Martin O'Neill "Couldn't Care Less" About Transfer

[Mazrim]

Maybe he meant England will benefit by Heskey retiring?

[ktvillan]

But Dunne, Collins and Warnock, the players he is lauding,  weren't.  Those three could have made a big difference if signed earlier.

The question, as always, is were they available earlier?  Dunne in particular was dependent on the Lescott deal.  Had he moved earlier would we have got lesser players and ended up not having as good a season as we did?

Reasonable point to an extent I suppose.  There were delays to the Dunne signing.  Garry Cooke had already alienated Dunne with his comments, so he was always going to go, but I seem to recall the delay was more to do with Dunne wanting some kind of loyalty bonus from City  more than waiting for Lescott to arrive.  Not sure about the Collins and Upson deal but I would have thought an acceptable offer for Collins at any time would have seen the deal done (a bit like O'Neill did when selling Knight) and they would just have stopped Upson going anywhere before securing a replacement.  I don't recall any blocks to the Warnock transfer.  

None of this alters the fact that regardless of circumstances O'Neill seems to make it a policy to sign late and other managers seem more willing/ able to secure the players they want earlier in the window. But then they are perhaps more willing to cast their net a little wider than the UK.

If he'd moved earlier he may have got lesser players, he may have got better players. Who knows?  Perhaps it's just coincidence that MON's "first choices" are rarely avialable until late August.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Didn't Blackburn want to get a replacement in for Warnock before letting him go?

[LeeB]

Even worse is the sky news report that mon says villa will benefit from heskey not playing international football- he obviously still sees heskey as a key player- heaven help us!

One reason dunne came late is that distin was mons first choice but he turned us down for everton,fortunately as things turned out.

You state that as though it's fact.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Even worse is the sky news report that mon says villa will benefit from heskey not playing international football- he obviously still sees heskey as a key player- heaven help us!

One reason dunne came late is that distin was mons first choice but he turned us down for everton,fortunately as things turned out.

You state that as though it's fact.

We certainly made an offer for him.

[Concrete John]

But Dunne, Collins and Warnock, the players he is lauding,  weren't.  Those three could have made a big difference if signed earlier.

The question, as always, is were they available earlier?  Dunne in particular was dependent on the Lescott deal.  Had he moved earlier would we have got lesser players and ended up not having as good a season as we did?

Reasonable point to an extent I suppose.  There were delays to the Dunne signing.  Garry Cooke had already alienated Dunne with his comments, so he was always going to go, but I seem to recall the delay was more to do with Dunne wanting some kind of loyalty bonus from City  more than waiting for Lescott to arrive.  Not sure about the Collins and Upson deal but I would have thought an acceptable offer for Collins at any time would have seen the deal done (a bit like O'Neill did when selling Knight) and they would just have stopped Upson going anywhere before securing a replacement.  I don't recall any blocks to the Warnock transfer.  

None of this alters the fact that regardless of circumstances O'Neill seems to make it a policy to sign late and other managers seem more willing/ able to secure the players they want earlier in the window. But then they are perhaps more willing to cast their net a little wider than the UK.

If he'd moved earlier he may have got lesser players, he may have got better players. Who knows?  Perhaps it's just coincidence that MON's "first choices" are rarely avialable until late August.

With Dunne the pay off from City delayed it by a few days, but that was after he had been given permission to talk to us, which didn't happen until they had secured Lescott.

But you're right - he does seem to prefer doing business late for whatever reason.

[rutski]

I love coming on here to see what has offended people today.

The fact that a few lines taken out of context from a Daily Star journo can whip so many people into a frenzy is just laughable.
MON is paid to get players and get results, so far he has been successful on both counts.

Can't wait to see what we all get offended by tomorrow.

If you think he's been successful then you live in a balloon of mediocrity,

i love success players like marlon, emile, beye, routledge, maloney, shorey.

i love the results he got us against chelsea and man utd at wembley as well.

such a success!

did you also enjoy the previous 14 years with dolly, gtmk2,jg etc?

[Hookeysmith]

Maybe there is some store in the fact of paying players wages for pre season and doing not their jobs but letting someone else do it and we pick them up and pay them as they hit the floor (Not in a Heskey girly kind of way)

[Clampy]

We've got until the end of the month at the end of the day. We lost to Wigan on the opening day last season, not because we had'nt signed any players, because the whole team had a shocker. We then went up to Anfield with only Habib Beye as a new signing and won 3-1. Then i seem to remember us playing Cieran Clark against Fulham at home and we won 2-0.

If we're waiting for teams to let players go before he can get he's no.1 targets like he did with Dunne, then so be it. It's the way he works and it's the way he always will do.

[Hookeysmith]

I am less perplexed this year than previously - is it due to us getting used to MON's way? Or is it down to the fact that so little movement / activity has taken place?

[The Man With A Stick]

Some of you just want to be offended.

I'm still too offended by the picture of Ashley bullfighting to be bothered about this.

*sobs into handkerchief*

[LeeB]

Some of you just want to be offended.

I'm still too offended by the picture of Ashley bullfighting to be bothered about this.

*sobs into handkerchief*

Me too. I just wish someone, anyone, would think of the children in all this.

[LeeB]

Even worse is the sky news report that mon says villa will benefit from heskey not playing international football- he obviously still sees heskey as a key player- heaven help us!

One reason dunne came late is that distin was mons first choice but he turned us down for everton,fortunately as things turned out.

You state that as though it's fact.

We certainly made an offer for him.

Well we bought two centre backs. He may well have been looking to sign Distin and Dunne.

[Clampy]

Some of you just want to be offended.

I'm still too offended by the picture of Ashley bullfighting to be bothered about this.

*sobs into handkerchief*

This made me titter. Very good.

[Concrete John]

Some of you just want to be offended.

I'm still too offended by the picture of Ashley bullfighting to be bothered about this.

*sobs into handkerchief*

This made me titter. Very good.

Bullfighting makes you titter?  Are you one of them Spanish sadists??