Source: Team_Talk
O'Neill takes pop at 'fickle' football
The Aston Villa boss feels the dramatic events at Eastlands during the last 72 hours highlight the fickle nature of the game.[LNB]Blues manager Mark Hughes was sacked and immediately replaced by Roberto Mancini despite having lost less games than any other Premier League club and having reached the Carling Cup semi-finals.[LNB]O'Neill, whose side face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, said: "Manchester City had lost less games in the Premier League than anyone else.[LNB]"I can accept the fact that they may well have drawn some games they should have won.[LNB]"But this idea that you step in and be given some money to spend and you turn things round immediately, just wouldn't happen in any other business.[LNB]"It wouldn't be accepted in any other business.[LNB]"There should be some sort of parallel drawn with football but we accept now there is isn't and there is no such thing anymore.[LNB]"I've heard there was talk the manager (Mancini) had been speaking to City some weeks before.[LNB]"Mark Hughes had taken the team into the Carling Cup semi-final, the first visit they had made there for 20 odd years, and so it (football) can be pretty fickle."[LNB]O'Neill is optimistic striker Emile Heskey could be fit to play some part in the festive programme after fears he faced a long lay-off with a groin problem have been allayed.[LNB]Heskey limped out of the weekend home win over Stoke midway through the first half but concerns he could be side-lined for five to six weeks have proved unfounded.[LNB]O'Neill said: "Emile went for a scan. It shows a little bit of something but he is feeling much better and I think it is going to be a short-term injury.[LNB]"He may be available for one of the two games against Arsenal and Liverpool over Christmas. That in itself is half decent news for us.[LNB]"There were suggestions that he may be out for five or six weeks, and it was kind of worrying when he came off, but I would be confident enough to say that is not the case."[LNB][LNB]
