O’Neill: I must sell before I can buy

ASTON VILLA manager Martin O’Neill has admitted he will have to sell before he can bring in any new players during the January transfer window.

O’Neill revamped his squad in the summer with the signings of Habib Beye, Richard Dunne, James Collins, Fabian Delph, Stephen Warnock and Stewart Downing.

But he has conceded he will have to offload before he can bring in new blood during the current window – with around £3.5 million (€4m) likely to be recouped from the expected sale of midfielder Craig Gardner to Birmingham.

When asked if he was looking to sign a striker, O’Neill replied: “We are not looking at players at this minute because we have to sell.

“Do I have to sell to buy? We wouldn’t be the only club in that position.”

Next up for Villa is the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Blackburn tonight.

Villa take a 1-0 lead into the home leg, and O’Neill is urging his players to adapt a “positive mindset” to ensure there are no slip-ups.

Villa will progress to their first major final for 10 years if they repeat Sunday’s goalless draw against the Hammers after triumphing 1-0 in the first leg at Ewood Park last Thursday.

But O’Neill is determined his players will not adopt a negative approach and rest on their laurels against Sam Allardyce’s side.

“We have got to approach the game on its own merit and try and win the game from that viewpoint,” he said.

“It takes only a second to get a goal and, if Blackburn score early on, you are back to level anyway.

“Any advantage can be taken away in seconds. We must have a positive approach, absolutely, and forget the first leg, in effect.’’

Allardyce, meanwhile, says his side are looking forward to tonight’s match after ending a winless streak of 10 games in all competitions against with a 2-0 win over Fulham on Sunday. !

“The lads are all now looking forward to this game after being given a massive boost of confidence with the Fulham result. It was what we needed,” said Allardyce.

“We’ve had a look at Villa’s last two games, our game last Thursday and their 0-0 draw with West Ham on Sunday, and we’ve drawn up a game plan.

“We know we need to get the first goal. When it comes we have to make sure we’re the ones who score it.

“That will put a few nerves into Aston Villa, and hopefully we can go on from there and achieve one of the biggest results since this club was last in the Carling Cup final, in 2002.

“Let’s hope we’re all then dancing and singing on the way back.

“But if we take the pressure off Aston Villa, and let them score first, then it’s going to be hugely difficult to come back from a 2-0 deficit.’’