Tom Ross column: Villa's Moscow decision a massive own goal
IT IS very difficult to be critical of a manager like Martin O’Neill who, along with Randy Lerner, has transformed Villa from a “going nowhere” club under Doug Ellis and David O’Leary into one that is sitting in the top four and is definitely “going somewhere”.
How many Villa fans, hand on heart, could say they expected that to happen?
On and off the park Villa have consistently been getting it right under Lerner and O’Neill.
Fans have rarely been happier with the way they are treated by the club and surely have to pinch themselves every time they look at the Premier League table.
However, they have scored a rare own-goal with the decision to effectively drop out of the UEFA Cup.
It is a competition I honestly believe Villa just might have won.
Now let me make it clear: it’s very easy for us “Monday morning managers” playing our fantasy football to have all the answers.
With Villa sitting fourth in the table and having a good chance of getting a place in next season’s Champions League, O’Neill’s priorities appear to have changed.
That is where I struggle to understand the rationale behind his decision.
How can you worry more about a competition you are not in than a competition you are not only in, but have a good chance of winning?
Is qualifying for a competition really better than winning one?
I don’t think so.
However, I fully understand that it would certainly be more financially lucrative for the club, but is that really what the game’s about?
Is it not about winning cups leagues and trophies anymore?
The reality is that even if Villa qualify for the so-called Holy Grail of football, the odds are they would not win it.
Lifting the UEFA Cup would surely have been a good European learning curve for the club in their bid to become one of the top four clubs in this country.
I also happen to think it does a great disservice to the fans who paid good money supporting the club since the first InterToto cup game especially those who forked out for the home game against CSKA Moscow.
Without doubt O’Neill would be able to counteract all my points and opinions and, at the end of the day, his are the only opinions that matter.
I am sure, as well as prioritising his aims and objectives, the size of his squad also contributed to his decision.
The squad have already played around 44 games with one or two of the big star players starting to look a little jaded.
