David O'Leary did not stress exactly how he plans to spend his summer, but it does not look likely that there will be a very happy time ahead for any local reporter planning to have a cosy sitdown with the Aston Villa manager over the next two months.
"I really am looking forward to a good break," said O'Leary, after yesterday afternoon's seasonclosing 2- 1 defeat at Anfield stretched to five matches the winless run that has seen them slip out of European contention.
"I'm looking forward to getting out of the limelight, not having to do press conferences. I'll be disappearing into thin air on the public side of things."
Obviously, if O'Leary's promises are to be believed and he gets his intended targets, there will still be a fair slice of transfer activity to interrupt his summer holidays. But, even in that department, the Villa boss's attitude is that his work is done.
He has handed over his 'wish list' to his chairman and now it's up to Doug Ellis's negotiating skills. O'Leary can put his feet up.
"That part of it's done for me," he said. "You'll still be on the mobile, but you hand that over to the chairman.
"He wants to go and get those players and they're gettable players.
"We've consolidated this club in mid-table. It's been a solid two years but the players I want are ones who can take us on to that next level, so we can go and compete against Manchester City and Middlesbrough for a European place next season.
"The players I've got have worked very hard for me but they're not my players, really. They're mostly a combination of those of two other managers.
"Now I've a chance to bring some of my own players into the club, to bring in some quality and be judged on that over the next three years."
Having pinpointed where his team need to improve, it is final confirmation that his "honest bunch of lads" were never quite good enough. Particularly damned with faint praise are the Villa youngsters, of whom O'Leary clearly rates only Northern Ireland international Steve Davis.
"When I came here, there was the promise of a group of young players," said O'Leary.
"But I haven't seen that. That's not happened. What has come through is one good young player, Steve Davis. Not a group. Just one good young player."
