Villa Boss Looking For Time

Martin O’Neill has re-stated that he would sign a long term deal at Villa but even with the rolling contract, he says he is here for the long term.

No contract worries for O’Neill

The official site are carrying the transcript of the Capital Gold forum evening where O’Neill said:

‘If it happened I would be delighted to sign but contracts these days are not worth the paper they are written on. It is not worth a jot because if you want to get rid of me, you will. I not into worrying about whether I have got four years left because if I am doing hopelessly it would be embarrassing to be sitting on that length of time. That has never been my scene. As a player I signed four one year contracts, always thinking life would be better the next year. The contract at Celtic didn’t matter, it was a handshake to Dermot Desmond saying that if I wanted to leave, I go.’

‘I am here now and am genuinely going to put everything into it and if it works I will be delighted. If I make an absolute horlicks it will not be through the lack of trying. In my time in management, I think that the number of years I have spent at football clubs speaks for itself. ‘I spent five years at Wycombe and every single year people were telling me: ‘You’ve got no ambition’. Then I went to Norwich for six months and couldn’t get on with the chairman at the time. Then I spent five years at Leicester City and five years at Celtic. I’m hoping that that number of years I have spent at football clubs in the past might be enough for me to say I am in this for the long term.’

Adding: ‘The one thing I want to keep going though is the feelgood factor. The supporters are definitely passionate about the club, and that is really important. I am not asking for ten years, what I want is a bit of time because I know that things can happen here. That is my genuine viewpoint despite me clouding it by bringing expectations down. I am really excited by the job. I genuinely love coming to work.’