Woooo ... Roeder's Claws Are Showing!

Last updated : 31 January 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor

Roeder questioned the Aston Villa gaffa for turning down the Newcastle job when chairman Freddy Shepherd offered him allegedly £8m over five years to replace Graeme Souness. But Martin O'Neill has scoffed at Roeder's claims that he lacked the 'courage' to take on the Newcastle job.

Roeder: "If a person doesn't want this job, then you have to question his courage."

O'Neill: "Whatever he said was full of great imagination and not much fact behind it," he told The Sun. "What happened is not important now and it is certainly not relevant.

"I have a job at Aston Villa and it's one I want to do."

But the Aston Villa manager has been under pressure from the Villa fans, as they went 11 games without a win, finally beating Watford (hardly Manchester United is it?) to end the horror run. He said he wanted patience from the crowd, and has warned that new signings Ashley Young and John Carew will take time to make a major impact as the duo prepare to make their debut tonight.

O'Neill concedes it has been a struggle, but he still believes he can be a success at Villa Park.