O'Leary not on the brink

David O’Leary’s position as Aston Villa manager is under no immediate threat despite a trio of poor results which has left some supporters calling for him to be sacked.

Fans chanted ‘O’Leary out’ after the 4-1 defeat at Everton on Saturday left them in the bottom six of the Barclays Premiership after their FA Cup exit at Manchester City four days earlier.

But O’Leary’s position is still safe for the foreseeable future and a meeting with chairman Doug Ellis on Tuesday was arranged last week to discuss proposed new developments at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training complex.

O’Leary has stressed the need for substantial financial investment in the midlands club if Villa are to make strides forward and recapture the halcyon days of the 1980s when they lifted the European Cup and won the league championship.

He has been grateful for the emergence of several youngsters, including Steven Davis, Luke Moore and Liam Ridgewell, to help off-set a series of injury setbacks and having one of the smallest squads in the top flight.

But the ex-Leeds boss has angered fans by claiming their expectation levels, in terms of what Villa can achieve in the current situation, are unrealistic.

Jonathan Fear, editor of the ‘Vital Villa’ fans’ website, claimed “few tears will be shed” if O’Leary’s three-year reign at Villa Park is ended.

But Fear believes there would be little point in Ellis sacking O’Leary with only eight games remaining of the campaign and Villa virtually safe from relegation.

Fear said: “The idea of a manager’s merry-go-round at Villa at this stage of the season doesn’t really hold any appeal.

“David O’Leary has done himself no favours in what appears to be constant criticism of the fans. At any stage where the chips are down, instead of occasionally blaming players or himself, he never does that. He is quick to moan at the fans.

“We all know about the injuries and the Ellis situation but he should be getting a lot more out of the squad at his disposal. We have still got international players in the team.

“The thing with O’Leary is he has never taken to the Villa fans but the Villa fans haven’t taken to him and I don’t think there will be many tears shed if he goes.

“But if he goes now, who would possibly walk into Villa Park while there was meant to be a possible take-over and all the uncertainty?”

O’Leary spent £11m (€16m) last summer and brought in eight players but his hopes of strengthening the squad in the January transfer window were blocked and he had to send on-loan midfielder Eirik Bakke back to Leeds for financial reasons.