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Martin O'Neill makes Man Utd point amid 'changed' Aston Villa claim

Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as former manager looks back to 2010 League Cup final and his relationship with then club owner Randy Lerner

Martin O'Neill was in charge of Aston Villa between 2006 and 2010
All change... former Villa boss Martin O'Neill (Image: PA)

Former Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill believes the club's 2010 League Cup final was a potential turning point in his relationship with Randy Lerner.


The Villans faced Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United at Wembley in search of a first major trophy since their 1996 League Cup win over Leeds United.


And it was a fast start from O'Neill's team after a penalty kick was awarded in the first five minutes following a Nemanja Vidic foul on Gabby Agbonlahor. However, the referee declined to send off the Serbian despite him being the last defender between Agbonlahor and goal.


Villa scored the resulting penalty but United fought back to run out 2-1 winners. O'Neill went on to resign just six months later on the eve of the 2010/11 season after falling out with then-Villa owner Lerner, and the Northern Irishman believes their relationship could have been very different.

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"There are a number of games from my managerial career that I'd love to go back and relive," he told Ladbrokes Fanzone.

"My time at Aston Villa was really terrific. If you're asking me for a moment in my career I'd love to go back and change, it might be in that League Cup final against Manchester United.

"Nemanja Vidic - a great centre-back - makes a foul on Gabby Agbonlahor inside three minutes and should have been sent off. We get the penalty but Vidic stays on the field - the referee made up a different set of rules.

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"The player really had to go, and I think that, because of the team that we had and the style in which we played, even against Sir Alex Ferguson's Man United, I think we'd have won that game. And that might have changed my relationship, maybe, with the owner, Randy Lerner... who knows?

"It's a moment I'd love to have changed, but it was completely out of my control."

Would things have changed between O'Neill and Lerner if Villa had won the League Cup? Have your say here

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