The former Aston Villa and Manchester City star recalled the series of bad decisions from the management leading to The Lions’ decline and relegation. 

Ahead of the clash between Aston Villa and Manchester City, one notable figure at the backline who once played for both clubs in the 2000s and early 2010s cannot certainly be ruled out when these two sides meet this weekend. The former defender Richard Dunne was part of the squad in both teams. 

The Irishman was one of the key men in the Etihad or City of Manchester stadium from 2000 to 2009. He left The Citizens just before the Middle East takeover to join Villa and stayed till 2013. 

Villa’s success in the past few years under Unai Emery might have been the result of learning from the past mistake which they made during Dunne’s stint in Villa Park. He once shared his view on The Lions’ mistake in the past after Martin O’Neill’s sudden departure in 2010, which led to their relegation in the 2016, as reported in Sportsjoe.ie.

“People accused him (Martin O’Neill, Villa boss at that time) of spending too much money and this and that, but that’s what the Premier League demands. You need to keep paying and spending money to keep up-to-speed with the league. They stopped and they’ve paid the price for it. They’ve made bad decisions in terms of manager’s afterwards, and even, I think, going down the line of using a non-footballing person to pick the players that they’re signing. It’s very difficult for a club to succeed that way.” 

What happened afterwards?

What really happened afterwards was proof of how Villa’s mismanagement led to their decline and was relegated in 2016. The frequent managerial changes since O’Neil’s departure showed how the club did not have the right direction until eventually Steve Bruce took charge in October 2016 when they were already at the bottom half of the standings in the Championship.

Dunne added on his comment which proved to be right. 

“They [Aston Villa] deserve more than what they’ve had over the last three or four years. Fortunately, if they do go down, they’ve got the opportunity to rebuild and come back and they’re still a big pull for managers and for players who still want to go there and play. I think it might be a blessing in disguise for them.”

Villa’s rebuilding began under Bruce but their Premier League return was not secured until 2018/19 when Dean Smith was at the helm of Jack Grealish and Co. They won the playoff against Frank Lampard’s Derby County. The rest is history until Unai Emery arrived to guide their rise to the top.  

Richard Dunne’s stint in Villa 

Dunne’s stint with the Lions was mixed with top form and controversy. He made 111 appearances, netting five goals and providing two assists. The ex-centre back had his fine season in 2009/10 when he was playing regularly and contributed well as Villa finished sixth place and reached the final in EFL League Cup 2010. He even scored two important goals when Villa held his former side, Manchester City in a 1-1 draw and defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the following match. 

His spell in Bodymoor Heath was also infamous for his spat and disagreement with the coach and his boss after O’Neill left, Gerrard Houllier. The former Everton man was once fined with two-week wages due to his clash with the backroom staff in the team programme back in March 2011 alongside James Collins while being drunk. Dunne’s stint in Villa Park had to end due to his serious injury in 2013, which pushed him to the exit.