Lerner: O'Neill will be true Villa hero
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Prospective Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner says he's happy for Martin O'Neill to take the accolades should their plans for the fallen giants come good.
"The way I see it, people don't need some self-important guy running around the place telling everyone he owns it," Lerner told the News of the World. "They need someone working as hard as possible to get the results they have been entrusted to get. If the fans don't see that you are going to lose their support.
"Martin O'Neill is the saviour of this club - not me. If Aston Villa are to succeed, he will be the one that puts it up there again, not me.
"I'm what you call the custodian. There have been plenty of custodians of Aston Villa since 1874 and if I can't make it work, I will do what the others did, move on and let someone else try.
"People like me come and go. The fans will always own Aston Villa because they never leave."
Lerner also revealed a refreshing respect for opposition clubs, explaining why he chose not to attend yesterday's match at Arsenal's Emirates stadium.
He said: "It's their new stadium, their day, they don't need any distractions."
"The way I see it, people don't need some self-important guy running around the place telling everyone he owns it," Lerner told the News of the World. "They need someone working as hard as possible to get the results they have been entrusted to get. If the fans don't see that you are going to lose their support.
"Martin O'Neill is the saviour of this club - not me. If Aston Villa are to succeed, he will be the one that puts it up there again, not me.
"I'm what you call the custodian. There have been plenty of custodians of Aston Villa since 1874 and if I can't make it work, I will do what the others did, move on and let someone else try.
"People like me come and go. The fans will always own Aston Villa because they never leave."
Lerner also revealed a refreshing respect for opposition clubs, explaining why he chose not to attend yesterday's match at Arsenal's Emirates stadium.
He said: "It's their new stadium, their day, they don't need any distractions."
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