No one can blame O'Neill for leaving Villa

Marin O'Neill is one of the best coaches in the English Premier League or should I say was. Now the former Aston Villa boss, O'Neill vacated his post today resigning due to the club's perplexing strategy to continue selling off its top talents.

A year ago Villa sold Gareth Barry, the team's captain, to Manchester City. Now it appears they will do the same with James Milner set to make the same switch, and with that comes the news that Ashley Young - a brilliant young forward - is also being scouted for a potential transfer move.

It's too bad because O'Neill had this young side ready to do great things had the team not only been kept together but made a few positive moves instead of negative ones. After finishing in 11th place his first season with the team four years ago, Villa finished in sixth place the last three seasons and were knocking at the door of the Champions League top four teams threatening to become one of England's great clubs again.

Villa is not only one of the oldest teams in England they are one of the most storied having won seven EPL titles, seven FA Cups, and one European Cup in 1981-82 which is now the Champions League. Villa are just one of four English teams to win European Cup/Champions League title.

And if you look at the Villa roster they have some nice pieces with Brad Friedel in net, maybe still the best keeper in England, the previously mentioned Ashley Young and James Milner, Richard Dunn in the back, the speedster Gabriel Agbonlahor (my favorite name in England), Nigel Reo-Coker, John Carew, and a few others.

Villa were a club that could have knocked off one of the big four or competed with Manchester City and Tottenham for that elusive fourth spot in the Champions League, but now it appears to me that they are taking several steps back instead of moving forward.