On the 2nd July 2007 Aston Villa and Martin O'Neil decided that his contract at Aston Villa Football Club would be terminated due to Martin O'Neil feeling he needed a break from football.
The club are refusing to choose a new manager for at least two weeks due to no pre season games until then.
Sky Bets odds on next manger at Villa.
Steve McClaren 16/1
Peter Schmeichel 30/1
John Robertson 30/1
Steve Walford 60/1
Ron Atkinson 96/1
On the 5th July 2008 the word was about that the new manager was going to be Jim Magilton currently at Ipswich Town FC. Sky sports news sources claimed that the new manager of Villa was to be a member of the Ipswich Town FC staff.
On the same day at 03.00am Aston Villa released a statment at a press confrence they had called for.
"We are pleased to announce we have signed manager Ryan Pidd as the new manager of Aston Villa FC. He is a young manager who has had a great spell with the Ipswich Town FC's U18's. Winning the youth cup and there league a number of times. He has a fast, wide, attacking way of making his team play which will suit Aston Villa. That is all we have to say for now."
Aston Villa confirmed later on that day that Ryan Pidd was planning to get the team into the UEFA cup through league finish and that he is a big fan of Gareth Barry and would be selecting him as the captain of the team.
