Aston Villa boss O’Neill is unsure about budget
May 14 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail
MARTIN O’Neill has pinpointed “specific areas” of his team that need strengthening but says he is as yet unclear how much money he will have at his disposal this summer.
Randy Lerner’s personal wealth has been depleted to some unknown degree in an economic downturn that has football clubs downsizing their operations up and down the country.
O’Neill says he is unsure as to the degree the credit crunch might affect his ability to wheel and deal.
“The short answer is I don’t know and I’m not sure anybody really knows until it pans out,” he said. “I’ve been talking to other managers about the same thing.
“Then, just when you think everything is in reasonable shape with reasonable prices, someone goes and breaks it and the whole thing goes haywire again.”
There will be an inevitable exodus of fringe players from Villa Park, with Marlon Harewood, Isaiah Osbourne, Stuart Taylor and Moustapha Salifou looking most likely to leave. Martin Laursen’s career is in doubt while Gareth Barry looks set to exit.
