Yorke left, albeit in dubious circumstances for over £12 million. This is very much a rareity at Villa nowadays with the club seemingly spending a lot but getting little in return.
Just look at players such as Juan Pablo Angel and Bosko Balaban for example. They cost us a combined total of £15 million and we received about £500,000 in return. Not good business at all.
So we face could Yorke this weekend in the North-east. He scored 97 goals for the Claret and Blue with an impressive scoring ratio. The travelling army of Villans will be hoping he doesn't add to his career tally on Saturday.
Yorke is now in his Indian Summer and may not be anywhere near his best but we must be wary of the a man who could be struggling Sunderland's main threat.
Villa will travel to the Stadium of Light without Stiliyan Petrov to take on Yorke and the red and whites. Aside from the Bulgarian, O'Neill has no other injury worries which he will be thankful for as Villa have the smallest squad in the Premiership.
Sunderland will be without the banned Liam Miller as well as the injured Carlos Edwards and Nyron Nosworthy.
However, Roy Keane may be able to welcome back former Manchester United player Kieron Richardson who returned to training this week.
The Villa will look to continue their impressive away from which saw them win three consecutive games in November and althought they have not started December in the same fashion, O'Neill's men will be confident they can overcome Keane's Sunderland who have only won one of the last ten games, a victory which came against rock-bottom Derby.
Editor's Prediction: I expect us to bouce back from two recent home defeats and continue our away day genius. I think as we have been scoring goals freely on the road, it could be 2-0!
Come on Villa!