The side finished sixth in the Premier League three times in a row and last season made it to the Carling Cup final, where they were unlucky to be beaten by Manchester United.

Some fans had started to turn against a manager they saw as incapable of moving them to the next level, while a number of the side's key players were linked with moves away from the club. To be frank, Villa are no one's Premier League betting tips now.

We may never know the real reason O'Neill decided to leave Villa, he may be prevented from speaking his mind by a confidentiality clause. However, from the outside it seems like the chairman's ambitions did not match his own. O'Neill may have also felt that it wasn't worth putting up with the kind of criticism he was getting, especially after he'd done so much for the club.

Whatever the reason, it seems highly unlikely that Villa will be able to appoint a replacement who is as able as O'Neill and this, combined with the fact players like James Milner and Ashley Young also look to be leaving, suggests there are tough times ahead. Even in the short term, it's bound to have an impact on the football predictions for the weekend.

The top of the Premier League is more competitive than ever before and it seems likely that Villa will need to spend to even stand still.

Given what's gone on, that seems most unlikely and by the end of the season it seems probable the fans will already be looking back on Martin O'Neill's reign as a golden era.