Villa consortium not keen on O'Neill

Jul 31 2006 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

THE fourth consortium ready to battle for control of Villa will pull out of the running completely if Martin O'Neill is installed as manager.

Villa chairman Doug Ellis is understood to have earmarked the Irishman as his preferred choice.

But the AV06 group, led by deputy high court judge Nicholas Padfield QC, are looking to appoint Danish legends Michael Laudrup and John Jensen.

They are the championship, European Cup and FA Cup winners Padfield hinted were in place when he addressed certain sections of the media last week.

Laudrup quit as manager of Brondby after four years in May, saying he was ready to take on bigger challenges abroad.

The former Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid player won the superleague with Brondby a year ago and the 41-year-old was in the running for the Madrid job this summer before it was handed to Ramon Calderon.

Laudrup took over at Brondby in 2002 after working as an assistant to national coach Morten Olsen.

Padfield's consortium, which is backed by a number of investors both at home and overseas, have already drawn up a list of players, mainly taken from La Liga, who they want to bring to Villa during the current transfer window.

But an AV06 source said: "We have heard that Martin O'Neill has been identified by Villa and if that is the case, we will withdraw from the running.

"We have our own management structure in place and will go elsewhere."

* Is Martin O'Neill the right man for the job or is Michael Laudrup a better option? Tell us what you think at www.birminghammail.net/villa/yourshout