O'Neill well aware of City threat

04 October 2009 13:06
O'Neill is not amongst the sceptics who question whether Mark Hughes' side will take time to fully gel after a massive summer spending spree at Eastlands.[LNB]Villa have similar ambitions of challenging for a Champions League spot and will be put to the test when they tackle City in Monday's home clash.[LNB]And O'Neill knows Villa will have to be on their guard in tackling Emmanuel Adebayor after his return from suspension.[LNB]The former Celtic boss said: "You can draw comparisons with Chelsea a few years ago.[LNB]"They had a talented manager in place (Jose Mourinho) and won two Premier League titles on the bounce.[LNB]"They made Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal sit up and take notice.[LNB]"Now Manchester City have been able to accumulate players by spending big. In a couple of years time probably some other club will be able to do the same again."[LNB]O'Neill added: "City are a very big threat to the top four. They are playing with a great deal of confidence and very well. They are a genuine threat to the top four, even as soon as this year.[LNB]"I saw them against West Ham last Monday night and they played exceptionally well. They are flying and now they have got Adebayor to come back in.[LNB]"I assume he will start because he has played splendidly. He is a very good player.[LNB]"I am not sure what happened with Arsenal but he has gone to City and is flying at the minute."[LNB]O'Neill is well aware of the talents of Adebayor's possible strike partner - Craig Bellamy - after working with him when manager of Celtic.[LNB]He explained: "Craig is playing as well as anyone. He has had a lot of clubs and sometimes that suggests you are a bit of a wanderer and don't settle down.[LNB]"He went to Liverpool and maybe didn't play as often as he wanted to but he can play. I had him at Celtic for four months and he was brilliant.[LNB]"If he stays fit, he is a handful to any defence in the Premier League and in Europe.[LNB]"His confidence is very high at this minute but Craig's character doesn't change just because he has a load of confidence or not.[LNB]"He is still the same abrasive lad but a very good player."[LNB]O'Neill reaffirmed he will be rotating his squad more regularly during the current campaign after Villa ran out of steam at the tail-end of last season.[LNB]He said: "Any player worth his salt wants to play and wants to play pretty regularly.[LNB]"Certainly in recent years the big squads are very necessary because you are playing a lot of football.[LNB]"You are going to have to change things around a little bit. It didn't seem to be a big problem maybe 15 or 20 years ago.[LNB]"But nowadays you have to have the squad. That in itself will cause a problem or two because all the fine players want to play every week.[LNB]"If you have a system like Manchester United, where it has worked consistently, then people accept those consequences. It is a little bit different at other clubs."[LNB][LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk