Aston Villa are looking for a new manager after the shock departure of Martin O'Neill only five days before the new Premier League season starts. The club have yet to comment on the situation but names linked with them include Ajax manager Martin Jol and United States coach Bob Bradley. Villa play West Ham on Saturday, with reserve-team boss Kevin MacDonald preparing the team in a caretaker role. Rumours have claimed that the highly-regarded O'Neill resigned on Monday over the club's transfer policy. Both Villa and O'Neill - who led the club to sixth place in the top flight and the Carling Cup final last season - have refused to disclose any reasons behind the decision, which brought his four-year tenure to an abrupt end and threw preparations for the new campaign into turmoil. 
In May, owner Randy Lerner insisted O'Neill had pledged his future to Villa after much speculation over whether or not the former Leicester City and Glasgow Celtic boss would leave. But it has been widely speculated that O'Neill - one of the most articulate and likeable managers currently working in the game - felt it was the end of the road after learning that he would not be able to reinvest most of the money generated from England midfielder James Milner's imminent move to Manchester City. Lerner had backed O'Neill in the transfer market since the latter replaced full-of-his-own-importance David O'Bleary in August 2006, from which point the Northern Irishman has largely transformed the fortunes of Villa. But it became clear this summer that similar investment would not be forthcoming, with Lerner insisting that Villa, who face Rapid Vienna in the Europa League later this month, would have to adopt a sell-to-buy policy. BBC Radio 5Live's Midlands football reporter Pat Murphy stated that while there are names in the frame, there is no single stand-out candidate to replace O'Neill. 'Alan Curbishley is available, there's no compensation issue and he's desperate top get back into Premier League management,' he added. 'So is Sven-Goran Eriksson, who feels he has unfinished business after being sacked by Manchester City. Eriksson would appeal to Randy Lerner because of his understated diplomatic style, rather than the engaging and bloody-minded Martin Jol - who recently flirted with Fulham while playing fast and loose with his present club Ajax. Gareth Southgate has recent Premier League experience at Middlesbrough, where he was unluckily sacked, and his time as a manager will surely come again. But many Villa fans have not forgiven him for criticising the club for a lack of ambition when he left ten years ago.' He also wasn't unlucky to be sacked having led the club to relegation. Ditto Curbishley with West Ham. It's remarkable, isn't it? Every time a job comes up for grabs, it's the same handful of names in the frame. The reason why most of them are unemployed in the first place is because they - often spectacularly - failed in the previous job or jobs. See also, Sourness, Graeme. And, indeed, O'Bleary, David. Bradley, whose contract with the US Soch-her Federation runs out in December, has became one of the bookmakers' favourites for the vacant job after stressing that he would love to work in Europe when asked about the Villa speculation. 'I have said over and over as well that I am always excited about new and different challenges,' he commented. 'Certainly coaching in Europe at some point is something that I would love to do.' Lerner is a fellow American, while Bradley had previously been linked with the Fulham managerial position before the appointment of former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes. Milner's exit would come only a year after former Villa captain Gareth Barry also moved to Eastlands. Former Villa captain Martin Laursen said he was not surprised that O'Neill left the club but added that he did not think his departure would be followed by several players. 'He wanted more than Randy Lerner could give him,' Laursen told BBC Sport. 'He is so ambitious that when he doesn't get what he wants he walks away but I don't think more players will leave. If Martin O'Neill gets another important job then he might take some with him but I don't think players will leave because O'Neill has gone.' I must admit, I always used to have something of a soft spot for Villa - another good club that had massively under-achieved over the years. That was, until a few years ago when I had the misfortune to cross paths with a particularly arrogant and gobby, full-of-his-own-pomposity supporter of the old Villains on an Internet message board. Someone who had plenty to say for himself about other club's lack of success when he, himself, had absolutely not a sausage to be bragging about. Since then, I've always looked at Villa's results with him in particular in mind, hoping for a few very richly deserved spankings every season. But, I like Martin O'Neill a lot too. Where he turns up next is, frankly, anyone's guess.
In May, owner Randy Lerner insisted O'Neill had pledged his future to Villa after much speculation over whether or not the former Leicester City and Glasgow Celtic boss would leave. But it has been widely speculated that O'Neill - one of the most articulate and likeable managers currently working in the game - felt it was the end of the road after learning that he would not be able to reinvest most of the money generated from England midfielder James Milner's imminent move to Manchester City. Lerner had backed O'Neill in the transfer market since the latter replaced full-of-his-own-importance David O'Bleary in August 2006, from which point the Northern Irishman has largely transformed the fortunes of Villa. But it became clear this summer that similar investment would not be forthcoming, with Lerner insisting that Villa, who face Rapid Vienna in the Europa League later this month, would have to adopt a sell-to-buy policy. BBC Radio 5Live's Midlands football reporter Pat Murphy stated that while there are names in the frame, there is no single stand-out candidate to replace O'Neill. 'Alan Curbishley is available, there's no compensation issue and he's desperate top get back into Premier League management,' he added. 'So is Sven-Goran Eriksson, who feels he has unfinished business after being sacked by Manchester City. Eriksson would appeal to Randy Lerner because of his understated diplomatic style, rather than the engaging and bloody-minded Martin Jol - who recently flirted with Fulham while playing fast and loose with his present club Ajax. Gareth Southgate has recent Premier League experience at Middlesbrough, where he was unluckily sacked, and his time as a manager will surely come again. But many Villa fans have not forgiven him for criticising the club for a lack of ambition when he left ten years ago.' He also wasn't unlucky to be sacked having led the club to relegation. Ditto Curbishley with West Ham. It's remarkable, isn't it? Every time a job comes up for grabs, it's the same handful of names in the frame. The reason why most of them are unemployed in the first place is because they - often spectacularly - failed in the previous job or jobs. See also, Sourness, Graeme. And, indeed, O'Bleary, David. Bradley, whose contract with the US Soch-her Federation runs out in December, has became one of the bookmakers' favourites for the vacant job after stressing that he would love to work in Europe when asked about the Villa speculation. 'I have said over and over as well that I am always excited about new and different challenges,' he commented. 'Certainly coaching in Europe at some point is something that I would love to do.' Lerner is a fellow American, while Bradley had previously been linked with the Fulham managerial position before the appointment of former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes. Milner's exit would come only a year after former Villa captain Gareth Barry also moved to Eastlands. Former Villa captain Martin Laursen said he was not surprised that O'Neill left the club but added that he did not think his departure would be followed by several players. 'He wanted more than Randy Lerner could give him,' Laursen told BBC Sport. 'He is so ambitious that when he doesn't get what he wants he walks away but I don't think more players will leave. If Martin O'Neill gets another important job then he might take some with him but I don't think players will leave because O'Neill has gone.' I must admit, I always used to have something of a soft spot for Villa - another good club that had massively under-achieved over the years. That was, until a few years ago when I had the misfortune to cross paths with a particularly arrogant and gobby, full-of-his-own-pomposity supporter of the old Villains on an Internet message board. Someone who had plenty to say for himself about other club's lack of success when he, himself, had absolutely not a sausage to be bragging about. Since then, I've always looked at Villa's results with him in particular in mind, hoping for a few very richly deserved spankings every season. But, I like Martin O'Neill a lot too. Where he turns up next is, frankly, anyone's guess. 
