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Mental!

From SSN

Martin O'Neill has stunned Aston Villa by resigning as manager with immediate effect ahead of the new Premier League season.

Reports emerged earlier on Monday that the former Leicester and Celtic boss was set to quit Villa Park over frustration at the club's transfer policy and the expected sale of James Milner to Manchester City.

Villa have now confirmed the news of O'Neill's departure and revealed that Kevin MacDonald, reserve team manager, has assumed the role of caretaker boss ahead of the start of the new season against West Ham on Saturday.

O'Neill told Villa's official website: "I have enjoyed my time at Aston Villa immensely.

"It's obviously a wrench to be leaving such a magnificent club. I would like to pay tribute to the Villa players, my coaching staff and the Villa supporters for all the support and encouragement they have given both the club and me personally during my time as manager.

Upper echelons

"I wish them all the best for the future. I will obviously be assisting the club in the immediate short-term with regard to the handover of my duties."

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of Aston Villa, said: "The club would like to thank Martin for the great work he has done at Aston Villa over the past four years.

"He has helped to establish the club in the upper echelons of the Premier League, has taken us to Wembley and we have also qualified for European competition for the past three seasons under his management. We wish him the best in the future."

An additional statement from Villa read: "No further comment will be made by either Aston Villa or Martin O'Neill until further notice."

It was speculated at the end of last season that O'Neill was set to resign because Villa did not match his ambition to force a place into the top four of the Premier League.

The earlier sale of Gareth Barry to City and a reluctance from club owner Randy Lerner to finance new signings has also been rumoured to have played a part in O'Neill's decision.

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italics are for puffs

Well that's villa in turmoil for the next few weeks, should put an end to any hope they have of a top four challenge this time out. We know better than most about having to adapt to the style of a new manager.

But after the way the villa numpties reacted to Barry being transfered last season I have to admit to finding this a bit hilarious just before the big kick off.

Well, that was a shock when i heard!

Who'll go there? Jol? Sven?

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A double-bed and a stalwart lover, for sure
These are the riches of the poor

This is the way we are destroying football, obviously. Dab daba dab.

It shocked me tho.

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i breath fire on you!

See ya!

Hardly a shock. He threatened to flounce last season.

I hope we get blamed for this.

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And put on that wig I bought you. No, no, no, no. The reddish-brown one.

Out of the blue a bit..But i bet the milner deal has something to do with it..

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I Belong To City
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BJWB.1920-31/12/2010.

Word is Lerner didn't guarantee him all the funds from the Milner sale and also he's pissed off about Ashley Young possibly being sold from under his nose, which is odd because normally Redknapp is more noisy about these sort of things.

*digs out number for old villa supporting mate*

this should be fun

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'Fabio, the round thing there is the ball'

Aguero

Collymore should be a good listen tonight.....

Stan Collymore CallCollymore

Kick Off tonight with Collymore & Danny Kelly.It will be worth a listen,i promise you.Fucking joke that we've lost MON.

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Keep Calm and follow Jesus Navas

i want to find every smug villa fan who went on about having a great chairman who went about building a team that could challenge the top the right way and shove this story down their throats

Can't believe he has quit the week the new season starts, crazy.

It has to be something to do with the Milner deal.

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Pride In Battle.

Good for him.

Most likely.

Sven to be new Villa manager?

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Pride In Battle.

Why not? I can see that happening. Anyways, Villa are going down.

i died laughing looool xD ..

oh i feel sorry for Villa ..i have 2 words to say to villa fans "bye bye"

New England skipper?

a week before the season, no new signings.:D

Bob Bradley has confirmed he would be keen to coach in Europe. He seems to be closet to the job at the moment.