It looks like Martin O'Neill has walked away from Aston Villa after taking one too many humiliations over the sale of James Milner to Man City and the inability to gain extra money to strengthen Villa's squad. We are also told this morning by The Sun that O'Neill was being forced to endure a further clear out of top players.
It is a big loss to Villa. I'm a massive Martin O'Neill fan - he's an astute tactician and a great man manager. He is very much a manager in the Brian Clough mould. He was my choice as England manager when the FA lost their collective marbles and appointed Steve Maclaren as manager a few years ago.
O' Neill's resignation just goes to show that boardroom interference in the footballing side of the club is almost always counter productive. It is quite clear that Milner is being sold against the wishes of the Manager. It is also clear that O'Neill wasn't getting the financial support he thought the team needed to go to the next level.
This saga illustrates the gap between the top four in the Premiership and the rest. It illustrates that the concept of loyalty amongst most top players is an endangered species. Above all, it proves that fundamental point that boardroom interference in footballing matters almost always ends with declining performance on the pitch and a managerial departure.
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