Former Barcelona and Tottenham coach Terry Venables has branded Aston Villa a "selling club" after Martin O'Neill's departure this week.
In his column for The Sun, Venables wrote: "Aston Villa are now a selling club with little chance of breaking into the top four.
"That, I'm afraid, is the only conclusion we can reach after Martin O'Neill walked out. I'm not saying he was right or wrong - but the reason for his decision leaves us with little doubt about where Villa's ambitions lie.
"O'Neill had lifted them to a level where they were knocking at the door to Champions League football. But selling your best players and then not giving the boss funds to bring in new faces will not get you in the top four.
"To some extent, I can understand owner Randy Lerner's point of view. In four years, O'Neill spent a whopping £118.4million, while the players he sold recouped just £32.6m - a massive £85.8m loss.
"He would, quite rightly, point out his buys secured three consecutive top-six finishes, not to mention a Carling Cup final appearance too. O'Neill would also probably argue expensive signings like James Milner, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing have increased their value and their talent since he bought them.
"But for every Milner, Young and Downing, there's a Steve Sidwell, Nicky Shorey and Emile Heskey. Those are the perils of the transfer market. As a manager, you never know which signing will be a success and who will be a dud.
"I believe O'Neill could have lived with the sale of Milner - and even Young - if he knew he would get some of the money to spend. But to lose them and have nothing to soften the blow is unpalatable for a boss with big ambitions."
