Former Aston Villa star Tony Morley says club have chance to put themselves back on the European map

Feb 18 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

TONY Morley has urged Villa to cash in on their “best chance ever” of putting the club back on the European map.

Martin O’Neill’s side tackle 2005 winners CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup tonight with the former flying winger adamant victory could propel the club back towards the golden days of the early 1980s when they ruled the roost.

“This is the one trophy I want Villa to pick up this year, for the simple reason that it puts them back on the map in Europe again,” Morley said.

“I know people say the FA Cup but me for this would take them back to where the club belong. We had an incredible opportunity in the early 80s to build on the success of our team.

“We had so many young players with potential but Everton went on to dominate, even though man-for-man we were a better side than Everton.

“It didn’t work out then but this is the best opportunity Villa have ever, ever had, or maybe will ever get, to take the club that step forward.”

Morley, nonetheless, anticipates a difficult game for Villa.

“It is going to be a great night. I have always said that European nights at Villa Park are special,” he said. “The thing about Russian sides is that they are not great travellers.

“Whether the amount of foreigners playing in the Russian league has changed that,  I don’t know.

“They have a lot of Brazilians and South Americans in