Not Messi. But Very Messy indeed.

"His garden is overgrown and his washing up is never done. His floor is so covered with things that you can barely open his front door.

"Mr Messy is the messiest person in the world."

It's been a messy few weeks alright.

Not just on the pitch. Off it too.

Dennis Mortimer criticising tactics? Well, he was only saying what most fans believe. That Gabby Agbonlahor needed a breather.

Tony Morley criticising tactics? It might have appeared so in black and white. But trust me, that was the furthest thing from his mind when he was giving interviews at the Former Players' sponsorship press conference last week.

He is "livid", that was his word not mine. I think he just wanted to make the point that Nigel Reo-Coker is not a natural right-back. He's right of course. No question if you saw him at Liverpool against their Spanish left winger.

But then again, I remember Reo-Coker against West Ham at Upton Park when Carlos Cuellar went off injured. He was particularly good that December afternoon. He looked a natural. Now I know West Ham don't have Albert Riera....

It's the old cliche. You'll never win an argument without results.

I have to say I've been staggered by the amount of criticism levelled at the manager though.

Over the last few weeks a progressively growing number of fans have criticised his tactics, his UEFA Cup decision, the quality of his signings, his blinkered view of the Gabby substitution...

I spoke to a very good friend of mine earlier this week. An agent who knows Martin O'Neill well.

"Motivation can only get you so far", he said. The implication being that preparation and strategy might not be his forte.

I phoned three supporters last week. Yes, only three and not 40,000.

Two were of the opinion that he has taken the club as far as he can. One called for a degree of realism. "Ron Saunders was getting stick at Christmas when we won the title", he said. Interesting that.

I'm guessing that 66 per cent of supporters do not actually want Martin O'Neill out now. But that Moscow decision and eight winless matches have certainly seen his popularity slip to somewhere around the 80 per cent mark, although again it is difficult to quantify.

Did he do enough in the January window? No.

Clearly his targets were not available at the price he wanted to pay. So should he have bought down the chain to bolster numbers? Difficult one to answer as such players might be impossible then to shift out in 12 months when sitting on fat contracts.

Was it his fault? Impossible to know without a word with Randy Lerner.

Was it right not to spend when prices were sky high and when a top four place was seemingly there on a plate? In one sense it was admirable. In another perhaps foolhardy.

But the "small squad" argument cannot keep coming out after every tranfer window passes Villa by.

Personally I cannot criticise a manager who has taken Villa from 16th (admittedly a hugely false position), to 11th (still under par) to 6th (about right) to fifth.

Surely folk can see that Villa are still a year ahead of schedule?

I was asked to write a brief piece for the Manchester United programme this weekend. One of the questions went thus: 'If Villa finished in the top four would the Champions League come too early?'

My reply, I think, said that it wouldn't. That the chairman and manager would react to wherever Villa found themselves, but on reflection I have to say that such a major restructuring of the playing squad would have to take place that maybe the Europa League is the best bet.

When was the last time Villa qualified for the UEFA Cup without having to go through the rigours of the InterToto?

John Gregory couldn't manage it after that honeymoon first few months since replacing Brian Little. Not even with all that Dwight Yorke and NTL money burning a hole in his pocket. Not even with that fine side packed with expensive signings at £6m apiece in the likes of Merson, Dublin, Stone, Watson, Boateng, Hadji, Thompson and a little later Mellberg and Alpay.

And yet the supporters, I think, were right to criticise that UEFA no-show. That sent out all the wrong signals. Whenever has finishing fourth been more important than winning something?

I know why the manager did it. Look at the schedule facing Shakhtar Donetsk who knocked out CSKA Moscow.

Villa would face a quarter-final with Marseille had they seen off Shakhtar and would then face a potential further trip to the Ukraine to play Dynamo Kiev in the semis.

That's tough when games are already getting the better of you.

Anyway, on to Sunday. Does anyone really think Villa are up for the task of beating what looks to be a Manchester United reserve eleven on Sunday?

Not on the face of it. Not even with no Scholes, Rooney, Vidic or Brown and there unlikely to be an Anderson or a Berbatov. Rio Ferdinand struggling too? Perhaps.

Villa will have some fitness checks to do themselves. Emile Heskey is out through injury. I don't buy the "O'Neill fury at FA" argument. Too simplistic that one.

You can't keep harbouring a grudge every time your players get called up by England.

Was O'Neill angry at the late call-up of Agbonlahor to the under-21s last week as some headlines duly barked?

No. When I spoke to him on the telephone yesterday he suggested that those stories were simply "made up". "It would be impossible for them to know because I turned my phone off and spoke to absolutely no one", he said.

Sure, he'll be disappointed at the loss of Heskey. But which club manager is happy with losing players after an international break?

John Carew or Agbonlahor will surely be up front alone at Old Trafford. Wilfred Bouma will surely be at left-back. Luke Young at right-back. Zat Knight will surely be back in defence. A five man midfield with James Milner and Ashley Young on the flanks and Stiliyan Petrov, Gareth Barry and either Reo-Coker or Craig Gardner should be in the middle.

Incidentally the manager had some interesting things to say about expectations which of course are as high as at any time in the last decade.

He wants them high. But he also wants a drop of realism.

"It's crazy", Gordon Cowans said to me at the Former Players do last week, "when you look at what he has done for the club".

Anyway, I'm expecting a performance of character and steel at Old Trafford. That might not be enough but it will certainly get the fans back on side ahead of a crucial game against Everton.

I remember the win at Arsenal in November. A point at United right now would feel almost as good.