this season, in the wake of losing Martin Laursen as the Dane retired at the end of last season.
"Obviously Martin [Laursen] was a fantastic player and his loss had a massive effect on Villa last season," Little added.
"But the defenders Martin [O'Neill] has signed have more than compensated for that this season.
"But the whole team impresses me. I love the pace and the counter-attacking.
"A lot of people chatted to me in the summer when Villa signed Stewart Downing - what do you think? I thought it was a tremendous addition.
"The versatility is the key. I watched him play for Middlesbrough in loads of positions - up front and in midfield and he can just play in different areas.
"James [Milner] is the one who people talk about when they think about players adapting to different roles. He is playing a different type of role now to the one he started the season as.
"But when you're a manager you see these things on the training ground and you see the players - how athletic they are, how good they are doing different things. I am just impressed with the whole set-up."
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Villa are currently three points behind fourth placed Liverpool, but have a game in hand as they play host to Manchester United on Wednesday. They will play the Red Devils again at Wembley in the final of the League Cup later this month.
Little said on the club's official website: "Villa, for me from a distance, are now once again cemented as one of the top six or seven clubs in the country. It's great to see.
"You have Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool of course but then there's the Manchester City, Spurs [Tottenham Hotspur] and Villa now very much in among that ruck. Everton will always be there or thereabouts too.
"Looking at Villa as a top seven club is great because prior to Martin arriving - in the two, three, four years before - there were lean times and it looked difficult.
"But it's great to see the club now. It's fantastic to arrive at the club and see the magnificent stadium and to watch them play and see how competitive they have become again. That's great to see."
Villa experienced a varied period under Little from 1994 to 1998, narrowly avoiding relegation and then finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the League Cup.
Of Villa's League Cup final appearance this season, Little added: "I think it's a marvellous achievement to get to a final. It's just not an easy thing to do these days. I really hope they win it - it would be a fantastic achievement.
"It's just nice for me to bump into people now and talk about Villa being one of the top seven clubs in the country. There are seven really top sides now - top clubs who are being run tremendously well, on and off the field. It's great to see and I'm delighted."
Little hailed the club's defenders for their performances this season, in the wake of losing Martin Laursen as the Dane retired at the end of last season.
"Obviously Martin [Laursen] was a fantastic player and his loss had a massive effect on Villa last season," Little added.
"But the defenders Martin [O'Neill] has signed have more than compensated for that this season.
"But the whole team impresses me. I love the pace and the counter-attacking.
"A lot of people chatted to me in the summer when Villa signed Stewart Downing - what do you think? I thought it was a tremendous addition.
"The versatility is the key. I watched him play for Middlesbrough in loads of positions - up front and in midfield and he can just play in different areas.
"James [Milner] is the one who people talk about when they think about players adapting to different roles. He is playing a different type of role now to the one he started the season as.
"But when you're a manager you see these things on the training ground and you see the players - how athletic they are, how good they are doing different things. I am just impressed with the whole set-up."
For the latest news and updates from Goal.com, follow our Twitter account!
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