Source: Team_Talk
O'Neill: Fatigue not to blame for slump
Villa crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Craven Cottage on Saturday and would have surrendered fifth place in the Premier League to Everton had the Toffees not drawn at home with Tottenham.
Villa have now won just once in their last 12 league games and Everton are only a point behind them in the race to finish in the top five.
O'Neill's side have had a gruelling season and the Villa boss knows he also has one of the smallest squads in the top flight.
His side looked lethargic and lacklustre against vibrant Fulham and were never in the game in the second half.
Danny Murphy put Fulham ahead from the penalty spot after James Milner had fouled Diomansy Kamara but Ashley Young equalised.
But two goals after the break from Kamara settled the contest in Fulham's favour and although Villa wilted badly, O'Neill does not blame tiredness.
"That is just too easy an excuse," he said.
"There are contributing factors, as there always are at a football club. Yes, we have been on the go a long time, yes, like Fulham, we don't have the largest squad in the world.
"The two teams have played the least number of players in the Premier League. I do accept that it takes its toll, I accept all of those things and maybe that is something we can learn from this season.
"But for us to be contesting European football this season, you do need quality in the squad and quality is hard to come by.
"That is something we would have a look at in the summer if it is at all possible. I accept all of those points. However, you would not have believed, if you had gone for a cup of tea at half-time, that we could come out and slump badly in the second half.
"We had taken the game to Fulham in the first half but well played to Fulham. It is a great season for them but for us it was definitely a big disappointment in the second half of the game. I am not so sure you can attribute tiredness to that second half.
"They are a young side. We can improve. We flirted with the top four for a number of weeks at the time Arsenal were not at their strongest."
O'Neill also dismissed suggestions that their second-half display was the result of a hangover from the chase to break into the top four.
However, the Villa boss does accept that to find and buy the quality he requires for another successful European and domestic season will not come cheap.
"Quality costs money," said O'Neill.
"I will speak to (club owner) Randy (Lerner) and see what our position is but we have not run the business like that.
"I am not so sure that's the way they would want to do it. There is a credit crunch on and I have no idea what to expect in the transfer market in the summer, whether the prices have dropped, but you will still be aware that quality costs."
