Odd Man Out: The Fascinating Story of Ron Saunders’ Reign at Aston Villa

Ron Saunders is the one manager in over a century to guide Aston Villa to English football’s summit. The Odd Man Out is an exhaustive account of how he did so. How he took the Midlanders to promotion from the old Division Two in his first season. How he created and dismantled arguably the most exciting Villa side of modern times - one that inflicted Liverpool’s heaviest defeat of the entire 1970s. How he achieved two League Cup triumphs in three years, including a three-game final with Everton that will remain the longest in history. How he battled with ‘Deadly’ Doug Ellis - and won! Then, how he fell out with and ultimately sold fans’ favourite Andy Gray and replaced him with a journeyman striker in Peter Withe, before steering the club to its first league title in 71 years. It also explores the mystery of his sudden resignation with Villa on the brink of European Cup glory, joining their bitterest rivals only nine days later. Saunders’s tough-guy reputation has overshadowed his achievements. The Odd Man Out casts a whole lot more light upon them.