O’Leary makes Milner top priority as Villa sign off on winning note
Milner produced most of the rare moments of quality in Villa’s 2-1 win but his Villa Park future is now in doubt as he heads back to Newcastle at the end of his season-long loan.
O’Leary, having spoken to the Magpies said he is “hopeful” a deal can be struck. “I hope I can get that deal done for starters. I already regard James as a Villa player. The boy wants to come here and I think Newcastle want to do a deal,” he said.
But the Villa boss knows any more new players will have to be financed by sales of some of his existing squad members who shunted the club into their equal-worst Premiership position of 16th.
O’Leary added: “We need to bring in more young players to freshen up the squad and give them more life and hunger. But if nobody comes in and offers money for our players we won’t be doing any business.”
O’Leary pronounced himself reasonably happy with his side’s performance with Gareth Barry and Liam Ridgewell netting before Danny Collins’ late strike left the result in doubt.
He added: “We should have scored more goals but that problem is over from last week. We scored some good goals but we gave away a bad set play and brought them back into it when we should have been well ahead.”
Sunderland caretaker boss Kevin Ball praised his relegated side’s gutsy end to their season and said his 10 matches in charge had increased his appetite for the full-time job. Ball is yet to learn his Stadium of Light future but is desperate to stay on in a permanent basis.
“I will speak to the powers that be during the week then I will probably be back doing what I was doing until further notice. You have got to get on with it and take it in your stride until someone tells you anything different.
“I have always said I would love to manage Sunderland whether it is in the short or the long term.”
Ball went on to pay tribute to his players for the desire they showed in their third match in a week. He added: “I give them credit for the way they came back and I wish the goal had come 10 minutes earlier.
“But the way the boys rallied round with our fans behind us I like to think it leaves us in a positive frame of mind for bouncing back to the big time at the first attempt.”
: Sorensen, Hughes, Cahill, Ridgewell, Bouma, Milner (Hendrie 82), Davis, McCann, Barry, Angel, Phillips (Agbonlahor 66).
: Davis, Nosworthy, Breen, Caldwell (Daryl Murphy 27), McCartney (Danny Collins 12), Hoyte, Whitehead, Miller (Leadbitter 74), Welsh, Brown, Le Tallec.
: M Dean (Wirral).
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