The Martin O'Neill thread (with added sacking #2188)

[brian green]

Perceptive that you should comment on the Leicester years Dave, without me naming names which I am not at liberty to do, the one extremely well known commentator who asked my son "why do Villa fans hate O'Neill so much?" related that his friendship had been formed in those Leicester years.

My own opinion is that O'Neill has had his career planned right down to the finest detail and the wheels came off when he was not offered the Liverpool job.   Just my opinion.

[Sexual Ealing]

I have to admit that I bought into the MON thing full tilt at the time. There was a different feeling, a sense that under him we had become relevant again. I criticised some of the tactics at the time but thought the good outweighed the bad. As time goes by, though, the amount of bad grows and becomes overwhelming. That he was appointed at the exact moment we finally got decent financial backing is a very sad piece of timing in our history, as Randy's money spent more wisely by a better, more up-to-date manager, I believe, would have got us into something like the position Spurs are in now, if not better.

Claps.

My name's Montbert, and I'm a recovering MONaholic. And I find the term 'Monette' either insulting and offensive to me or to be a mispronounced impressionist painter.

I posted before I saw that Monty. I'm a PC gone MONtal type so I'd never set out to offend a fellow sufferer.

Also, you summed up my thoughts exactly.

It's been 7 weeks since I last claimed anyone had a Law degree.

[Astral Weeks]

The revelation that, after a Sunday match, we'd not get together until Thursday I find shocking.

Not surprising is it, that some of the players reportedly resented Houllier's more rigorous and professional approach to training when he arrived? If I'd been used to having three days off every week in exchange for my massive pay cheque, I'd probably be slightly put out too.

[Fin Feds Dad]

If any of you are watching the new series of Homeland,  there is a bit where a previously dismissed and deemed crazy ex CIA woman is shown a video clip of the American Marine that she was convinced had been 'turned' to a terrorist, whilst being held hostage for 7 years or so - the premise for the whole of series 1.

In the clip, he is preparing to become a suicide bomber - and explains his reasons to camera.

Her first words when she was shown the clip were '' I was right, I was right !''

Thats how we should feel .

[olaftab]

My opinion of mon started to change after he put that weak team out in Moscow.

I hated him after that abject surrender. That was unforgivable.

[Monty]

The revelation that, after a Sunday match, we'd not get together until Thursday I find shocking.

Not surprising is it, that some of the players reportedly resented Houllier's more rigorous and professional approach to training when he arrived? If I'd been used to having three days off every week in exchange for my massive pay cheque, I'd probably be slightly put out too.

It does also mean that MON was essentially to blame for a lot of Houllier's problems. I hope history is kinder to what GH tried to do at Villa in light of revelations like these.

I posted before I saw that Monty. I'm a PC gone MONtal type so I'd never set out to offend a fellow sufferer.

Also, you summed up my thoughts exactly.

It's been 7 weeks since I last claimed anyone had a Law degree.

I haven't insisted "I'm sure he does want to play passing football" in nearly a year.

[Kingthing]

Make those two golden muppets!

[Kingthing]

If any of you are watching the new series of Homeland,  there is a bit where a previously dismissed and deemed crazy ex CIA woman is shown a video clip of the American Marine that she was convinced had been 'turned' to a terrorist, whilst being held hostage for 7 years or so - the premise for the whole of series 1.

In the clip, he is preparing to become a suicide bomber - and explains his reasons to camera.

Her first words when she was shown the clip were '' I was right, I was right !''

Thats how we should feel .

Brilliant!

[dave.woodhall]

Perceptive that you should comment on the Leicester years Dave, without me naming names which I am not at liberty to do, the one extremely well known commentator who asked my son "why do Villa fans hate O'Neill so much?" related that his friendship had been formed in those Leicester years.

My own opinion is that O'Neill has had his career planned right down to the finest detail and the wheels came off when he was not offered the Liverpool job.   Just my opinion.

One thing that did surprise me at the time was the reception he got when we played Leicester in the League Cup. It was warm rather than rapturous - nowhere near, say, Sir Graham when he returned to Villa with Watford. Maybe in hindsight they'd started to see through him as well.

[hilts_coolerking]

My opinion of mon started to change after he put that weak team out in Moscow.

It was such a catastrophic error.  First, it said to the reserves and youngsters 'I don't think you're good enough to get us a win at the weekend'; second, it put enormous pressure on the first team to get that win, which it turned out they couldn't do; third, it spurned the chance (however slim) of winning a trophy in favour of coming fourth in the league.

[dave.woodhall]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

[London Villan]

There was a deeper relationship with GT. You felt he cared for the club, in a similar way Big Ron, Little and even Gregory did. With MON that feeling was never there. The Moscow surrender was the turning point for me in seeing his limitations.

[pauliewalnuts]

Whatever you think of MON, it is hard not to see the scattergun, wastefulness of his transfer policy.

Take his defensive purchases, for example:

2008-9

Davies £9m
Shorey £4m                                                                                   
Luke Young £5m                                                                                   
Cuellar £8m        

Then, the very next year, he has another go at a defence:

Beye £3m
Warnock £7m
Collins £5m
Dunne £5m                                                                                       

So, one season, £26m on defenders, then the very next season, another £20m on the same defence.

He also bought decent players, yes, Milner, Young, Downing, who we made a profit on, but stop for a moment and think of the folly of almost 50m on defenders in two years, and the impact that will have had on the wage bill.

[john e]

very good clip there, thanks for that paulie

[pauliewalnuts]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.