Aston Villa Football Club

• Nickname:The Villains
• Founded:1874
• Manager:Paul Lambert

• Ground:Villa Park
• Capacity:42584

Lerner explains O'Neill's exit

11 Aug 2010 - 12:23:45

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Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has issued a statement saying that manager Martin O'Neill left the club as he no longer 'shared a common view' on the club's future.

O'Neill walked away from Villa Park on Monday, having seemingly become frustrated by a perceived lack of funds to try and strengthen his squad.

A statement from Lerner on the club's official website read: "Having had some time to reflect on Martin leaving, I can say that our most immediate focus is supporting Kevin MacDonald and resolving the situation with Manchester City and James Milner.

"As for explaining why Martin left, I can say only that we no longer shared a common view as to how to move forward.

"To deal in greater detail would do little but cause additional distraction for the club as it faces imminent games and the clear priority of hiring a permanent manager.

"Finally, there have been no changes in our approach to building the club, aiming always to be as competitive as possible given our size and resources."