Champions League Is Our Aim

Martin O’Neill has said that the UEFA Cup is only the beginning of his Villa dream, he wants to be in the Champions League.

Speaking on the official site, O’Neill stated that he was due to meet with Lerner shortly to discuss targets for the summer and also said that next season’s aim will be more than simply the Uefa Cup.

‘The idea of the football club is that obviously we would have the same drive and ambition as Newcastle United, all those sides – Champions League is where you want to go. I think people would want to harbour that ambition.

‘I’m not saying the Villa fans harboured that thought a couple of seasons ago, but deep down any Villa fan worth his salt would like to think that that is where the club would like to go.

‘This is the best time to talk to the chairman. Even though I have said I wouldn’t mind a day or two for a bit of respite, when you look at the squad we had at West Ham, we had Curtis Davies out and we will lose one or two with Olof Mellberg going. So we’ve got a lot to address over the summer. But we want to push on.

‘If you look at our squad nine players have played in excess of 32 Premier League games. We can’t expect the same nine players to all play so many games again.

‘We have played virtually the same side. I think it’s particularly excellent, a phenomenal achievement, so I want to think about that for a day or two and then we will see.’