Villa count on Dubai tonic to raise spirits

Martin O’Neill is confident the Dubai sunshine will be the catalyst for Aston Villa to revive their bid for Champions League qualification this season.

Villa spent most of last week on a break designed to refresh them for the final ten games of the season, as they look to hold off Arsenal?s challenge and retain fourth place in the Premier League, starting with the visit of Spurs to Villa Park on Sunday.

O’Neill thought it was the perfect time for the squad to re-group after damaging defeats against Manchester City and points lost at home to Stoke City, enabled Arsene Wenger?s side to move menacingly into a challenging position.

And the Ulsterman is confident he will see the benefits of Randy Lerner?s decision to sanction the trip and reward his American owner with his Champions League dream come the end of the season.

“Everyone enjoyed the break. They needed it and it was something I would have liked to have done three weeks ago. We have had chance to get together and relax and prepare ourselves for what is the most important phase of the season,” said O?Neill.

“Everyone knows how important it is to be in the Champions League. We have worked so hard for it all season and there is a determination about the group not to throw that away. We have had some set-backs, but there is nothing wrong with the spirit of the group.

Spurs? visit is the first of five home games Villa have remaining and O?Neill knows that with just five wins from their ten games in front of their own fans so far this season, that win percentage will have to improve if they are to beat off Arsenal?s challenge.

The arrival of Spurs and Redknapp has also led to O?Neill assuring the Tottenham manager that he will have the benefit of strong security for Sunday?s clash.

Redknapp called for increased protection when a 50-pence coin thrown from the crowd missed him but struck referee’s assistant Phil Sharp during the closing stages of the game with Portsmouth at Villa Park in October.

He also complained following the corresponding fixture the previous season after abuse was directed towards him from behind the dug-out.

The only set-back from Villa?s trip to Dubai was Danish defender Martin Laursen aggravating an injury as he tries to return from an operation to trim the meniscus in his knee, but Villa could have Steve Sidwell back after an ankle injury.

Redknapp still has very little reason to be comfortable about Spurs? position, just four points clear of relegation, but whatever the outcome of their season, he has made it clear top stars like Luka Modric and Aaron Lennon are not for sale at any price this summer.

Redknapp is keen to rid Tottenham of their image as a selling club, after allowing key players like Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Carrick and (the now returned) Robbie Keane leave in recent seasons.

Liverpool showed an interest in Lennon, who has been outstanding in recent matches, during January, and are expected to test Spurs’ determination to keep the 21-year-old when the season ends.

Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus are keen on Croatian playmaker Modric, who has generally thrived under Redknapp after an unimpressive start under former manager Juande Ramos.

Yet Redknapp has vowed to change this policy. He said: “We have some good players here, and we are going to keep hold of our best players.

“There is a lot of talk about one or two leaving, but we’re not going to be selling any of our best players in the summer – that is for sure. It was just one of those things last year, because Berbatov wanted to go and Robbie also went, but we have to make sure the best ones stay here.”