Aston Villa: Who will replace O’Neill at Villa Park?

Martin O’Neill stunned the football world on Monday afternoon (August 9) by quitting his post at Aston Villa. The decision came just five days before the start of the new season and although there have been countless rumours over the past few months regarding O’Neill’s future at Villa Park hardly anyone expected him to walk before a ball had been kicked in anger.

The former Celtic and Leicester City boss was said to be frustrated at Randy Learner’s transfer policy of having to sell in order to bring in new faces and, although he was coming to terms with the prospect of losing James Milner to Manchester City, talk that the American owner wasn't going to give him any money to spend on reinforcements may have proved too much for him to take.

So now Villa are in the search for somebody to fill O’Neill’s boots. Unsurprisingly, for a job of this magnitude, there are already a number of top managers being linked with the vacant position. Aston Villa have appointed British or Irish managers over the past two decades but will they continue in that tradition or will they head aboard for their first foreign coach since Jozef Venglos?

Here I am going to assess the main runners and riders and give my opinion on whether they would be a hit or a miss at Villa.

Bob Bradley

The US coach is riding favour with a number of English bookmakers due to his American links with the owner Randy Learner and for his impressive performances at the World Cup in South Africa. Under Bradley’s guidance, America topped England’s group and were unfortunate to have been knocked out by Ghana. He is said to be looking for a fresh challenge and they don’t come much bigger than managing in the Premier League. Learner has never managed in England before so it would be a huge risk but Bradley has proved he can handle high pressured situations on the world stage so he could be worth a punt.

Martin Jol

The Dutchman almost left Ajax for Fulham this summer. Could the lure of Aston Villa prove impossible for him to resist another crack at the Premier League? The former Spurs boss was shown the door at White Hart Lane despite leading them to the brink of the Champions League twice. Jol has made no secret of his love for England and the English game and it’s only a matter of time before he graces our shores again. He came within a whisker of joining Fulham but could Villa be the team that tempts him back to Blighty? With English and European experience under his belt, I think Jol would be given a warm welcome by everyone connected with the club.

Alan Curbishley

The former West Ham United and Charlton manager has been patiently waiting for another shot at management in the top flight and Aston Villa may suit him down to the ground. Villa have a great tradition and history and a fantastically loyal fan base. Curbishley didn’t have the best of times at his former stomping ground West Ham but he knows how to win games at the highest level. His style of play may not be to everyone’s liking but he does tend to win more than he loses.

Slaven Bilic

The Croatian boss has long been linked with a return to England, with West Ham United and Liverpool reportedly after him over the past year or two, but could Villa finally persuade him to enter the domestic game? The former West Ham and Everton defender came to our attention following Croatia’s heroic Euro 2008 qualification success that left England in the international wilderness. Unfortunately for the rocker, he was unable to continue his winning ways and sadly missed out on the World Cup. Bilic is a fantastic talent and it’s only a matter of time before he manages in England.

Sven Goran Eriksson

The former England manager is linked with every vacant manager’s post in England and was being strongly tipped to replace Roy Hodgson at Fulham. The Swede has a great copybook at domestic level, having won trophies in every country that he has managed. However, Manchester City remains a blot on his record that he would like to amend. Eriksson is ridiculed by many in the Press for his off-the-field antics but he can’t half spot a player, even if he does only watch them for five minutes on a VCR. He may not be to everyone’s liking but Sven is determined to win something in this country and could attract some of European’s best players to Villa Park. Sven could be a smart appointment.

Jurgen Klinsmann

The former Tottenham and Germany marksman has been out of the game since he lost his job at Bayern Munich near the end of last season and could use his American links to land the Villa job. I think Klinsmann would do well at Villa. He likes to play attacking football and isn’t afraid to throw in the youngsters to see what they can do. He almost led Germany to the World Cup Final in 2006, despite having the country’s worst squad of players ever, and speaks very good English. However, his previous job at Bayern Munich didn't go to plan and was axed in less than a year.

Other names in the frame include former Villain Gareth Southgate, Cardiff City’s Dave Jones, Phil Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Steve McClaren, Bruce Arena, Kevin Keegan, Didier Deschamps and current Birmingham boss Alex McLeish. But who would you like to see replace O’Neill in the dugout at Villa Park? Whatever your view I’d love to hear from you.

· Calling all Villa fans. Do you think O’Neill has made a rash decision? Had O’Neill taken Villa as far as he could? What do you think was the straw that broke the camel’s back? Would you like to see Villa go foreign for their next manager or would you rather stick with a home-based boss? We’d love to hear from you.