Life has not been a bed of roses for us at ER over the past few years, but things have not been that great for everyone who has departed over the past few-years.

Former boss David O'Leary has been out of the management game for TWO years now since leaving Aston Villa, often mentioned as a contender for many jobs that spring-up, seemingly nobody wants to employ him.

However O'Leary has been doing a bit of punditry and media work and today (Sunday) he had words of advice for another ex-Leeds employee who has fallen on hard times - Paul Robinson.

The keeper seemingly had the whole world in his hands a year or so ago, untouchable at Spurs and England's No.1 - however he clearly is not fancied by present Spurs boss Juande Ramos and is way down the England pecking order, behind David James, Robert Green and possibly Chris Kirkland, Scott Carson and Joe Hart at the moment!

So O'Leary has advised Robinson to make his much anticipated move to Aston Villa. Despite the Brummies going cold on DOL, as one Holte End banner famously read: "We're not fickle - we just don't like you" - he can't recommend the place highly enough to Robbo and urges him to get his backside and gloves up the M40 pretty pronto!

And former "O'Leary's Babies" team-mate Harry Kewell is another "star" not having much luck at the moment. Kewell controversially engineered a cut-price move to Liverpool from Leeds five years ago and most of us embittered whites' consider it poetic justice that he barely lived up to his somewhat meagre transfer fee. I seem to remember he went for about 2.75m just a couple of years after being talked of in the 20m bracket.

Out-of-contract at Liverpool, he apparently has been offered a new-deal to stay at Anfield but on reduced money, so he's off - so much for all the guff about living-out his boyhood dream of wearing Kenny Dalglish's famous number 7 shirt - albeit on the bench/reserves. However Harry Redknapp and Portsmouth could throw him a lifeline, according to media reports.

Aussie born Kewell favours staying in the Premiership and Fratton Park could be a match made in heaven for him. Harry Redknapp must be credited with resurrecting the careers of some pretty high-profile "flops", think Kanu, David James and Sol Campbell - could the enigmatic HK be next on his list?

Photo: Action Images

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