O'Neill expects race to go to wire

19 March 2010 15:56
And the Villa boss admits he is "riled" at the suggestion his side's next two matches, against struggling Wolves on Saturday and Sunderland on Wednesday, are "home bankers."[LNB]O'Neill points to the example of Chelsea and Liverpool both losing at Wigan as examples of the unpredictability of the Premier League.[LNB]The former Celtic boss said: "Are the next two games home bankers? Why would they be? It is a question that riles me in this Premier League.[LNB]"It riles me because you see Chelsea going to Wigan and getting beaten, you see Wigan beating Liverpool.[LNB]"You see these results. They are there for everyone to see almost every single week. Why would these games be considered banker games for us?[LNB]"First there is a derby against a Wolves side who had a terrific result at Burnley last weekend.[LNB]"Then we face Sunderland who smashed four goals against Bolton, got their act together again, and then drew with Manchester City.[LNB]"The games are tough, they don't work out like that, as bankers, they never have done.[LNB]"These games coming up are tough for us. We will have to fight every inch of the way in both games to get anything out of them."[LNB]O'Neill feels this unpredictability will mean the race between Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City will ebb and flow during the next two months.[LNB]He said: "I think our victory at Wigan has put us back in the picture, although I never felt we were really out of it, and it is going to be like that week in and week out between now and the end of the season.[LNB]"There will be upsets, games you have lost, and come into the dressing room and find every result has gone against you, and vice-versa the following week.[LNB]"I think it will be like that from now until halfway through May."[LNB][LNB] Aston Villa 4/11, Draw 7/2, Wolves 17/2  

Source: Team_Talk