Sir Alex Ferguson feels that Martin O’Neill has the talent to lead Aston Villa into the top four of this season.
While he was managing Celtic, O’Neill was amongst the front runner for Ferguson’s job at Old Trafford, when there were rumors of Manchester United boss stepping down from his job.
As the Scot ruled out any possibility of stepping down in the immediate future, his name drifted out of contention.
However, he accepted the challenge offered by Villa owner, Randy Lerner, with both hands and has assembled an inspiring squad that is packed with young talent of the league.
After brief stutters, victory over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium has taken Midlands giants on equal points with Gunners in the league table.
Ferguson feels that it is possible that Villa can end the season by toppling one of the Top Four sides in the league.
Ferguson said, ‘They have the ingredients to finish in top four.’
‘They’re currently on level terms with Arsenal and catching on us in the table. This is a great position for them to be in and will lead to an interesting final stage of the league.’
‘Without any doubt, Martin is amongst the best managers of the game.’
‘The only way to judge managers is by their performance over a period. His record with Leicester, Celtic & now at Villa is enough to count him amongst the topmost in the league.’
Meanwhile, Ferguson was worried ahead of an encounter with Aston Villa at Villa Park, as Dimitar Berbatov received a hamstring injury during Bulgaria’s friendly against Serbia.
It was revealed that Berbatov will not be available for at least 2 weeks. However, Ferguson confirmed that the injury was not serious and he will be match fit soon.
