Villa deserve a crack for O’Neill
Friday 30th April 2010, 9:45AM BST.
Villa boss Martin O’Neill believes his side deserve one final crack at a Champions League spot for their efforts this season.
O’Neill takes the claret and blues to fellow rivals-for-fourth Manchester City tomorrow knowing only a victory will do to keep them in the hunt for Europe’s elite competition.
The manager admits his team need maximum points from their last two games to have any chance but believes their recent Wembley injustices and fine Premier League form since being hammered 7-1 by Chelsea have earned them the right to one last shot.
He said: “Considering the way we’ve hung in there, our performances this season and what we’ve done in the cups, I actually believe we deserve this two-game crack at it.
“To give ourselves a chance we need to put maximum points on the board and that won’t be easy, particularly under this sort of pressure.
“We could win our two games and it might still not be in our hands but it’s worth battling for. These are the sort of games you go into management for.
“I was lucky enough at Celtic to be involved in some Champions League games. There is nothing like it.
“The atmosphere is something special and that is where everyone worth their salt is striving to go.”
O’Neill admits they will have their work cut out against City, but takes confidence from Villa’s fine away record.
He said: “City have got lots of options in terms of goalscoring and that is where they have been very strong. They get in front and are hard to peg back.
“But we will go there with loads of confidence after taking 13 points from 15 to give ourselves a chance.
“We have to win and the only way we have been able to do that is going at teams.”
UK Sport
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