Thank you Mr O'Neill

[sfx412]

Malcolm, I think there's a thread in Off Topic that you havent posted on yet, telling everyone how fucking clever you are.

No one likes a smart arse

No I gathered that without going on to any thread

Thanks for the advice though

[TheSandman]

Incidentally, if Ireland was forced on him by the board, I can understand why he would walk.

I think Ireland is a great signing, but if MON didnt want him and he was forced to take him, I dont think he had much choice.

Again, it's all conjecture.

From the comments made by Ireland after he'd signed, he was well aware of Villa's interest long before MON bolted. The refusal by the board to buy Aiden McGready I think was the turning point. The fact that MON never bothered to phone Randy when he resigned tells you everything you need to know about the final days of their relationship. I'm guessing here but I can imagine Randy telling MON to speak with Paul and MON refusing to acknowledge Faulkner as his boss.

I would say you are not too far away from the truth...although I cant see him throwing his lot in over McGeady!

But if your scenario is close to the truth, would you not accept that the blame has to be apportioned to both MON and the board for letting a situation develop to the point where it did.

You're basically asking me to blame the board for appointing Paul Faulkner.

MON seemed happy to deal directly with Randy but he never appeared to accept that Paul Faulkner was his boss. There was a comment a few months ago when MON stated he had a great relationship with Randy and an okayish relationship with Faulkner. From that day on, I knew he wasn't happy with the new set up. He's a very proud/egotistical man and the thought of him reporting to a 30 year old, no matter how smart, was completely beneath him. It was only ever going to end in tears. His final comment about how it may have been different if Randy had been down the corridor, just strengthens the argument.

Should I blame the board for appointing Faulkner? I don't know, should I?

Also bear in mind that before Paul Faulkner took the job we had two previous chief execs both of whom had hasty, unexplained departures. Did they too struggle to work with our manager?   

[Scott Nielsen]

If I had to put my own 'reading between the lines' take on it, this is what I think happened:-

Martin knew of buy to sell in May, and most likely before, and accepted it.  Fastforward to August and he's getting frustrated that the players to go are still here and that's stopping him from buying.  This is when his football head starts overiding his business sense as he wants to continue building the side up and improve it.  I think he could deal with Randy and had respect for him, but not so much for Faulkner.  He's frustrated that his plans are being blocked and maybe Faulkner wasn't playing up to his ego, which is understandable being a non-football person and unused to volatile managers whose decisions don't always marry with good business sense.  It all boils over, maybe something to do with the Milner deal.

No conspiracy, no trying to shaft the club and no moving of goal posts.  Just the breakdown of a relationship that ultimately lead to Martin deciding he could no longer take the club forward as he wanted.  As I said before, both parties are probably to blame and both at fault for not realising there was a problem and addressing it earlier.

I'm with you pretty much all the way until the last sentence. MON chose to walk. Even if we were to share the blame, the larger part of it must remain with MON. He knew he was leaving us in a very difficult situation.

That, however, does not excuse the subsequent poor leadership shown by the club.

[jembob]

On a more cheerful note, I've just been to the Traditional Sweet Shop in Knowle and am gorging myself on pick 'n mix, Mega drumsticks and Vimto chew bars. Shit, my mouth has just started bleeding.