Source: Team_Talk
Villa boss hails 'terrific' Hodgson
The two managers lock horns at Craven Cottage on Saturday and Aston Villa boss O'Neill said: "They have improved a lot this time around. It's been terrific for them this season and the manager has done wonderfully well there.[LNB]"They are going for a European spot - and that's all you need to say really to see how far they have come.[LNB]"They were all but gone last season. You couldn't have envisaged that kind of comeback that they made. It was absolutely incredible.[LNB]"They will have taken great heart from that. They have made a couple of good signings too. They have done fantastically well. It just goes to show how quickly things can change in football.[LNB]"I think their record at Craven Cottage is terrific. They play neat and attractive football and they defend strongly and they are very well organised."[LNB]O'Neill has concentrated primarily on signing young English talent since he took charge at Villa but insists he would not turn up the chance to sign top-quality foreign players.[LNB]He said: "We are trying to improve the squad and in the last 14-16 months we have added a lot of young English players to the squad.[LNB]"That doesn't mean I have got a closed mind to things. In terms of value, you ask a lot of Premier League managers and they say prices between English clubs are very prohibitive.[LNB]"You sometimes think you can get a quality player from the continent who has all the skill in the world. You just might worry if he has the temperament to prosper in this league.[LNB]"But I am hoping that is becoming less of an issue because the very best have come to this country and have enhanced the Premier League."[LNB]O'Neill wants Villa to finish the campaign on a high after ending a 12-game winless run with the single goal success over Hull on Monday evening.[LNB]He said: "It was a long time since we had won even though the performances had been fine. We should have won by more against Hull but the victory itself was the essential thing.[LNB]"It is great with three games to know that you can't finish lower than sixth and that we have qualified for Europe again.[LNB]"There has been a general improvement this season and we have never been out of the top six."[LNB][LNB] Fulham 13/8, Aston Villa 13/8, Draw 9/4
