Brian Little exclusive: O'Neill is the right man for Aston Villa
“People are obviously aware of what they are now. It won’t be easy but I hope it (top six) is what they achieve.”
As a manager who last delivered 63 points in a single season, Little is keen to not sound as if he is instructing O’Neill what to do.
But like all Villa supporters he is eagerly awaiting their delve into the transfer market.
“I am the last person to start telling Martin what to do because he knows more about it than most of us put together,” he said.
“I think everybody is waiting for a new face or two to come in and I am quite sure there will be a few new faces.
“We all see the rumour mill and I am sure he will get bodies in and move the club on from there.”
Little says O’Neill deserves huge credit for delivering Villa’s best points haul in 13 years last year, since his own side finished fourth in 1996.
“There is nothing negative about finishing in the top six in the Premier League,” Little said.
“Most clubs would want to finish in the top six.
“The club are up there and hopefully will stay there. All I would say is that this year I think it is going to be a little bit more difficult because we have other teams capable of spending so much money it is untrue.
“Then when you think of where Tottenham finished after the start they had, even when Harry Redknapp went there.
“Most people expected them to stay up but not too many people would have tipped them to get too far away from the relegation zone.
“They had a terrific run to finish where they did.
“Elsewhere you have a club like Fulham who have a steady team. I was really impressed with them a couple of times when I saw them towards the end of last season.
‘‘They have a really well balanced team.
“It is not an easy task to be up there. Everton are a strong side and the top four will be the top four again.
“There are little things happening at Arsenal but with someone in charge like Arsene Wenger you would imagine they would keep a lid on it.
“They (Arsenal) are the team that others might just think they can get near to.
“But there is an unbelieveable standard in the Premier League at the moment.
‘‘The Ronaldo transfer will trigger all sorts of things going off. It will be interesting to see how that pans out over the next month or two. The money will filter to other clubs.
“So it is going to be interesting. I just hope Villa can stay in the top six. That in itself will be an achievement.”
