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Can Villa rock the top four?
PREMIER LEAGUE: ASTON VILLA v MANCHESTER UNITED
Venue: Villa Park Date: Saturday, 22 November Kick-off: 1730 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC WM 95.6FM, Setanta Sports 1 and BBC Radio 5 Live; highlights on Match of the Day (BBC One, 2200 GMT)</B>
O'Neill took over as Villa manager in August 2006
Thierry Henry lined up for the opposition in Martin O'Neill's first match as Aston Villa manager, a brave but raw 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the brand-new Emirates Stadium.
And two years on? O'Neill's team are taking three points away from an anguished N5 while arguably the Premier League's quickest striker - Gabriel Agbonlahor - now wears Villa's claret and blue. With fifth-placed Villa impressive, if slightly erratic, so far this season, one of the biggest tests of the charismatic O'Neill's reign so far awaits with the visit of champions Manchester United on Saturday.
If Arsenal fail to win at Manchester City, Villa can move into the heady heights of third in the table with a victory of their own.
Do they now have a real chance of smashing through the 'Big Four' monopoly? BBC Radio 5 Live's Pat Murphy assesses their chances.
WHERE DO VILLA NOW STAND AFTER TWO YEARS UNDER O'NEILL?
When you look at the Villa teamsheet from that first match under O'Neill in August 2006 and you compare that to the team that beat Arsenal 2-0 last weekend, you will see the great progress they have made.
Only two players have survived - Gareth Barry and Agbonlahor - and they are both emphatically better as a consequence. O'Neill buys good players, sticks them into a coherent pattern and, in general, improves them.
O'Neill quite rightly bridles at people suggesting that the progress they have made equips them for a Champions League position. He says there's a long way to go. That's his natural stance in public, but he has ambitions and expects Villa can go as far as possible.
It is nearly 25 years since they won the European Cup - but that is the dream
Martin O'Neill when he first joined Villa as the club's new manager
Yet deep down he's a realist and he knows that the 'top four' have had many years' advantage in terms of building up deep squads and attaining international experience. The presence of four Villa players in the England squad against Germany, though, illustrates that they are getting there.
The splendid debut of Agbonlahor in Berlin embodies the progress Villa have made. Two years ago he was a fine prospect, but Martin O'Neill and his coaching staff have finessed his technique and imbued the work ethic into him. He has epitomised their progress, and it's hard to remember an international debut of such promise for England.
WHAT ARE O'NEILL'S AIMS FOR THIS SEASON?
O'Neill wouldn't necessarily talk about aiming for fifth because he's a very cute, media-savvy manager. He doesn't offer hostages to fortune - but clearly he's on the tail of the top four.
Personally, I think he's a couple of players short.
It's clear that Arsenal are the vulnerable ones of that quartet at the moment, particularly with their injury problems. Arsenal also lack leaders, but with respect to the others - Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool - Villa have some way to go.
Murphy believes Arsenal are the most vulnerable of the 'top four' teams
O'Neill was very disappointed to have gone out of the Carling Cup to QPR so early. He knows that's another trophy gone begging, especially when you see what some clubs (Middlesbrough and Spurs for example) have achieved in it recently.
Villa are still fighting on several fronts however and are in a promising position in the Uefa Cup, but as befits someone who played for the legendary Brian Clough, his mantra is that it's the league that matters most of all. He will want to do better than last year's sixth, although he knows it's a bit of a quantum leap above that fifth place.
ARE VILLA BENEFITING FROM RANDY LERNER'S OWNERSHIP?
Very much so. Doug Ellis signed Martin O'Neill - but I'm sure the manager knew that Ellis' time was almost up.
They have a great working relationship and are very collegiate together. We never hear from Lerner but O'Neill speaks very warmly of him, of his decision-making clarity and his support.
Villa have become a much more aware club in terms of their public relations in the past couple of years and they are developing their fan base.
There will never be a director of football there while O'Neill is in charge
BBC Radio 5 Live's Pat Murphy
There are no behind the scenes problems at Villa. O'Neill is emphatically in charge with his long-term advisors John Robertson and Steve Walford. He's got the backroom staff he wanted as well and has added to it this year. They are a very settled, organised and efficient camp.
HOW DO VILLA SUPPORTERS FEEL ABOUT THEIR CLUB?
There is definitely a feel-good factor. Villa Park is a good place to go for atmosphere, particularly on a night game. Their average attendance is over 38,000 and the Uefa Cup atmosphere against Ajax in October was excellent.
Some Villa fans have long memories, and a lot hark back to when they won the league in 1981 using just 14 players under Ron Saunders. That's remarkable and would not happen today.606: DEBATE
Can we beat United? Gabby has the pace to worry Ferdy and frighten Vidic...
BringBackBouma
There is, though, an element of that same sort of stability about Villa at the moment. O'Neill didn't change starting line up for the first seven games. There hasn't been a great deal of reorganisation, players nip in and out of the side because of injuries.
The home-grown players are a major factor. There are about 17 in the extended first-team squad who are British-born. I think that's important as they have an English spine running through that team, which I think Villa fans tap into and respect.
There is a communicable feel about Villa in terms of how their fans judge them. The Holte End is still one of the great football cockpits in England and when there's a capacity crowd, as there will be against Manchester United, it will be a terrific atmosphere.
WHERE DO VILLA GO FROM HERE?
O'Neill's signings have been very good but you are always keeping you fingers crossed injury-wise when you go into the New Year. He bought a fair amount of players over the summer and they possess two players to cover each position.
Brad Friedel is a massive presence and has made a big difference in goal. I don't think O'Neill's desperate to sign players during the January transfer window. He is not down to the bare bones like he was in his first season, where David O'Leary's legacy left him short.
But, to take them to another level, he's short of an outstanding player.
Owner Randy Lerner has had a noticeable stabilising effect on Villa
He worked with Henrik Larsson at Celtic. Someone like that. Nicolas Anelka, Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres - if he had one of them that would be good news, but they don't grow on trees and they tend to gravitate towards the really big clubs. Their aim now is to get on to that top four and get players tempted to come to them rather than heading to United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal. O'Neill's got some very competent experienced players and some superb young prospects in Agbonlahor and Ashley Young. But you just need that little bit extra to set them apart. But these things don't happen overnight and Villa are emphatically in a better position on and off the field than they were a year ago, never mind two.
PREMIER LEAGUE: ASTON VILLA v MANCHESTER UNITED
Venue: Villa Park Date: Saturday, 22 November Kick-off: 1730 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC WM 95.6FM, Setanta Sports 1 and BBC Radio 5 Live; highlights on Match of the Day (BBC One, 2200 GMT)</B>
O'Neill took over as Villa manager in August 2006Thierry Henry lined up for the opposition in Martin O'Neill's first match as Aston Villa manager, a brave but raw 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the brand-new Emirates Stadium.
And two years on? O'Neill's team are taking three points away from an anguished N5 while arguably the Premier League's quickest striker - Gabriel Agbonlahor - now wears Villa's claret and blue. With fifth-placed Villa impressive, if slightly erratic, so far this season, one of the biggest tests of the charismatic O'Neill's reign so far awaits with the visit of champions Manchester United on Saturday.
If Arsenal fail to win at Manchester City, Villa can move into the heady heights of third in the table with a victory of their own.
Do they now have a real chance of smashing through the 'Big Four' monopoly? BBC Radio 5 Live's Pat Murphy assesses their chances.
WHERE DO VILLA NOW STAND AFTER TWO YEARS UNDER O'NEILL?
When you look at the Villa teamsheet from that first match under O'Neill in August 2006 and you compare that to the team that beat Arsenal 2-0 last weekend, you will see the great progress they have made. Only two players have survived - Gareth Barry and Agbonlahor - and they are both emphatically better as a consequence. O'Neill buys good players, sticks them into a coherent pattern and, in general, improves them.
O'Neill quite rightly bridles at people suggesting that the progress they have made equips them for a Champions League position. He says there's a long way to go. That's his natural stance in public, but he has ambitions and expects Villa can go as far as possible.
It is nearly 25 years since they won the European Cup - but that is the dream
Martin O'Neill when he first joined Villa as the club's new manager
Yet deep down he's a realist and he knows that the 'top four' have had many years' advantage in terms of building up deep squads and attaining international experience. The presence of four Villa players in the England squad against Germany, though, illustrates that they are getting there.
The splendid debut of Agbonlahor in Berlin embodies the progress Villa have made. Two years ago he was a fine prospect, but Martin O'Neill and his coaching staff have finessed his technique and imbued the work ethic into him. He has epitomised their progress, and it's hard to remember an international debut of such promise for England.
WHAT ARE O'NEILL'S AIMS FOR THIS SEASON?
O'Neill wouldn't necessarily talk about aiming for fifth because he's a very cute, media-savvy manager. He doesn't offer hostages to fortune - but clearly he's on the tail of the top four. Personally, I think he's a couple of players short.
It's clear that Arsenal are the vulnerable ones of that quartet at the moment, particularly with their injury problems. Arsenal also lack leaders, but with respect to the others - Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool - Villa have some way to go.
Murphy believes Arsenal are the most vulnerable of the 'top four' teamsO'Neill was very disappointed to have gone out of the Carling Cup to QPR so early. He knows that's another trophy gone begging, especially when you see what some clubs (Middlesbrough and Spurs for example) have achieved in it recently.
Villa are still fighting on several fronts however and are in a promising position in the Uefa Cup, but as befits someone who played for the legendary Brian Clough, his mantra is that it's the league that matters most of all. He will want to do better than last year's sixth, although he knows it's a bit of a quantum leap above that fifth place.
ARE VILLA BENEFITING FROM RANDY LERNER'S OWNERSHIP?
Very much so. Doug Ellis signed Martin O'Neill - but I'm sure the manager knew that Ellis' time was almost up. They have a great working relationship and are very collegiate together. We never hear from Lerner but O'Neill speaks very warmly of him, of his decision-making clarity and his support.
Villa have become a much more aware club in terms of their public relations in the past couple of years and they are developing their fan base.
There will never be a director of football there while O'Neill is in charge
BBC Radio 5 Live's Pat Murphy
There are no behind the scenes problems at Villa. O'Neill is emphatically in charge with his long-term advisors John Robertson and Steve Walford. He's got the backroom staff he wanted as well and has added to it this year. They are a very settled, organised and efficient camp.
HOW DO VILLA SUPPORTERS FEEL ABOUT THEIR CLUB?
There is definitely a feel-good factor. Villa Park is a good place to go for atmosphere, particularly on a night game. Their average attendance is over 38,000 and the Uefa Cup atmosphere against Ajax in October was excellent. Some Villa fans have long memories, and a lot hark back to when they won the league in 1981 using just 14 players under Ron Saunders. That's remarkable and would not happen today.
606: DEBATE Can we beat United? Gabby has the pace to worry Ferdy and frighten Vidic...
BringBackBouma
There is, though, an element of that same sort of stability about Villa at the moment. O'Neill didn't change starting line up for the first seven games. There hasn't been a great deal of reorganisation, players nip in and out of the side because of injuries.
The home-grown players are a major factor. There are about 17 in the extended first-team squad who are British-born. I think that's important as they have an English spine running through that team, which I think Villa fans tap into and respect.
There is a communicable feel about Villa in terms of how their fans judge them. The Holte End is still one of the great football cockpits in England and when there's a capacity crowd, as there will be against Manchester United, it will be a terrific atmosphere.
WHERE DO VILLA GO FROM HERE?
O'Neill's signings have been very good but you are always keeping you fingers crossed injury-wise when you go into the New Year. He bought a fair amount of players over the summer and they possess two players to cover each position. Brad Friedel is a massive presence and has made a big difference in goal. I don't think O'Neill's desperate to sign players during the January transfer window. He is not down to the bare bones like he was in his first season, where David O'Leary's legacy left him short.
But, to take them to another level, he's short of an outstanding player.
Owner Randy Lerner has had a noticeable stabilising effect on VillaHe worked with Henrik Larsson at Celtic. Someone like that. Nicolas Anelka, Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres - if he had one of them that would be good news, but they don't grow on trees and they tend to gravitate towards the really big clubs. Their aim now is to get on to that top four and get players tempted to come to them rather than heading to United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal. O'Neill's got some very competent experienced players and some superb young prospects in Agbonlahor and Ashley Young. But you just need that little bit extra to set them apart. But these things don't happen overnight and Villa are emphatically in a better position on and off the field than they were a year ago, never mind two.