O'Neill laughs off 'Manager of the Month' curse at Aston Villa

Dec 10 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O'Neill joked that the November Manager of the Month award curse was inevitably going to hit Villa.

He said: "It has been mentioned only about 4,000 times and so I suppose it is worth mentioning for the 4,001st time. Not for one minute did I envisage being 3-0 down after 60-odd minutes.

"Last season was one of having a look to see what we are capable of doing, going through a decent period and a desperately poor period then finishing the season reasonably well.

"I want expectations to be high here. They have come and paid decent money here and they are supporting the team brilliantly. I don't want anyone to think we are getting carried away.

"It takes time. I'll accept that. The fans went home disappointed and I am disappointed for them."

O'Neill did not want to get involved in Harry Rednapp's dispute with the Villa fans whom he labelled "filth": "The only time I became aware was in the last ten minutes of the game as there was a big roar went up.

"I was concentrating. And this is not me passing the buck, but I didn't hear it until the end.

"I think Harry reacted once or twice, but at the end of the day... what can I say?

"If there was abhorrent abuse, that is not something that would be associated with Villa fans."