Martin O'Neill's exit not a total shock

While its timing was a shock, Martin O'Neill's decision to quit as Villa manager came as less of a surprise.

Few, if any, saw O'Neill walking out on the claret and blues just five days before the start of the new campaign.

But ever since his rather lukewarm committal to the club in response to rumours he had quit back in March, the Northern Irishman's reign had looked to be heading for the rocks.

After four seasons in which he has put Villa back among the pack breathing down the necks of England's elite clubs, yesterday's resignation confirmed what many had fans had feared for some time - O'Neill had taken Villa as far as he could.

The ride was a memorable one, a vast improvement from the days of David O'Leary with two failed flirtations with the Champions League spots, a Carling Cup final and sixth spot for three successive seasons, each time securing European qualification.

In another era, the combination of O'Neill and owner Randy Lerner would surely have been enough to propel them right back to the very top.

But, sadly, it was a case of the right people in the right place at the wrong time. Because before the O'Neill and Lerner revolution ever truly got the chance to get into full swing, the goalposts were moved.

Manchester City's arrival as a major force in not just English but world football meant the task of breaking into the big four would become increasingly difficult with each new campaign.

The fact Tottenham achieved it against the odds last season simply pushed Villa even further down the pecking order.

Having already armed O'Neill with an average net of £20m over each of the four seasons, Lerner was going to want to see a tangible return on his investment eventually.

Not all of the money was spent wisely - for every Ashley Young, James Milner or Richard Dunne, there was a Marlon Harewood, Habib Beye or Nicky Shorey.

Furthermore, the excessive length of some of the contracts - Luke Young arrived on a five-year deal at the age of 29 - and money on offer, as the the weekly wages of Villa's up-for-sale six amount to almost £250,000 a week, would not have gone unnoticed by a businessman as shrewd as Lerner.

The warning signs were there in January when, in a strong position in the Champions League race, Villa failed to strengthen their threadbare squad. Then, at the start of the summer, Villa's American owner ordered that O'Neill must start adhering to a sell-to-buy policy.

That was never going to sit well with the fiercely ambitious O'Neill and his frustrations grew over the summer as the salaries of Steve Sidwell, Nigel Reo-Coker and Co proved prohibitive to moves.

O'Neill's only chance of continuing to compete was by cashing in on the riches on offer from Manchester City for James Milner and rebuilding his squad with the cash.

His tense response to questions after Friday's friendly with Valencia over whether all those funds would be made available of "I would need to speak to the chairman and the chief executive" effectively confirmed that would not be the case.

And, once those discussions did take place with chief executive Paul Faulkner, that was that.

Some supporters will be in mourning today, still championing the virtues of a manager greeted to messianic status when he first arrived.

His reputation will remain intact, his enduring ability to dig out results when the chips are down, sharp intelligence and passion for the game mean he will be in the frame for every big job going.

But there are plenty who will welcome a change too.

The stubborn streak which saw Carlos Cuellar continually preferred to Luke Young, the transfer policy virtually exclusive to the British market and sometimes curious tactics left sectors of the Villa faithful frustrated.

Love him or loathe him, there is no one quite like O'Neill and, no question, he will be hard to replace - especially if the buy-to-sell policy remains.

Over to you Randy.

By Brendan McLoughlin