O’Leary sets sights on top-flight big guns

ASTON VILLA boss David O’Leary has set his sights on the Barclays Premiership’s big guns after hitting back at the critics who labelled him a chequebook manager.

The former Republic of Ireland international guided Leeds into the semi-finals of the Champions League during his heyday at Elland Road, but left the club under a cloud as financial problems hit hard.

Along with chairman Peter Ridsdale, he was a target for those looking to point the finger after the Yorkshire side invested millions in a vain bid to compete with Europe’s best.

However, having steered Villa into sixth in the Premiership on a shoestring budget last season following their 16th-place 12 months earlier, O’Leary believes he has answered his critics. “I thought I did a fantastic job at Leeds, but when I came to Villa it was in a mess and everybody knew that,” he said.

“But something inside me said that I needed to do this job and do it well just to shut up the few who were saying things about my time at Leeds. Now I want to be known as the Villa manager, not the former Leeds manager.

“But when you’ve had criticism, some of it sticks and you have to go out and answer it, and answer it one way only. You can’t do it by hitting back in newspapers articles, it’s actions that count.

“That’s what we did at Villa last season. Now I don’t think people can look at me and say ‘he’s just a money manager.’

“That rumour has been dispelled. I think Villa have the potential to be a great club and I want to be the manager here. There’s a fantastic chance to do something at Villa again.”

The target now is to break into the top five, although O’Leary insists reputation alone will count for nothing and there is no room for complacency.

O’Leary is this week expected to sign Mathieu Berson from Nantes for £1.5 million.