O'Neill tipped to lead Villa into Europe

Feb 9 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O'Neill's skills in the transfer market can bring Villa closer to their ultimate goal of competing on the European stage, says Randy Lerner.

Lerner and O'Neill have already overseen something of a mini-revival in their five short months together, stabilising and then re-invigorating a side that was in danger of dropping out of the Premiership.

At the same time off the field Villa's commercial link-up with Nike is a deal of mouth-watering ambition.

Both know that much of the hard work lies ahead, with Lerner recognising that his next step is supporting O'Neill with transfer cash in the summer.

"I could not conceive of better fortune than working with Martin O'Neill," Lerner said. "The next phase is the support of the manager clearly on a financial and funding basis.

"That's my job, absolutely, and it is my ambition (to fulfil it)."

Lerner says O'Neill's ability to spot players will always be as beneficial as the amount of money he can throw at it.

"I'm not sure it is that easy to say we are putting 'this' money into a transfer fund. I'm not sure that is that interesting to anybody any more.

"What is interesting is 'who' is spending the money? And does that person have a history of putting together players?

"Do they have a proven recipe? A history for packaging a group of players who can get it done, so to speak?"

Lerner says Villa should be back in Europe in three years.

"Where will we be in three years? I am hoping we will still be at Villa Park!" he joked. "I am hoping we will be competing for Europe. I'm hoping we will be competing for everything."