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. 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.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.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."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.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."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)."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."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."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."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."We are not one-dimensional. Absolutely not. Far from it - and I wouldn't go and tell Moscow how to play."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.