Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill believes club must keep pace with rivals

Martin O'Neill insists Aston Villa must try to keep pace with their rivals if they are to remain a fixture at the sharp end of the Premier League.Villa entertain Blackburn on Sunday at the end of a season in which they reached the Carling Cup final and FA Cup semi-final as well as qualifying for Europe for the third successive season. Pointing the way forward: Aston Villa manager Martin O'NeillBut manager O'Neill knows more will be expected in future, even when his position is still unclear pending a meeting with owner Randy Lerner.He said: 'In terms of expectation, it is getting higher and higher. If you achieve a bit of success, you feel you have to move forward at a great pace.'From next season, Premier League clubs must include eight homegrown players in a squad of 25, so a Villa team full of English talent could prosper. O'Neill will tell Villa owner Lerner to show him the money at Sunday summitAston Villa misfit Marlon Harewood targeted by Turkish giants GalatasaryASTON VILLA FC

Source: Daily_Mail