Well. It had to happen didn't it. The partnership made in hell has just been formed in the midlands. The shock departure of Graham Taylor seems to have been taken in the clubs stride as Doug Ellis appointed David O' Leary fresh from the management wilderness.
     At first glance this partnership seems oddly matched. On one hand is the man who some people blame for the decline of Leeds United, having spent nearly £100m on the transfer market. He likes to have cash to spend and can count himself lucky at Leeds to have such an (ahem) obliging chairman.
      On the other hand there is the infamous Villa chairman Doug Ellis, a man cautious with his clubs funds and unlikely to hand out transfer money without a fight.
     In the last few seasons of the Premiership, Aston Villa have accurately implemented the notion of the 'mid-table side'. But is this due to the chairman with his cautious approach to investment, or due to the inability of previous managers to take the club onto higher honours? Most likely it is a mixture of both. For if Aston Villa had a chairman like Bill Gates and a manager like Bobby Robson, they would surely be in a stronger position.
     David O' Learys management record is brief. Assistant manager to George Graham at Leeds, moving up to replace him when he left to join Spurs. He inherited a strong squad with the likes of Hasslebaink and Bowyer making their Premiership names. The highlight of his reign was surely getting Leeds into a largely unexpected Champions League semi-final. But he is trophyless and in management terms still learning his trade.
     People who know Doug Ellis may query the wisdom of his new managerial appointment. What does he think David O'Leary will bring to the role that Graham Taylor did not?
     Surely O'Learys masterplan to succeed was spelt out when he made a thinly veiled challenge to Doug Ellis earlier this week at a club press conference: "Give me £150m, and I'll get Villa back into the big time". Mr Ellis laughed off the remark, but O'Leary looked stonefaced. "Your not serious are you?" replied Mr Ellis.