Perhaps the most interesting tidbit out today is that Martin O’Neill is being talked up in regard to the soon-to-be-vacant Northern Ireland job, according to the Birmingham Mail. Nigel Worthington will step down after tomorrow’s game against Italy.
More important, though, is that Kevin MacDonald is also in the frame for the Nottingham Forest job, along with Portsmouth manager Steve Cotterill and ex-Barnsely manager Mark Robins, according to the BBC. This would obviously have an impact on Villa’s set-up, and one isn’t sure what that impact will be. Perhaps MacDonald is more willing to have a go away from the cauldron of pressure that is the EPL. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask whether his step-up to the first team staff was an attempt to keep him at Villa Park.
Alex McLeish is acknowledging that Alan Hutton so far has not been the player he once was, and believes he can get him back to realizing his promise. The player’s confidence wasn’t done any favors by his spell at Tottenham, but McLeish, who obviously coached Hutton in the Scotland set-up, said: “He looked every bit an international player when he played against the French and the Italians. He was unstoppable.
He had a really, really good spell that season and I want him to come and do that here.”
“I love my country and I hope he performs well, but I’m more interested in getting him up to top speed for Aston Villa.”
Carlos Cuellar is hoping to get in a full 90 minutes against Wolves in tonight’s reserve team game at Molineux, and is back to full training according to Setanta.
James Collins remains a question mark for the Manchester City clash with a foot injury. He last played with an injection against Wigan in Villa’s 2-0 win, and pulled out of the Wales side during the break in a bid to get back to fitness.
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