Source: SKY_Sports
O'Neill hits back at Zico
Martin O'Neill believes CSKA Moscow boss Zico was wide of the mark when suggesting Aston Villa are a predictable team.[LNB] Villa travel to Russia on Thursday for the second leg of their Uefa Cup knockout tie hoping to overcome CSKA's narrow advantage following a 1-1 first-leg draw in England.[LNB]Brazilian legend Zico intimated that Villa were predictable in their approach and over-reliant on winger Ashley Young following the game at Villa Park last week.[LNB]But O'Neill - who has left Young, and a host of other star names, out of his squad for the return meeting - believes his counterpart was inaccurate when making the assessment.[LNB]"Funnily enough, Ashley Young didn't play against Wigan recently and someone said then that all we did was get it out wide for James Milner to lob in a couple of hopeful balls," said the former Celtic boss said.[LNB]World class"Funnily enough, I knew the way CSKA were going to play. But I wouldn't be running around telling them whether how they play is good, bad or indifferent.[LNB]"When I was at Nottingham Forest, we won the league championship and two European Cups - which I don't think CSKA Moscow have won - by getting the ball out wide to a world-class winger (John Robertson).[LNB]"I am sure Zico would also have played in a side that can also get the ball out wide and beat players. I thought it was part of the game.[LNB]"I don't know whether what Zico said was a criticism. The fact they were unable to stop a world-class player like Young from doing what is allowed on the pitch might tell me something."[LNB]OutstandingO'Neill added: "I don't accept Zico's point because one of the outstanding players the other night was a central midfielder for us called Stiliyan Petrov.[LNB]"It is a cop-out. I don't accept what he has said. If getting it wide and someone beating three or four players exhilarates the crowd, I don't see a great deal wrong with it.[LNB]"We are not one-dimensional. Absolutely not. Far from it - and I wouldn't go and tell Moscow how to play."[LNB]Stand-in skipper Gareth Barry, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Carlos Cuellar, James Milner and Petrov have also been omitted from O'Neill's 19-man plans.[LNB]
