Source: Daily_Mail
Hatchet man: Redknapp and O'Neill left with egg on their faces
Congratulations today must go to Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill. Dropping out of the UEFA Cup looks like a great decision now, doesn't it? After resting players and effectively conceding defeat last week to prepare for the Carling Cup final and the Premier League, the Tottenham and Aston Villamanagers would probably rather not talk about Europe just now. Plenty to ponder: Redknapp now only has a relegation battle to consider after Wembley defeatBoth ended up disappointed at the weekend in the games they focused on and will have an even harder time justifying the way they prioritised as a result. That is what they call poetic justice. More from Hatchet Man. Hatchet man: QPR owners should give Sousa the time they were promising02/03/09 Hatchet man: Stumbling Brown matches Geovanni with a tantrum of his own02/03/09 Hatchet man: Carling Cup final Fan-O-Meter was nothing to shout about02/03/09 Hatchet man: Rio's in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks Jose is fit to replace Fergie02/03/09 Simon Jordan 27/02/09 HATCHET MAN: Gray was pie in the Sky when he said Baggies lack fight - West Brom lack quality not bottle27/02/09 HATCHET MAN: When players can count the fans at a near-empty Riverside, Pogatetz thinks it's brilliant practice for the second division27/02/09 HATCHET MAN: If Liverpool send for Mourinho it will be Benitez's own fault - at least Jose knows how to sign contracts and win Premier League titles 27/02/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Aston Villa, after resting eight players for their trip to CSKA Moscow, threw away a two-goal lead on Sunday in the last few minutes. The television pundits said O'Neill's side looked tired.The 2-2 draw with Stoke meant yet another Arsenal slip-up (their goalless draw with Fulham on Saturday) went unpunished. Villa's grip on fourth place was not tightened and their fans ended the match booing as things threaten to turn sour.As for Spurs, after fielding a B team against Shakhtar Donetsk, they gave Manchester United a good run for their money in the Carling Cup final but ended up losers on penalties and with injuries and cramp added to their woes after the exhausting extra-time. It won't help them one bit in achieving their top priority of Premier League survival as they have another game against a resurgent Middlesbrough on Wednesday, but at least they won't have that pesky irritation of Europe to worry about next season.