With Martin O’Neill now installed as Villa’s new manager the BBC has been talking to their Midlands sports correspondent Pat Murphy, a man who knows O’Neill very well. It is an extremely interesting account of what he feels the Northern Irish man will bring to Villa Park. I’ve but the key information below for viewers of this site to read.

"I believe it's great for Martin O'Neill because he will show yet again what an outstanding manager he is.

If you look at his record he spends time with his clubs - five years each with Wycombe, Leicester and Celtic - he is not a moonlighter.

He will get in there, root and branch, sort things out and make tough decisions.

I think it's absolutely outstanding for Aston Villa and their supporters that he is a charismatic and dynamic person after the passive management of David O'Leary and the excuses culture he ushered in over the last three years.

Martin O'Neill will bring in an accountability culture whereby people stick their hands up and take responsibility, including himself."

"He is not necessarily a chequebook manager. His strengths are man-management, motivation, turning average players into good players and turning good players into outstanding players.

In that quality he is just like Brian Clough. He is the nearest among modern managers in Britain to his old mentor who always managed to get his players to go up a notch.

On a personal level, he will be marvellous for the Midlands media because his witty and self-deprecating style is a refreshing antidote to the bland and colourless platitude that so many managers offer these days.

He is a throwback to the days when managers were flesh and blood and were characters."

"Also, don't underestimate the power of his backroom team - John Robertson, who played with him at Nottingham Forest, and Steve Walford.

They have been together for a long time and they have different characteristics.

They will work the players psychologically very cleverly. Those that don't like it will go but those who stay will relish the idiosyncratic and quirky style of O'Neill.

He will not be hands on, taking every training session. He'll watch things like Clough used to do. Robertson and Walford will do the hands-on work.

O'Neill is very clever at the players not seeing a great deal of him. He is a great believer in being fresh, having new things to say and making sure the players do not get bored with him… Make no mistake. Martin O'Neill has not turned up at Villa Park at the age of 54 for a nice payday. He has turned up to continue his impressive CV."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/5248080.stm