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Just go Doug, in what other profession do you see an 83 year old doing what he does?
Bungle The Bear, Birmingham

O'Leary leaving Villa is good news for the Villa faithful. He has been a poor manager, and a disaster in the transfer market.
George Farrell, Chennai, India

Good news but a pity it wasn't done a couple of months ago, now Ellis must go as well. He is the man at the top and therefore the mess is his responsibility. The only thing that may save Ellis is if he gets O'Neill in, and invests in new players.
Glenn McCallum, Tamworth

I think that David O'Leary was the wrong person to leave villa, it should have been Doug Ellis because he doesn't know anything about football.
Martin , Belfast

I think it was the right move to let O'Leary go, but i dont blame DO'L for the situation at Villa Park. Since day one of Deadly Dougs reign the club has lost all meaning with little if any success. As every Villa fan will say Doug needs to go and the sooner the better because this club is going rapidly downhill and I wouldnt be at all suprised if we get relegated.
Ben Thomas, Cheltenham

David O'Leary as Villa boss achieved: P131 W47 (36%) D35 (26%) L49 (38%) We were lucky that there were some teams worse than us last season, he had to go. People forget that in season one finishing 6th he had by and large the squad he inherited, last season's 16th was with the squad he built! And that's without the dreadful Cup debacles. Sunderland are welcome to him. Now, Mr Ellis, either back this club you claim to love, or let someone else do it!
James, South Wales

I'm convinced that the villa fans will never know the truth behind the story that was released last week, however it has enabled the club to rid themselves of O'leary the chancer. David O'leary is a tactically inept manager with absolutley no integrity. He has never cared about our club and never will. Doug please do the one thing that can ensure you don't completley ruin your already tarnished reputation - step aside now and let some fresh enthusiasm into the club.
Aran Duggan, Solihull

As always, the manager has taken the fall for a stubborn, tight-fisted board. Villa should be a big club, and that's what everyone keeps saying, but at the rate we're going, we'll be a 'big club' in the Championship! Villa need to spend to get some depth to their diminishing squad, and it cannot be put off much longer. I just hope Doug realises this and does something before it's too late...
Wesley Archer, Derby

Is it just me or are Villa fans blaming the failures of the club on Doug Ellis. He has provided enough money in the past few seasons but it has been wasted by the managers. (Angel,Balaban,Baros,) even when they have decent players they are sold and cheaply Crouch being one. Surely the buck stops with the players and management.
Jon Edwards, South London

Cut David O Leary some slack, he's been a great manager and i didn't here anyone complaining when he got the double over birmingham and finished 6th in his first season. O'Leary should now go to sunderland where maybe some proper football fans might respect his hard work and dedication.
Joe Murphy, Kildare

Svens available?
Andrew Clarkson, Manchester

Promote Kevin McDonald from reserve team manager. He has done an excellent job of bringing through players like Moore, Davis, Cahill, Ridgwell, Gardner and Agbolahor. These players will be the backbone of the team next season with our lack of funds.villa.
Blakey, Tipton

Both Ellis and O'Leary are to blame, we are a huge club with no ambition. Ellis should have stepped down years ago and O'Leary has lost the support of both the players and the fans, it's a disgrace. His transfer deals with one or two minor exceptions have been terrible. I would love to see Martin O'Neil but I think he will be just too challenging and ambitious for Mr Ellis I am afraid.
Mike Coombes, Cheltenham

Please! Please! Please! can we clear up this myth that Ellis has spent lots of money. Sky showed the figures on Monday evening. He has spend �60m NET since 1991. That's about �4 million per season - absolutely nothing for a Premiership club. Those who think Ellis has invested big money have simply been fooled by Ellis propaganda. SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT PLEASE!
James Morgan, Wimbledon

Souness for Villa!!!
Patrick Wright, Blackburn

Villa could get in Ferguson, Mourinho, Wenger and we still wouldn't win a think while Doug is there, the last time he left the club we won the league and European Cup! Doug!, please leave and make millions of long suffering fans happy.You own us something for the years of agony you have pust us through!!
Peter Burke, Birmingham

O'Leary will not be missed by most fans as can be seen from the comments here. He is too egotistical and lacks in basic man management and motivation together with total tactical ineptitude. Unfortunately his removal is clouding the real problem at Villa Park, the other egotistical man lacking man management skills, Doug Ellis. He didn;t even bother leaving his Spanish retreat this week during a week or turmoil for the club. A paid Chief Executive fiddling whilst his empire burns. Shame on you Ellis!
Denis_B, Solihull

Ellis has to go too or else this has been for nothing. Removing O'Leary sorts out the short-term, but we have no long-term if that 82 year old stays in charge. The fact he did this inquiry while on a Mediterranean cruise speaks volumes. The club is in crisis and he's off sunning himself. We will not get the manager we deserve while he is charge because everyone knows it's a hiding to nothing. We need him gone, I hope Neville buys him out and then we can get someone like O'Neill in.
Brian O Flaherty, Dublin, Ireland

Not a Villa fan but i think the timing is awful. O'Leary should have gone at the end of last season which would give the club plenty of time to get a manager in before the start of the new season. What Villa are stuck with now is filling a managerial vacancy one month before the kick off of the new season, and even if Doug Ellis was to splash the cash, very little time to make the transfer deals that Villa obviously needs to stay in the Premier League. At the very least the new manager would have had the time to get to know the players and their strengths before the commencement of the new season - something that he probably won't be able to do now. I find it unlikely that Martin O'Neill would accept such a job as it is clear that Villa are going to struggle to stay in the Premier League this year, and the chairman is offering no support to improve the situation. Dark Days for Villa Park ahead, good luck staying up this year.
Sean Parsons, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

The limited resources made available to O'Leary were no excuse for the abysmal season that Villa had last year. The quality of his signings was, on the whole, questionable; his commitment to the club was less than whole-hearted; and he was unable to unite the dressing room behind the Villa cause. However, O'Leary's departure cannot disguise the fundamental problems caused by a chairman in his eighties, in poor health but who refuses to countenance letting go of control of the club. It is time for Ellis to enjoy his retirement.
Paul Stagg, London

Aston Villa will never hold on to a decent manager or win anything until Doug Ellis steps down as chairman. David O'Leary is a good manager and would do a good job anywhere.
Phil, Nottingham

Again bad senior managment - to get rid of the manager just four weeks prior to the start of the season. He should have gone at the end of the season. Time Ellis became a legend, stood to one side, let money come into the club and become the President at Villa - the fans would finally apprciate him. Instead, we will get a poor manager from the lower leagues and most likely get relegated this season. God help us.
Spencer Browne, Birmingham UK

Getting rid of David O'leary is stupid. For one there is no manager to replace him and for another they're probably going down next season anyway.
Russell Fenn, Nottingham

I say Villa's loss is Sunderland's gain. He will bring back the good times at the Stadium of Light.
Kevin, Durham north east

Although David O'Leary are not very good last season he will always rock. Hope he will find a better club to manage!
Randy, Singapore

Nevermind DOL, he has been an absolute disgrace during his time at Villa, talking the club down, talking his players down, continually criticising the fans. Forget his lack of spending power, he knew that came with taking the job, it's his conduct that infuriates me. Good riddance. He tried to use our great club as a stepping stone in his career and he failed dramatically. Everybody interested in football knows the problem at Aston Villa - DOUG ELLIS - JUST GO! This man is slowly destroying everything about our great club.
Vic P, Birmingham

O'Leary was an appalling manager. Getting rid of him was long overdue, it's just a shame he's managed to walk away with some of our money. I'd love Doug to go and have campaigned for him to leave for most of the last 20 years , but it won't happen. Get O'Neill in - a wonderful manager who the players will respect and want to play for. We missed out on Brian Clough in 1984-5 and look what happened to us.
Gez Maguire, Birmingham

I feel sorry for the Villa supporters because while Doug Ellis is in charge at the club they will never move on, and quite honestly who would take the managers job working with Ellis, they are on a hiding to nothing. I feel sorry for O`Leary, he has had nothing to work with at this level.
Wayne Roscoe Cooper, Spalding

It's a shame that Villa have found themselves in this situation and amazed that O'Neill & Curb have been moted as the new manager. For starters, neither would want to take on the job as both have managed better run clubs with ambition. I know Gregory turned down the Hungary post in the hope of returning to Villa as manager but Ellis won't have him. I feel someone like Peter Reid or ex Wolves boss Glenn Hoddle would get the job.
Mark Radford, Portsmouth

David O'Leary has been hung out to dry at Aston Villa. Lets not forget he did well in season one. With no money to spend, how well is he expected to do? Deadly Doug should be gracious and stand aside, his time is up. Otherwise the club will go down.
Dave, Newport

This one is simple really. Everyone wants to blame Doug and for many reasons the man is at fault. In this case however it is O'Leary. It was obvious from the start he wasn't a huge fan of the place, referring to the club as "them" rather than "us". He also thought that sly little comments could be strewn as his happiness to work with such meagre funds etc, but he clearly felt and knew he needed the major bucks to get anywhere. DO NOT BLAME DOUG FOR NOT GIVING MONEY. O'Leary has blown millions on Laursen, Bouma, Phillips and his wages, Bergers wages, and plain awful signings like Aaron Hughes, Djemba Djemba, Berson and the very very average Gavin McCann. He has frozen out some of our best players like Mark Delaney and little Lee Hendrie. On the plus side he did entice Milan Baros to Villa Park.....For a whole SEVEN months!!! Bring on O'Neill. We need a manager who knows what he is doing for a change.
Daniel Woodfield, Birmingham

I believe it was the right decision for O'Leary to go, just a shame that it's so close to the new season and there's not much time for the team to get to know a new manager and discuss tactics etc. Deadly Doug should go we are not going to succeed as a Premiership side while the the man won't put his hand in his pocket and get some decent players. You can't win The Premiership or anything else with a weak side and a weak chairman!!
Julie, Rubery, Birmingham

Yet another manager comes and goes in less than 3 years, Little, Gregory, Taylor when is the one person that is responsible for this going to be held accountable. Yes Mr Ellis it's now time for you to do the decent thing and step aside, the systematic destruction of Aston Villa will be completed this season if something isn't changed at the top. I am frankly gobsmacked that any credible manager will even thing of taking on Villa in the light of what's happened. But then if the moneys right we might get Sven after all!!!
David Faulkner, Ledbury

Glad O'Dreary has gone, but lets not forget that Villa have done little since winning the European Cup and although we have had countless managers since, almost all being sacked by DD, the common denominator in the clubs failure is DD himself. The fans have had enough and supposedly being a fan should do whats best for Villa and leave. O'Neill should take over, but unless DD goes then I give him two years at best before he too goes.
Mark, Cannock

Everyone pays for DD'S mistakes except DD himself, when will he realise that we can't move forward whilst we still have prehistoric mentalities running the club. With the players that we have we would struggle in The Championship. Lets try for some great italian bargains.
Richard Smith, London

Let's aim high. Lippi is available. After all, Doug could fall in a vat of manure and still come up smelling of roses for another season.
Sean Weatherstone, Kidderminster

You all just know that John Gregory is going to be reinstated. no ones talking about it, but if you bury your head in the sand it doesn't make the problems go away. maybe we'll get lucky and doug will go mad and start throwing money around.....
Nicky, Sydney

WILL ANY MANAGER EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR DOUG. HE WANTS SOMEONE TO SAY YES SIR - NO SIR - OK SIR - IT HAPPENS YEAR IN YEAR OUT. GET IN O'NEILL, HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH NO MONEY, HE HAS THE PEDIGREE TO BRING THE BEST OUT OF PLAYERS.
JAMIE COOK, LEICESTER

Villa to go down, no ambition from the old man at the helm. He should have left years ago before the fans and The Premiership turned on him.
Rob Gardner, Preston