In the past few years, Martin O’Neill’s stock value has skyrocketed. But is he as good as everyone says he is, and what impact can he have at a languishing Aston Villa?

The former Nottingham Forest midfielder played under legendary manager Brian Clough, so O’Neill was able to learn from the best. Since that time, O’Neill achieved incredible success as a manager at Wycombe Wanderers (taking them from non-league into the football league), Leicester City (finishing in the top half of the Premiership every season in that league), and Celtic (where they won the treble in his first season there). He resigned in May 2005 to take care of his wife, who was sick.

His track record is phenomenal, but it’s going to take time to transform Villa into a winning side. It’s crucial that new owners take control at Villa as soon as possible, so O’Neill will have time to buy much-needed players before the August transfer window closes. For starters, Aston Villa desperately needs a striker. Baros and Angel are too inconsistent, while Luke Moore shows much promise but is lacking experience.

For an in-depth look at Martin O’Neill and what he has to offer Aston Villa, read the following article from the always spot-on Guardian newspaper.