Is Martin O'Neill really the man?

I know a lot of people would have calmed down after the result on Saturday, but seeing as I'm a stubborn git, I don't change my views and opinions that easily. However, I am changing my mind on something today and that is the poll.

The poll is about Martin O'Neill and only last week I said I wouldn't run it, but as of today, if Martin O'Neill walked, rightly or wrongly, I wouldn't care.

As long as our owner employees the right firm to find a replacement and makes the package for the new manager a good one, I ultimately think it would be a good thing for the club, because no matter how we try to hide things or convince ourselves, we have had as good as we are going to have under O'Neill.

Time is the healer

If the owner is happy with sixth and the odd cup run and taking what he is out of the club each year and not having to reduce that amount or put much more in, we are stuck with O'Neill and he will be here for a long long time, but I do secretly hope that our owner really does want to challenge and play in the big playground.

If my secret hopes are real, then Saturday was the beginning of the end for O'Neill because unless we finish higher than 6th or with the FA Cup how can he justify all the money he has spent to stand still or go backwards?

We might not like it, but business is business and even if Lerner is only here to make money and he doesn't really care about winning things - he is going to care about the wage bill increasing and income decreasing and he is, like it or not, going to have doubts and concerns and he is going to have spoken to people - you don't put such a percentage of your net worth into something and not care or worry or have concerns.

Approval rating

When I thought we were going to start the approval rating poll every month, some lambasted me for it and some thought it a good idea. One forum even copied the idea, but I took what was written in the comments and decided not to do it.

What I decided not to do was run it every month and although I decided not to do it last week, I'm sorry, but when your club gets beaten 7-1, it gets put up and I'm also not going to allow comments on this post as there is going to be a post-mortem up fairly soon and this isn't about comments - it is about your vote.

So - the poll is to the right. Consider everything before voting. Think about the football O'Neill has produced at Aston Villa from day one - then think about his time at Leicester and Celtic. Think about what former players have said about him and current ones.

Think about where we finished in the league with Gordo in his third season but think about where he finished in his first. Think about that result on Saturday and if you want, think about the result at Old Trafford. Think about pride. Think about ten years time, think about 20 years time.

Think about your first game and the reason why you support Aston Villa and what you want for Aston Villa. Think about what you would give up for Aston Villa to finish fifth next season, fourth the one after and be challenging for the league in four seasons time - because that is what is possible with the right type of football.

Think about how we know it isn't going to happen over night and how you don't expect it to happen in the first season, but think about what you want and how you think it will happen and ask yourself this; is it happening? It isn't just about players, it is about football and tactics and style.

Right - post-mortem coming up, but this is the question and before anyone bites my head off for running this - the two biggest Aston Villa forums are running a similar one and started it before I did - this is a question getting asked and it is getting talked about, so I am asking the question.

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