Source: Team_Talk
Lerner speaks out on O'Neill exit
Randy Lerner has revealed differences in opinion on how to take Aston Villa forward led to manager Martin O'Neill quitting the club.[LNB] O'Neill had often spoken of his desire to bring Champions League football to Villa Park during his four-year reign.[LNB]He had spent freely in guiding Villa to a trio of top-six finishes in the Premier League but Lerner, whilst also remaining ambitious, clearly also is aware of the need for Villa not to spend beyond their financial means.[LNB]He backed O'Neill fully in the transfer market the previous three summers but had stressed in May that a "sell to buy" policy had to be adopted during the current close season.[LNB]It is understood the reluctance to make available all the funds from James Milner's expected move to Manchester City for new players led to O'Neill deciding to walk away.[LNB]Lerner is always reluctant to make public statements and his only contact with the media is usually in an end-of-season briefing.[LNB]But he decided to issue a short statement on Wednesday explaining why O'Neill had quit and how his stance on building the club and remaining competitive had not altered.[LNB]Lerner said: "Having had some time to reflect on Martin leaving, I can say that our most immediate focus is supporting Kevin MacDonald (care-taker manager) and resolving the situation with Manchester City and James Milner.[LNB]"As for explaining why Martin left, I can say only that we no longer shared a common view as to how to move forward.[LNB]"To deal in greater detail would do little but cause additional distraction for the club as it faces imminent games and the clear priority of hiring a permanent manager.[LNB]"Finally, there have been no changes in our approach to building the club, aiming always to be as competitive as possible given our size and resources."[LNB]The Milner deal is expected to be completed when he returns from international duty with England with City midfielder Stephen Ireland likely to move in the opposite direction.
