ASTON VILLA LATEST NEWS AND BETTING PREDICTIONS

Things have gotten extremely interesting over at Aston Villa and I get the feeling that it isn't exactly the type of attention their fans were expecting this season. With Martin O'Neill's sudden departure sending shock-waves through the club, Kevin MacDonald was quickly appointed interim manager and, for a bit at least, it looked as though he would stay on in the position. 
However, with dropping out of Europe, dropping points to Wigan in the Premier League and a managerial mess that still hasn't sorted itself out; you realize that we might be already be at a defining few days in Villa's season. 
A new manager won't be signed until after the transfer window is shut, so new signings don't exactly look likely at this point. As noted in an earlier article today, Sven Goran Eriksson has, once again, become the betting favourite at around 6.0 and Kevin MacDonald seems to be hovering around the same price but I'm up in the air whether he will stay on permanently. 
Aston Villa being relegated isn't likely at all, no matter what any Birmingham fans will tell you. William Hill has priced Villa's relegation odds at a lengthy 33/1- they're as likely to go down as Everton. 
One that that is clear is that Villa won't be winning the Premier League this season with Hills pricing them at 125/1 should they pull off the most dramatic Premier League victory in history. Aston Villa to finish third (whats called the W/O Chelsea & United market) is priced at 33/1. 
The punters on Betfair are listing Villa to finish top four at a 16.5 price tag with a top six finish paying out an enticing 4.2. Aston Villa to win the Premier League on a (+25.0) point handicap is listed at a lengthy 26.0. 
Villa remain odds-on, heavily, for a top 10 finish with a 1.33 price. Betfair also price Villa as the favourites to win the top midlands club market, pricing them at 1.85 ahead of 5.1 Birmingham and 12.0 Stoke City. Wolves trade at 5.7 with West Brom at 10.5. 
Robbie Keane could wind up at Villa tomorrow, however, with Skybet pricing the Spurs man at a 6/4 price to join the Villa Park side. Celtic remain in the hunt with a 2/1 listing.