Martin O'Neill: Why I wielded UEFA Cup axe Aston Villa stars
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has defended his decision to axe virtually all of his stars ahead of tomorrow's UEFA Cup return with CSKA Moscow.
O'Neill flew out yesterday with virtually a reserve squad, with Zat Knight, Curtis Davies and Luke Young the only survivors from those who started in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Chelsea.
O'Neill made it clear after that game, and in the wake of the last-32 first-leg draw with Moscow last Wednesday, he was prepared to make changes.
With Villa's hopes of clinching a Champions League place through the Barclays Premier League on the line, O'Neill has made it abundantly clear where his priorities lie, with the UEFA Cup a sideshow to the main event.
That is despite all the hard work the players put in last season in qualifying for Europe via the Intertoto Cup, and in particular this season having started that competition in mid-July.
But with two vital Barclays Premier League games with Stoke and Manchester City to follow in the space of six days, O'Neill felt he had no choice but to leave at home his big guns.
Watching from home will be Gareth Barry, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, Brad Friedel, James Milner, Carlos Cuellar, Stiliyan Petrov, Emile Heskey and Nigel Reo-Coker.
