Martin O’Neill today rounded on his critics and revealed he hadn’t signed players in January because they were too pricy.
The Villa boss is facing the first grumblings of discontent from some fans frustrated by the club’s slump after boss O’Neill signed only Wayne Routledge in the transfer window.
O’Neill is expected to spend big in the summer, but insisted he won’t be held to ransom.
“We didn’t spend in January because the players I had in mind weren’t available for the price,” he said.
“Anybody is available outside the best players in the world. But this idea you can just go and cherry pick, I’m sorry, it doesn’t happen.”
O’Neill reassured fans that he’s aiming to restore Villa’s glory days – but it’s a long-term task.
“The club is in really good hands,” he said. “I don’t think everybody thought we were going to sign 19 players in January.
“It’s obvious we need to strengthen. In the summer we can strengthen again.
“Even Sir Alex Ferguson said it was the smallest squad we’d had, and his view was we’d done remarkably well.”
And he insists he’s not bothered by the criticism.
“If someone doesn’t choose to believe those reasons, it really doesn’t bother me,” he added.
“You’ll be criticised by things you do, you’ll get criticised for things you don’t.
“It gets back to the old point about winning.
“You’ll get criticism and deserve it when you lose – even for being well-beaten at Old Trafford – and for games you were hoping to win.
“It’s about the overall improvement of the club. So I’m not too bothered if people overlook that, because that’s what happens when you lose matches.”
4 Comments
Villa are in the position that all local clubs would be if we were in the Premier, unless you pay mega wages you are not going to attract the better players to the region. They all want to play in London or for the two North West Teams. O’Neill is doing the right thing and buying all the good young English/British players, trouble is as a fan, its just too long a process, unfortunately. Just as long as the Villa beat the Blues and keep their hands off Kites and Hennesey, i wish them well.
I could’nt have put it better myself Spanish Wolf. This might upset you but yes i’d love to sign your best two players who are the ones you quoted.
Any Villa fan who has waited over 10 years for any sign of progress should be happy as Larry after the last few years.
Some decisions do seem strange, Davies, Cahill. But then we dont see players day in day out, unlike mon.
If we dont challenge for for Europe next year then we will all be disapointed and thats what I call progress. UTV
Players were avaliable, the likes of defoe and diarra redknapp got and look at pompey now, they showed ambition we did not.