Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has admitted the Midlanders are the poor relations when it comes to competing financially with the big four clubs. O'Neill said: "We have been up there all season, never out of the top six.

"But we are in the same league as Manchester United, who have gates of 75,000 and are a different entity. We are in there against Arsenal, who house 60,000 fans every home game.

"Then we are against the other two (Liverpool and Chelsea), who have our sort of gates but not only have the experience behind them but a lot of money to go at it as well."

O'Neill is full of praise for the backing he has received from club owner and chairman Randy Lerner, but admitted: "We won't be able to compete financially. We are trying to run this as a business at this minute. That is difficult, especially in this day and age.

"It is a tough old business. Financially it is tough out there - and we are not going to be running this club in the manner of some other clubs.

"But I think that is part of the excitement of it all. You have to try and find other ways to compete. I don't think we'll ever be up there in finance terms but it doesn't mean you cannot compete in other ways."