By Arch
August 9 2010

Martin O'Neill is not the sort of bloke to walk out on a club just five days before the start of the season without a good reason.

He has too much integrity and loyalty to his players and staff to do that.

So what has topped him over the edge? It's obviously to do with money and his desire to get us into the top four which we could all see was going to be unlikely this season.

It would be specially unlikely if his top players were allowed to leave and if he wasn't able to replace them.

He's been here five eyars. He can't see himself being able to better last season's sixth place so he's off.

Tragic for us Villa fans. IDoes Randy Lerner feel the same way? Did he know before he headed back to the States this weekend - or did MoN mull over their conversations before making a transatlantic confirmation.

More likely that he gave Lerner an utilmatum. Lerner asked for time to consider and when he tried to call MoN's "bluff" the manager had no choice but to go.

 So who is next?  Hughes and Hodgson have new clubs. Whither Alan Curbishley or the US manager who did a fair job in South Africa,

Somehow that seems an issue for later in the week.