Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has said that soccer is in the age of the "disposable manager," and that he is not exempt from getting fired in spite of his team currently sitting third in the English Premier League. He knows how quickly things can change, and feels increasing emphasis is being placed on instant success.

"I think for a number of years we have been in the age of the disposable manager," O'Neill said. "I am not fire-proof. You have to win football games to become fire-proof. That is the nature of the game. You must try to keep on top of things so forgive me if I didn't get carried away by people telling me Villa would go third if we won on Saturday [at West Ham]."

O'Neill said that nothing surprised him in the game any more, but he didn't think "managers are being given a decent crack of the whip. It is getting harder and harder for young managers trying to make their mark. For example [former Blackburn manager] Paul Ince hadn't had much chance to bring in players he would feel comfortable with and to have his own team. It seemed as if he was in the job three minutes."

"When the team is losing, the manager is pathetic," he said. "At the moment we are doing OK, but my turn to be pathetic will be in about three weeks' time."

 

 

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