O’Neill stresses Villa’s need for derby delight
Victory for the hosts would not only be sweet for their fans but would also keep O’Neill’s side on course for a possible place in next season’s Champions League.
Back-to-back wins against Portsmouth and Hull have put Villa firmly in the shake-up for a fourth-place finish.
O’Neill said: “We need to win games to make sure of European football for the third successive season. So a win over Birmingham is of great importance.
“There is plenty to play for and while that remains the case we have got to give it everything we’ve got.
“When we go into Sunday’s game we will have a fair idea of what has transpired the previous day and will know what we have to do.
“The players know what is at stake and these days they are fully aware that every position in the Premier League is worth a great deal of money.
“So if teams and players are mentally thinking of turning off I think owners, directors and the occasional manager would be trying to change those thoughts.”
O’Neill expects to be facing a fired-up Birmingham team who will have some inside knowledge of his Villa side.
Midfielder Craig Gardner left Villa for Blues in a £3million deal in January.
O’Neill will seek out the former England U-21 international after discovering — following his departure — that Gardner is a Birmingham fan.
O’Neill jokingly added: “I’m afraid that I am going to have words when I see him after it emerged that he was a closet Birmingham fan.”
The last time the teams met at Villa Park, in April 2008, the home team raced to a 5-1 win.
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