Source: Team_Talk
O'Neill desperate for sixth spot
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is praying for a sixth-placed Premier League finish to ensure a later start in next season's Europa League.[LNB] Even though Villa have already qualified for the Europa League, there is a lot[LNB]riding on the outcome of Sunday's game against Blackburn at Villa Park.[LNB]If Villa lose and Liverpool beat relegated Hull City then O'Neill's side would finish the season in seventh.[LNB]That would mean having to start their Europa League campaign in July rather than August and force the players back into pre-season training sooner than O'Neill would like.[LNB]O'Neill, who has guided Villa to sixth place finishes in the last two seasons, said: "It would mean that we would not be playing competitively at the end of July if we finish sixth.[LNB]"From that aspect it would be different as there will be players away on World Cup duty and I would be hoping to give them extra time off.[LNB]"I would be delighted if Fabio Capello took five or six Villa players as that would be great and a credit to the football club. But that is secondary at the moment.[LNB]"What counts is that if we beat Blackburn on Sunday we have a chance to finish sixth in the league.[LNB]"I know that we are expecting a lot of other things to happen for us to finish fifth.[LNB]"But it is in our own hands to finish sixth for the third successive season and qualify for Europe."[LNB]Villa have already played Blackburn four times this season - losing in the Premier League but beating them in the FA Cup and in both legs of the Carling Cup semi-final.[LNB]Villa won the second-leg at Villa Park 6-4 and O'Neill added: "We played an epic semi-final against Blackburn and a repeat of that result would be great for the supporters.[LNB]"On the night Blackburn got themselves two goals in front and we had to fight back.[LNB]It was a terrific game after getting the better of them in the FA Cup a few days earlier.[LNB]"They beat us at Ewood Park in the league with a late penalty and from our viewpoint just to win the game is the most important issue."[LNB]O'Neill rates the 6-4 win as one of his highlights of the season and he added: "There have been a number of great moments.[LNB]"That epic semi-final against Blackburn at Villa Park to get to the Carling Cup Final was one of them and getting back to Wembley was great news for the football club.[LNB]"These are the tangible signs of progress but in the main it is the league form.[LNB]"It is about the matches we have won to prove that we can compete at the top level and the players are improving.[LNB]"But great moments, like winning at Anfield and Old Trafford, are touched with some disappointment such as losing the Carling Cup Final, the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Tottenham and the defeat at Chelsea."
